Julia Lemigova asserts that her relationship with wife Martina Navratilova is “stronger than ever” following the dramatic events of The Real Housewives of Miami reunion.

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During the reunion, allegations surfaced that Julia had been involved with her co-star Adriana de Moura, 59, and was also accused of having affairs with both a Haitian mortician and a police officer. Julia, 53, is candid about taking full responsibility for the pain this caused Martina, 68, as she discusses their decision to open up their relationship, how their daughters, Emma and Victoria, have managed the situation, and her aspirations to pursue opera studies.

“Martina and I have experienced our share of highs and lows, just like any other couple,” Julia shared with PEOPLE. “During a particularly difficult period, we mutually decided to open our relationship. It was a choice we made together, approached with honesty and care. However, it also introduced challenges that we had to confront directly.”

Julia noted that she was experiencing “a midlife crisis” before her debut on RHOM in 2021. Even after joining the show, her marriage to Martina, whom she wed in 2014, faced its own set of struggles.

According to Julia, she went through “a midlife crisis” before she joined RHOM in 2021. And even after, she and Martina, whom she married in 2014, weren’t in the best place. 

“We were figuring out, that first year, what was going to happen with us,” she explained. “And I think that’s why you see me, in my first season, being more free and drinking shots with pickles and kissing my girlfriends. I was so desperately hungry for fun and lightness, because things at home had been so serious and severe.”

After going through rocky times, Julia and Martina eventually decided to “close the marriage.”

“We were not in an open-open relationship, per se,” Julia clarified. “It was just a pass as we gave ourselves time to figure things out. And Martina knew about everything. It wasn’t like I was hiding anything from her. Even with Adriana, I told her. Naturally, Martina wasn’t happy about what happened.”

Although Julia’s sexual adventures could’ve cost her her marriage, it instead served as a “wake-up call.”

“We had to have some really difficult conversations. It made us more committed to repairing what was slightly fractured, and definitely communicate better — because that’s where, maybe, the fracture started. And today, we’re in a really great place,” she revealed. “Our focus is on each other and on our family. My marriage to Martina is the most sacred part of my life. I hurt her, and I take full responsibility for that. But I’ve asked her for forgiveness and she’s forgiven me.”

In addition to Julia’s public revelations being “hard for Martina,” they were also hard on her daughters. 

“I feel very guilty for putting them through this. But I felt like the only way I could move forward was if I stopped lying,” Julia reasoned. “[My daughters] are my best friends and my biggest supporters. They feel horrible for all the hate I’m getting. They know the truth, and they’ve been by my side to help me through it.”

“Crisis can break you or it can make you stronger,” she continued. “For Martina and I — yes, life was not perfect, but that imperfection bonded us. It helped us see what mattered most. We realized we’re so much better together than apart. I can’t imagine my life without Martina. I don’t agree with everything she does or says — just as she doesn’t agree with everything I do or say — but we love each other. Unconditionally.”

Julia also signaled to her and Martina’s two sons, whom they adopted last year.

“The boys are doing wonderful,” she gushed. “Their adoption, it took a long time. And when they first came to us, they were in a difficult place. But they are finally ours and they have made huge progress. They are speaking sentences, doing great in school. It’s been such joy.”

“The kids, all they want is a happy, stable, loving home. And while all of this has been difficult on Martina and I, we are so committed to being their parents that it’s allowed us to not focus on the bad, and instead come together for the good. So yes, it’s been emotional, but it’s also been a very happy time, too. And that’s been very healing,” she added.

During another interview, Julia shared plans to study opera full-time at Florida International University’s School of Music.

“I’m a really curious person. When I started opera two years ago, I hated when I would hit so many wrong notes. When I got this opportunity on the show [RHOM], I said to myself, ‘I don’t want to stop. I want to go back to basics and study it,’” Julia told OK! Magazine. “Now I’m with 18 and 20-year-old kids studying and taking so many different classes, but I love it. It’s exhausting, but I’m working this muscle in my brain, and I’ve never felt more alive.”

As Julia pursues her musical dreams, Martina has been at her side, supporting her along the way.

“Having an incredible partner like Martina makes all the difference,” Julia noted. “We’re both very hands-on with family and work. Tackling everything as a team is our secret weapon because I truly believe that without her support and the way we balance each other, none of this probably would be possible.”