The Real Housewives of Potomac star Gizelle Bryant is dishing on the all-new season of the show.
RHOP is not a franchise to shy away from confrontation, but this season teases an especially heated one between Monique Samuels and Candiace Dillard-Bassett, causing many of the women to be concerned for their portrayal.
“We can all see what’s going on with Black Lives Matter and the change in the culture that Black women are viewed a certain way, and I never want to be in a situation — as far as this platform is concerned — and viewed in a way that is animalistic or violent,” Gizelle told Entertainment Tonight.
The reality star said that she and her cohort didn’t think this kind of altercation would happen on their show, but she noted a kind of “beauty” to the situation in terms of how it propelled the women forward.
“It allowed us to have deep conversations and true conversations about how we feel we’re portraying ourselves to the world and what we’re OK with and what we’re not OK with,” she revealed. “I think it opens the door for us to have real conversations all the time, which is what we’ve been wanting to do. Now is the time for it more than ever. So, because we are educated, we’re Black, we’re smart, we’re sassy, we’re funny doesn’t mean that we can’t have those real, deep-rooted conversations, which will help our viewers.”
The season five trailer shows Gizelle, Karen Huger, Robyn Dixon, and Ashley Darby sitting down with Monique to discuss the confrontation as Gizelle tells Monique, “I by no means want to be near you.” A tearful Monique then replies, “Then maybe I don’t need to be a part of this anymore.”
Is their relationship still fraught and do Gizelle’s words still stand?
“I said what I said,” Gizelle noted about the exchange. “I don’t ever not want to be around people based off of the things that they do. But I do want to have a conversation about what you do. You know what Monique does with the rest of the show is on Monique. I don’t hire people, I don’t fire people, so I don’t know whether or not she’s done with us.”
She added, “I do know that she likes to scratch my face out on pictures and you know, this face is way too pretty for all of that. I mean, we are grown women … we are above scratching out faces on pictures, I would think.”
The 49-year-old mother of three also discussed her rekindled relationship with her ex-husband, Jamal Bryant, who she divorced a decade ago after a cheating scandal. The pastor moved to oversee a megachurch in Georgia after their split, and Gizelle maintained on the show that she had no interest in getting back with him. Now, the two are working on moving things forward together.
“I guess over time builds trust, and I felt like it was time to leave the past in the past,” Gizelle said. “You have to keep in mind that in our first season, we had been divorced 10 years. There was no, like, all of a sudden green light, there was nothing blaring, it was just … I guess a feeling and we felt like it was time and we’re still rocking and rolling.”
As far as the skeptics go, Gizelle thinks the speculation that she and Jamal are only together (or faking it) for a storyline on the show is definitely “weird.”
“I mean, it would be one thing if he wasn’t the father of all of my children, but he is and he’s always been in my life,” she stated. “Clout — if I was gonna get with somebody for clout his name would probably be Idris Elba or JAY-Z or, you know, someone like that. Not Jamal Bryant.”
Although Gizelle and Jamal are having a decent go at rekindling their relationship, it’s taken a different toll on their daughters, who are having a bit of trouble navigating their parents as a newfound couple.
“We’ve had very open and honest conversations, ’cause they can read a bunch of stuff on the internet about their dad, about me and about the past, so there’s never, like, secrecy or lies or anything that I want them to be confused about,” she said. “I want us to have an open dialogue. And I also have to keep in mind, they’re teenagers. So, they have their view from a teenage perspective and that is totally fine. I am more than understanding of where they come from. They’re very protective of their mom, as they should be.”
The Real Housewives of Potomac airs Sundays at 9/8c on Bravo.
Photos Credit: Charles Sykes/Bravo, Instagram
30 comments
So Gizelle has an issue with Mo and Candiace being portrayed as violent, but she has no issue with herself being portrayed as a mean bitch? She comes across as incredibly unkind, but I guess that’s fine since it isn’t violent.
Don’t forget hulk green jealous.
I like Gizelle… I always say if you are going to be a bitch; at least be good at it… However, she’s putting herself on a pretty high pedestal (even for her), and she should probably tone it down a bit…
she is one pathetic jealous bitch.
She makes me laugh sometimes…
Can you imagine her as the First Lady of a church we attended, let alone a mega church in Atlanta?!?!?
Hahahaha… Nope…
I don’t have to imagine it. My mother thought so highly of her when she was married to Jamal. I was so as Karen put it “unimpressed”.
Imagine. THIS is the woman people entrusted to counsel them on their deepest woes and darkest secrets! I was wondering if she lifted any of her former parishioners’ stories for that “fictional” book she wrote about megachurch drama, but I wouldn’t dare waste a cent on anything bearing that serpent’s name.
