[Gaston]

I think it is actually positive that she didn't have to depend on Ari for easy living. It provides a nice balance to their relationship as it gives Ari further incentive to be into her. Far too many women who are married to wealthy men came out from no money, and are for all practical purposes dead wood useless. And therefore by default needy and by the same extension manipulative. I pity Russian oligarchs married to those airhead models'. Or p4p sex tourists and their gf's. Or for that matter Don Draper's 20 years younger wife. Isn't she on her best behavior only because she wants to use him. It's easy to be an alpha when a woman in the relationship is in heavily disadvantaged position. It must suck knowing that only reason a woman is with you because she wants to drain you of your financial and/or material resources.

Moreover, if it indeed is true that Mr. Ari's family wealth provided initial traction isn't that a proof that Ari successfully gamed her?

Finally, in regards to their marital problems toward the end, the writers have to complicate it somehow. Smooth sailings all the way make for boring TV. Besides, the female demographic is more valuable (as they are more easily persuaded by advertisers) so the last season in almost its entirely was written by a FEMALE WRITER named Ally Musika:

"Who? Yeah...She has been writing almost every episode for the past few seasons. Word on the street is she has been banging the creator of Entourage, Doug Ellin, for the past few years. Makes sense since she rose so quickly from being a production assistant on the show. I hate to come off as a misogynist, but this is a show about guys, for GUYS. Err...WAS a show for guys. Ever since Ally came on aboard, all the guys have been emasculated by minor female characters:

- Ari and his female assistant, Lizzie
- Ari and his wife
- Turtle and Jamie Lynn Singler
- Turtle and Alex, the Tequila lady
- E and Sloan

Every guy who started watching this show wanted to live vicariously through Vincent Chase and be a movie star with his friends along for the ride. It used to be about chasing women, cars, being macho, being a celebrity, adventure, and all the things that made it appealing to its key demographic: GUYS. Now, it's a show that's all about feelings, emotional, complicated relationships, and crap no one who loved the show when it first started cares about."

And funny thing, Wikipedia entry for Ally Musika states:

"Ally Musika... is a writer and Executive producer known for ruining the HBO television series Entourage."