Credit: Tommy Garcia/Bravo, Griffin Nagel/Peacock
Candiace Dillard Bassett hasn’t been on The Real Housewives of Potomac since season eight.
Fans of hers were excited that she made an appearance last night on The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip: Roaring 20th.
When speaking about Candiace, 39, in a confessional, her former co-star Gizelle Bryant, 55, claimed she hadn’t seen her since she was “fired” from the show.
Gizelle 💀 #RHOP pic.twitter.com/do1jUbRwcY
— Queens of Bravo (@queensofbravo) August 31, 2026
Gizelle’s claim led to some questions over whether Candiace was actually fired or not, as that was not what had been said at the time of her exit.
In March 2024, People reported on Candiace’s departure from RHOP and confirmed that a production source told them “Dillard Bassett made the choice to leave the franchise on her own.”
Candiace also spoke to the outlet regarding her exit from the Bravo series.
“As I embark on a new chapter after six remarkable years with The Real Housewives of Potomac, I am filled with gratitude for the enriching friendships, personal growth and moments of introspection that have defined this journey,” she said at the time. “With a whirlwind of new opportunities and responsibilities on my plate, I have decided to take a break from RHOP.”
“This is not a farewell, but a ‘see you later,'” she continued. “Your unwavering support has been my guiding light, and I look forward to the exciting adventures that lie ahead – and more importantly, sharing them all with you!”
Candiace’s statement clearly showed she had decided to take a break, but Gizelle’s statement on RHUGT said otherwise.
The conflicting statements led to some debate on social media platform X, with one person writing, “Why did she get fired? I thought she didn’t come back cause she decided to spend her pregnancy in peace. Someone, please explain.”
“When housewives are fired, the network always tells them they can say whatever they want,” another person wrote. “If they don’t want to say they were fired, Bravo won’t contradict them if they say they left to pursue other things or spend time with family.”
“After 10 seasons of exaggerations, embellishments and lies that even Gizelle herself has admitted to… y’all are still in the business of believing anything that comes out of that woman’s mouth, especially in regards to someone she dislikes?” another X user asked.
Gizelle’s comments come fresh on the heels of the 11th season of RHOP getting ready to premiere.
During the commercials for RHUGT, Bravo aired a quick preview for the new season.
In it, we saw Robyn Dixon, who is back this season as a friend of the housewives after departing as a full-time cast member in season eight, along with other women from the show getting ready for Karen Huger to reemerge in their group after she completed her prison stint.
Karen kept true to her persona at the event, as a sign was shown that read, “The Grande Dame is back like she never left.”
Her feet were then shown walking into the event, as the logo for RHOP appeared alongside a “new season coming soon” message.