When Gina and Pat Neely were appearing together on their popular show, Down Home with the Neelys, in the late 2000s and early 2010s, little did anybody know that they were estranged from each other. Given their affection shown on the show, people were shocked when Gina Neely announced her divorce. But why did the Neelys get divorced despite all cues to the contrary? Get the full scoop right here!
People who loved food and everything about it made it a point to never miss a single episode of the popular show, Down Home with the Neelys, no matter how busy they were. The show was hosted by Gina and Pat Neely and aired on the Food Network seven days a week.
The show featured the Neelys sharing their dishes and recipes in a relaxed manner while being taped in their home in Memphis, Tennessee. The couple is now divorced (shocking, isn’t it?) and people are wondering why the Neelys got divorced.
Keep reading to know why Gina and Pat Neely split up.
Talking about Her Divorce
It’s been three years since Gina Neely announced her divorce from her husband, Pat Neely. But it was only later that she opened up and spoke about it in public.
Neely spoke about this difficult time in her life on an episode of Where Are They Now?, which aired on the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN) in October 2016.
The Beginning of the End
Neely said that she knew her 20-year marriage to her husband was starting to unravel, even as they started working together on their Food Network show, Down Home with the Neelys.
However, the series showed the Neelys being constantly affectionate and loving towards each other.
A Difference in Perspective
Gina Neely said, “Pat is not a bad guy, he’s just not for me. I didn’t want to divorce my husband, but it became necessary to do it in order for me to be my best self.”
The reality star explained that the problem was that they had different expectations and said, “He felt like we didn’t spend enough time together. I felt like we did and we needed a little space.”
Also Read: Why Did Gigi Hadid and Zayn Malik Breakup? #ZiGi No More!
The Couple Tried to Save Their Marriage
Gina Neely maintains that the decision to call it quits and divorce was not taken in haste and they did try hard to save their marriage.
“We went to therapy 12 times. I tried to leave five times, and I just didn’t have the strength, but the fifth time I held on to that. It became necessary for me to find my path,” explained Neely.
Losing Weight, Gaining Happiness
Once she made up her mind to divorce her husband, things became clearer for Gina Neely, and she resolved to lose some serious weight. She began losing weight just before she and Pat Neely divorced and went on to lose 34 pounds.
Neely said at that time, “I knew I wasn’t happy and I said I’m definitely not going to take 50 and not be happy. So at 46 I started changing my life, I started changing my body. I realized I liked that better.”
Better Off on Their Own
According to sources, Gina and Pat Neely had no idea that their show, Down Home with the Neelys, would become so successful. But once it did take off and became wildly popular, the Neelys stayed with it, despite the fact that they were not happy with each other throughout the years.
The moral of the story: Don’t believe everything you see!
