After revealing she was leaving The Real Housewives of Potomac after four seasons, Monique Samuels is opening up about what drove her to quit and all the unjust nuances in between.
Speaking in a lengthy interview, the mother-of-three said she was “over the fakery” that happened during her time on the show, and she felt — especially with the drama that went down this past season — that she was the only one receiving the brunt of the blame.
“I’m over the real hate that’s been happening behind the scenes and just being treated unfairly. Why is it that every season, I’m looked at as the one who has to be accountable? But then when I’m expecting to [receive] some accountability in my direction for things that have been done to me it’s like … crickets,” Monique told All About the Tea. “Nobody cares, nobody is enforcing anything, I’m getting phone calls… as if I’m the one causing so much when I’m just responding to whatever was brought at me.”
Monique went on to say that following her altercation with Candiace Dillard-Bassett, she took “full ownership and accountability” for her part, but she was never given the proper time to “process everything that went down.”
She then continued her explanation, noting the final straw that broke the Housewives‘ back, “I sent an email asking to be released from my contract right after the conclusion of the reunion [on Sunday]. I was very disappointed because the one thing that I expected was for me and family to have vindication. When it came to the fight, we were sort of vindicated after episode 2 of the reunion because I had been saying the same story from day one and to actually have production back me in what I was saying transpired as far as how I perceived it was great. But the other thing was my family dynamic. That was something I always said doing this show: my family is off-limits, my marriage is off-limits. People can start rumors, that’s fine, but when you cross the line of involving innocent children that’s when I have a problem.”
Monique also shared how upset she was that production never played Candiace’s video that revealed the alleged “plot” by the other RHOP cast members to take down Monique with those trainer affair rumors.
“[When] I saw that they played me and my husband’s response in our live video but they did not play what prompted that live video, I was very disappointed,” she shared. “I expected that to be played out and done right at the reunion and when that did not happen, it put a very sour taste in my mouth and I’m not gonna sit around for another season hoping that we’ll receive an apology from somebody, hoping that they’ll make the situation right. I’m not willing to do it. My family’s worth more to me than that and honestly, my family comes first.”
In addition to feeling singled out at the reunion, there was some pre-reunion drama that also rubbed Monique the wrong way. When stationed at a hotel before the taping, Monique slowly began to realize she was set up at a separate hotel from all the other women.
“I was completely blown. I felt disrespected, I felt like … I was at a loss for words,” she stated. “Long story short, we checked out, I went and bought three rooms at the right hotel and I thank God because even in all of this, had I found out the next day […] I would not have known until the day of. My glam was pissed, we had to re-pack all of our things and pack up and I’m spending more money to buy more rooms … it was just craziness.”
Speaking of being singled out, many fans were up in arms after the second episode of the reunion special, noting host Andy Cohen‘s ostensible siding with “Team Candiace” and grilling Monique. For the “Drag Queens” rapper, it was just as confusing for her as it was for the fans.
“I’ve always had an okay relationship with Andy. He actually gave me very great advice when I was going through everything after the fight!” she exclaimed. “People have a job to do and I think he was doing what he felt he was supposed to do and he did not want people to think that he was in any way shape or form letting me off the hook and he had to go in. I would have appreciated it if that same energy was pointed in the other direction of people who needed that same degree of treatment.”
So will Monique ever make a return?
The Not For Lazy Moms blogger confirmed she “definitely received an offer” after season five wrapped and she was excited to return to “redeem” herself and show her “growth.” After that final reunion episode, though, all consideration went out the window.
“I’m done y’all,” she stated firmly. “You know what’s crazy … I was fine with the trainer rumor because it never brought up my child, but then once that got out, I had been holding on to that for two years and I was still able to put a smile on my face and do what I need to do for the sake of the show. There’s no coming back from that. You’ve crossed so many lines.”
She concluded, “I honestly thought that there would be some apologies in the Samuels’ direction, I thought there would be some ownership, some accountability. I’m not gonna wait another season to see if it happens and then be disappointed all over again and then another thing happens and it just becomes so much worse so … I’m done. I’m one of those people [where] once I exit out of something I’m moving on to something else.”
Photo Credit: Bravo