Sophia Bush has never shied away from doing the hard, introspective emotional work, and her latest podcast appearance is proof that maturity brings crystal-clear perspective. Appearing on Call Her Daddy, the 44-year-old actress delivered a remarkably candid interview, touching on her short-lived 2005 marriage to former One Tree Hill co-star Chad Michael Murray before setting the record straight on the online rumors surrounding her marriage to wife Ashlyn Harris.
Looking back two decades at her five-month marriage to Murray—which ended amid public infidelity rumors—Bush admitted she initially felt hesitant about addressing that chapter in her memoir. However, stepping back allowed her to approach her 20s with grace rather than bitterness.
“What felt important to me was to say we were kids. We’re older. We’re all adults. We’re all parents. No harm, no foul. Wish you well. Praise the adult you are. Hope it’s mutual,” Bush shared. “But as a young person in a highly pressurized situation, as a woman, I trusted every single other person in the room more than I trusted myself.”
The experience taught her to honor her inner voice—and unexpectedly led to some of the most meaningful bonds in her life today. When host Alex Cooper asked if she eventually befriended some of the women Murray reportedly cheated with, Bush confirmed it with a smile, praising those former “rivals” as absolute badasses.
“I know the adults we are are completely different people from who we were, but even the child I don’t relate to that he was, like, you did have kind of great taste, bro, and like congrats, you crushed,” Bush joked with warm humor. “I get it, I actually get it, and by the way, like, I’m open to all people, I get it, hot.”
Pivot to present day, Bush addressed the persistent internet chatter regarding her relationship timeline with retired USWNT soccer star Ashlyn Harris. Harris filed for divorce from ex-wife Ali Krieger in September 2023, while Bush filed for divorce from ex-husband Grant Hughes in July 2023. Addressing narrative speculation that their relationship overlapped with their previous marriages, Bush offered a direct timeline correction:
“Two people who had filed for divorce and lived in separate residences from their exes went to dinner,” Bush stated plainly.
While acknowledging she wishes the optics had been less chaotic—laughing that taking Harris on a date six weeks later might have saved them social media headaches—she shut down any notion of a reckless affair.
“But I’m a little bit chickens***, so this whole, like, ‘Oh, they must have gotten drunk and had an affair…’ Anyone who thinks that was a casual leap for me doesn’t know me,” Bush explained, emphasizing her protective instinct toward families and children. “There’s also a part of me that goes, ‘I’ve done too much work on myself to hurt someone when I’ve been hurt.’ Especially when there’s children involved.”
“I don’t think I would have made it through that had I not known her for so long and had I not seen the work and the sadness and the heartbreak and the absolute crushing experience [going through a divorce],” she continued. “When [online narratives] affect people’s jobs, when they destroy someone’s ability to provide for their family, when they destroy someone’s credibility unfairly… I don’t want to be party to that. And that’s a really hard practice ‘cause all I want to do is be like, ‘Here’s all the information. And if you had the information, the vibes would be different.’”
Now happily married after privately exchanging vows with Harris last year, Bush stands anchored in her truth—proving that adult clarity always outshines tabloid gossip.
