Monique Samuels charged with assault over RHOP fight with Candiace Dillard

By Mona Austin

One of t two he Mrs. on The Real Housewives of Potomac (RHOP) may be headed to court, with one of them possibly facing jail time right before Christmas.

Candiece Dillard has filed assault charges stemming from a fight with castmate Monique Samuels.

At Katie Rost's Hoedown Party, Samuels said she would "drag" Dillard, "pregnant and all" during season 4 of the RHOP. Months later she kept her word on the threat and is now allegedly facing second-degree assault charges, a criminal charge that could result in jail time. The off-and-on friends exchanged at a Virginia winery on October 16 as BRAVO's cameras were rolling for season 5.

Monique, 36 is a mom who divides her time blogging about black motherhood and supporting her husband, retired Redskins lineman Chris Samuels. Candiace, 32 is the feisty newlywed and youngest member of the group who is married to Chris Bassett, restaurateur. The two have clashed on the show multiple times.

According to several reports, Monique yanked Candiace by the hair and banged her face on the table in response to Dillard tossing a drink in her face.

This is the second time Candiace was caught on camera demonstrating violent behavior. In the previous season she pulled a knife on Ashley Darby when they were filming at her home. Instead of intervening, producers kept the cameras rolling during that potential violence too.

Neither the network nor the two women have addressed the situation publicly to confirm details of what triggered the altercation, but court documents filed in Montgomery Country Maryland on Nov. 7 list Mrs. Dillard as the complainant.

Dillard’s attorney James L. Walker told People, “At this time, we do not want to say too much and just allow the criminal process to play out. We only ask everyone to pray for our client Candiace and her family. The physical assault, humiliation and emotional distress have all been very painful and difficult for Candiace, as it would be for anyone attacked so viciously.”

He continued, “We also pray that Monique will get some help. The summons to court charge of Second Degree Assault is just one step below first-degree assault and must be taken very seriously. This behavior has no place in our society.”

On Monday Samuels' Attorney A. Scott Bolden released a statement indicating his client acted in self defense, but said she has not seen a summons.

“Ms. Dillard has a public reputation for aggressive, belligerent and threatening behavior that has played out repeatedly on the Housewives of Potomac for millions of viewers to see for themselves,”  Bolden said in a statement and that his client may file a counter criminal summons.

Continuing he said, “To be sure, my client did nothing but defend herself in the face of more very aggressive behavior by Ms. Dillard. If this event occurred during taping of the show, I am confident that the video will bear all of this out.”

Samuel's brother has acknowledged that the complaint was real saying on Instragram in an angry post directly at Candiece, "Your complaint was a vanity project and you know it."

A few clues of what caused the fight may have been left from the past season. (Monique was already under pressure from Ashley Darby raising the possibility that she had a drinking problem, noting the mom of 3 had consume 3 Martinis the day before falling the sleep at the wheel and running off the road.) Later in the season Candiace shared with the other ladies that Monique berated Katie's look, which Monique denied. They discussed it, hugged it out, and seemed to have moved past what Monique saw as a misinterpretation of her comments about Kati at the reunion.

A day after the fight reportedly the crew got back to work, all except Candiace.

A blog indicated the other ladies are fearful for their safety after the fallout and are alienating Monique, claiming Gizelle brought security to the taping.

Word On The Street is that The Green Eyed Bandit, Gizelle Bryant, showed up with her own security detail to filming today with the ladies. The entire cast, except for Candiace, met today and “the dragging” was the 🔥topic. A few of the ladies continued to express their “concerns” for their safety after Monique’s alleged “blackout” that resulted in the dragging of castmate Candiace Bassett. . .

The post goes on to say that Ashley Darby, Karen Huger, and newbie Dr. Wendy Osefo, a new addition to the show are on Monique's side, while the other ladies are not.

People reports Candiace filed charges on Nov. 7 and a court date was set for Dec. 23, two says before Christmas. It would be terribly sad for the Samuels children to spend Christmas without their mother, especially since she has a one-year-old.

The incident is another example of how the Bravo organization appears to exploit the testy and toxic relationships of affluent Black women. The Bravo Housewives franchise however, does not discriminate, equally airing negative images of wealthy women of all races.

Season 5 of RHOP is scheduled to return Spring of 2020.’  The Slice Report will bring you updates on this story as it develops.

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