Following a dispute that turned physical, Real Housewives of Potomac costars Candiace Dillard and Monique Samuels are no longer facing second-degree assault charges.
After an alleged physical fight while filming for the upcoming fifth season of RHOP in October, both of the Potomac housewives filed second-degree assault charges against one another following the incident. Both parties filed their complaints to the District Court of Montgomery County in Maryland weeks later in November. But as of Friday, neither case will be taken any further in court.
“Charges have been dismissed by the Office of the State’s Attorney for Montgomery County, Maryland,” PEOPLE reported after the news was confirmed by the Public Affairs Director, Ramón V. Korionoff.
As fans can recall, Candiace and Monique reportedly were involved in a brawl while attending a group gathering at a vineyard. Candiace allegedly threw her drink at her costar, resulting in Monique allegedly dragging her and slamming her head against a table, according to a previous report. Weeks following the incident, Candiace filed second-degree assault charges against Monique just before getting served with the same charges from her castmate.
In a statement made by the State’s Attorney’s office, as was obtained by PEOPLE on December 27, the “decision not to move forward was made after representatives reviewed both complaints, looked over footage of the incident provided by Bravo, and conducted a series of interviews with both Samuels and Bassett as well as witnesses on the scene.”
If either Candiace or Monique’s case had gone any further, their conviction could have resulted in time behind bars. However, both housewives still reserve the right to file a civil lawsuit against one another.
Following Friday’s decision, Monique’s attorney, A. Scott Bolden, made an official statement on the matter.
“We are pleased with the final determination by the Montgomery County’s States Attorney’s Office to not proceed against Mrs. Samuels for assault charges brought against her by Candiace Dillard Bassett,” the attorney stated. “Consistent with her prior bad acts, offensive words and conduct, and her reputation for physical threats and verbal outbursts on the show, through third party interviews and the review of other evidence, the government concluded not to move forward against my client, Mrs. Samuels.”
Along with Monique’s lawyer, Candiace’s attorney also made a statement regarding the dropped charges.
“We are very, very pleased that the prosecutor did not charge Ms. Dillard Bassett with any criminal charges or pursue the criminal charges against her,” Candiace’s attorney, James L. Walker, Jr. stated. “As you may recall, the defendant’s legal team made the accusation that our client was the aggressor and assaulted Ms. Samuels by throwing a wine glass at her. However, it is very clear by today’s decision that this was a false allegation.”
And after adding that he thought Candiace was still a victim in the situation, he explained, “I am also hopeful that Ms. Samuels and her team will cease and desist with the continual, unprofessional character assassination of Ms. Dillard Bassett, her husband, and her family.”
Season 5 of Real Housewives of Potomac is set to air sometime next year on Bravo TV.
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