Former Real Housewives of Potomac star Monique Samuels and her husband, Chris Samuels, are exiting OWN’s Love and Marriage: DC ahead of its second season.
Monique confirmed the news while appearing on her radio show, which was captured by @RealityRunDown, and she said that the reasoning behind the decision to leave the series was “contract issues.” She said that they were planning on returning to the show for the second season, but they turned down the offer because it “didn’t make sense” for her. Monique also said that the divorce rumors surrounding the couple were “convenient,” adding that she doesn’t know who “leaked” the rumors.
“The main reason we didn’t start filming was because of contract issues. So, God works in mysterious ways,” Monique explained. “Because how convenient was it that this whole divorce narrative was put out there.”
“So, yes, it is true. Chris and I will not be returning.”
The offer must have been extremely insulting as Monique divulged that she and Chris are leaving the world of reality television altogether, stating that the couple is “done with reality TV, honestly.”
“I will never put myself in a position to be devalued again. The contract has to make sense to me,” the former RHOP star explained.
Rumors first began swirling of the couple leaving the show after OWN dropped not one but two promos for Love and Marriage: DC, and neither one of them featured Monique and Chris.
Chris and Monique Samuels are missing from two brand new promos for #LAMDC Season 2. pic.twitter.com/PH0x03pOhl
— TV Deets (@tvdeets) November 27, 2022
According to sources at TV Deets, Monique and Chris’ departure comes on the heels of rumors that the couple is going through a rough patch in their marriage and are separating. During BravoCon 2022, Monique was quick to shut down any rumors of a fallout very quickly.
On October 15, Monique took to her Instagram to deny the claims and flaunt her wedding ring, captioning the video, “No better source than the actual source. Y’all already know how I roll. I give my own damn exclusives.”
Love and Marriage: DC chronicled Monique and Chris’ reintroduction to the reality world after her ungracious exit from RHOP after physically assaulting her former co-star, Candiace Dillard-Bassett, during season five.
Monique, surprisingly, credited RHOP for “saving her marriage.”
“People always say that reality TV tears your marriage down. What people don’t realize is that Real Housewives of Potomac in some ways saved my marriage,” Monique confessed to Entertainment Tonight back in July. “Chris and I, before we started filming that show, we were in a really rough place.”
Insiders believe that Monique and Chris’ exit from the show may be making way for their return to RHOP, though no evidence has been given to confirm this theory. However, Monique wouldn’t be the first housewife to proclaim she’s done with the show, only to return later.