AITA for leaving my husband after I found out he was hiding his gambling addiction?

I (29F) have been married to Michael (32M) for four years. We met while I was working at a local coffee shop, and after a whirlwind romance, we got married. Our marriage has had its challenges, but for the most part, we were happy together. We had the kind of relationship where we supported each other’s careers and dreams, and we always made time for one another.

About six months ago, Michael started acting distant. He’d come home late from work, and when I’d ask him where he’d been, he’d just say he was busy or had to work extra hours. I didn’t think much of it at first, but then I noticed something strange. Michael’s bank statements started showing unusual activity—large withdrawals that didn’t seem to match his salary. I confronted him about it, and he assured me that it was nothing to worry about. He claimed it was just a few “miscellaneous expenses” that didn’t need further explanation.

However, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off, so I started looking deeper into the bank statements. That’s when I found evidence that Michael had been gambling. There were frequent transactions at casinos, online betting sites, and even payday loan services. I was in shock. I confronted him again, and this time, he admitted that he had been hiding his gambling addiction from me for years. He told me that he was in deep, owing thousands of dollars to various people and institutions. He begged me not to leave him and promised that he would go to therapy to fix things.

I didn’t know what to do. Michael’s gambling addiction wasn’t just a small issue—it had put our finances in jeopardy, and I was left to clean up the mess. I felt like I was living with a stranger, someone I couldn’t trust. I gave him an ultimatum: either he seeks help immediately, or I would leave him.

After a week of thinking it over, I decided to leave. I realized that his addiction had been lying at the heart of so many of our problems. He had lied to me for years, and even though he promised to get help, I couldn’t trust him anymore. I filed for divorce, and though it was painful, I knew I was doing the right thing for my own well-being.

Now, Michael is angry with me for abandoning him while he’s trying to get help, and some of my friends say I should have stuck by him through the recovery process. They argue that addiction is a disease and that I should have supported him instead of walking away.

So, AITA for leaving my husband after I found out he was hiding his gambling addiction?