A Utah-based reality television personality is facing the end of his marriage as his wife filed for divorce this week in state court.
Ashley Sparks submitted divorce papers on Tuesday, March 10, seeking to dissolve her marriage to David Sparks, known professionally as Heavy D from Discovery Channel's vehicle customization series 'Diesel Brothers.' Court documents did not specify a reason for the dissolution of the marriage.
The couple's relationship began in Utah when they met at church in 2008. They married in August 2010 and built a family that includes three children: daughter Charley Mae and sons Beau and Mack.
In August 2021, while marking their eleventh wedding anniversary, Ashley Sparks offered public reflections on the realities of marriage through social media. She acknowledged that no relationship achieves perfection, stating that she and her husband both possessed characteristics the other found challenging.
"Marriage has its ups and downs for sure. We've had our fair share of both," Ashley Sparks wrote at the time. "But I'm realizing if you focus on the downs. You tend to get more downs. You focus on the ups. You tend to get more ups."
She emphasized the importance of concentrating on positive aspects of a relationship, noting that such focus made navigating difficult periods more manageable.
David Sparks gained prominence through 'Diesel Brothers,' a Discovery Channel program that showcased a group of Utah friends who specialized in repairing and customizing pickup trucks. The show premiered in 2016 after automotive enthusiast Jay Leno discovered the group's YouTube channel. The series ran for seven seasons, concluding in 2020.
The divorce filing follows legal troubles for David Sparks. In October 2025, he was arrested for allegedly failing to pay fees associated with a separate lawsuit. Following his release from three days in solitary confinement at Salt Lake County jail, Sparks addressed the arrest through social media.
Sparks contested characterizations of the arrest, claiming it was not about refusing to pay legitimately owed funds. Instead, he framed his situation as resistance to what he described as environmental laws being manipulated for financial gain.
"This was about standing up to a broken system that's been hijacked by bad actors, mostly lawyers, who have learned to twist environmental laws into personal profit machines," Sparks stated in the video posted to his social media account.
Representatives for David Sparks have not yet responded to requests for comment regarding the divorce filing.