I agree. She is good on the show and compelling to watch but I by no means want to be near her personally.
God no… Lol… So much alcohol would have to be involved…
Giselle and Karen are usually very savvy. They’re shady ladies, but there’s a line they don’t cross and they always leave themselves wiggle room. Gizzy needs to back down on this one. The fans are overwhelmingly team Monique.
The first time Gizelle went to Monique’s house (I believe it was Monique’s housewarming), Gizelle was truly awful to Monique and that was in Monique’s own home! I was thinking she had no good reason, didn’t quite understand at the time and had thought maybe it was jeolousy. Now I see many commenters saying that’s what it is. Yes, team Monique on this one for sure.
I think Gizzy is jealous of anyone with a successful marriage. That’s really quite sad and pathetic. She’s beautiful, but her personality is so bad that no man will stay with her. She’s dillapilated
She should also tone down starches and sugary cocktails. Water weight has long overtaken her cankles, and her feet are beginning to resemble scones.
Did anyone see Rihanna commenting on Karen’s Instagram? That must’ve killed the rest of the ladies ???? like when Beyoncé was quoting Kenya
Yes I saw that! She also called Garcelle a real one
U go Kurn!
The women on these shows do not have to school us. They need to get their act together & not get physical with each other. Do their conversations help their viewers? They need to learn how to control their actions just as the rest of us do!
Excellent point.
https://media0.giphy.com/media/28lD2XylwmRjsV9RnQ/giphy.gif
I posted this on the thread about RiRi and the Grande Dame, but it seems even more appropriate here..
Get over yourself Gizzy, we watch this show to be entertained not educated and enlightened.
Hopefully she’ll move to Georgia soon. Bye!
Gizzelle is soo petty and has been since day one. Monique is my favorite on Potomac. I think it’s clear that she has felt threatened by Monique since she came on the show. I don’t believe in violence, but I also think you can’t keep provoking people and then try to claim victim ( Kenya Moore- style) like candice does. Gizzelle should also stop acting so high and mighty and acting so above it all, since she’s a grade A instigator!
When I first saw Gizelle, I thought, OMG…what a beauty. But then, with her arrogance, it surely brought that beauty down quite a few notches.
I totally agree!
I would love a serious sit-down with Gizelle and Monique so that they can figure out their issues. I really like both of them.
Good luck with that one, LOL. Figuring out their issues begins with Gizelle’s jealousy and her classism. Women of Gizelle’s archetype in the black community are not used to girls like Monique usurping their shine. Gizelle is a golden child who peaked during her University years when she was most popular, most influential, and most despised as an AKA sorority queen: she comes from a family with political legacy in our community, and was reared to follow a specific path to success and influence since birth; from being a child member of our most elite children’s clubs ( i.e. Jack & Jill) to choice of college (Hampton University), to choice of husband (a fellow HBCU graduate, from the elite Morhouse men’s college and later Duke)- a pastor whose family has historic ties to the AME church. Gizelle’s life was was supposed to be that of the perfect black socialite, but culminated in absolute public humiliation.
First Lady Bryant’s world came crashing down with her husbands philandering and children born outside the marriage. Having to give up their lavi$h lifestyle in addition to such blatant disrespect is a bitter pill for any woman to swallow… let alone someone as conceited, back-biting, and haze-crazy as Gizelle, she’s prepped for a “role” her entire life. Enter Monique Samuels onto Gizelle’s new territory where she is head honcho: this caramel-skinned upstart from God knows where, a former ‘music business’ girl who doesn’t have the decades long social club and political affiliations that Gizelle has-yet is still rich, pretty, is building a healthy resume as a philanthropist in circles Gizelle frequents and Monique has a husband who loves her? Oh Monique was definitely marked for prey on day one! Monique’s not only got good looks and budding social standing, but Monique’s got what Gizelle hasn’t had for years: a good man, lots of money, and slender ankles. There was no way Queen G. was leaving this girl (that she loves to call ghetto, btw) out of her crosshairs.
I’ve seen this kind of social dynamic unfold in my community since I was a child. The only way this beef ends is when Gizelle figures out how Monique and her resources can be an ally to her in pursuit of weaker prey. See Gizelle’s friendship with Ashley Darby as an example.
Gizzelle definitely only has time for people that are useful to her in some way.
Wow. You seem to know the situation very well. Quite frankly, I don’t know the dynamics of that community. I like both of these women and wish they’d be on the same side. It’s a shame that they’re not when they could be good for each other.
Whatever happened to the RHDC franchise??