Candiace Dillard-Bassett is arguably a fan-favorite from The Real Housewives of Potomac. For six seasons, Candiace gave Black American Princess energy with her show-stopping fashion, privileged perspective and off-the-cuff intellectual reads that often left her cast mates on the reality series speechless. In the early seasons, Candiace and fellow beauty pageant alum Ashley Darby played verbal dodgeball, earning the frenemies countless blogs and social media posts. Nine times out of ten, Candiace emerged rhetorically victorious because her natural wit was unrivaled by any housewife on Bravo short of Kenya Moore. Aside from a memorable confrontation that turned physical with former RHOP star Monique Samuels, Candiace was more intellectual bark than bite.

Between seasons 6 and 7, Candiace and Ashley’s rivalry reached a friendly standoff, bringing their historical beef to an end. Candiace sat down with Collider to share her views on the conflicts and non-scripted drama she accepted as part of her job description until a fateful scene in season 8.

Candiace Dillard-Bassett Says ‘RHOP’ Turned Dark
Image by Zanda Rice, Bravo 

When Gizelle Bryant accused Chris Bassett of making a subtle pass at her during an untaped conversation during season 7, Candiace realized the show had taken a dark turn, and she no longer wanted to participate. “Things changed for me during season 8 in that dance studio when Gizelle made the allegation against Chris. Chris had been nothing but nice to everyone on the show, and it was totally out of left field…I immediately stopped responding because I saw what she was doing, and I wasn’t going to entertain it under any circumstances,” she explains.

Candiace says that the conversation with Gizelle marked the unspoken end of her time on RHOP. She realized season 8 was her time to be on the receiving end of toxicity and refused to give it any additional energy.

Candiace and her Chris announced they were working on expanding their family in season 7. She allowed production to film her IVF journey, although it was emotional and disappointing at times. Gizelle’s accusations against Chris spread like wildfire, and soon Ashley, Robyn Dixon, and even friends of the show were speculating about Chris’s inappropriate and somewhat flirty behavior. Whether it was due to his job in promotions or he was attempting to be the “sneaky link” Gizelle accused him of being, it was unacceptable to Candiace. After announcing her long-awaited pregnancy during the season 8 finale, reports confirmed Candiace would not be returning to RHOP for season 9.

“I lost my first egg retrieval because of the stress from the show. Chris and I always said that when it stopped being fun we’d reevaluate our participation and that’s what we did,” she asserts. “There was a time when I would get the screeners, and enjoy watching the show and seeing what the fans would see on Sunday, but during season 8 I started dreading what I’d see when I sat down to watch. I started realizing it no longer felt good anymore. It felt toxic and crazy. It wasn’t a positive space anymore. For us, the show became more of a chore and a stressor. There was a dedication to misunderstanding and toxicity. So no, I won’t be watching this season either. It wasn’t a difficult decision to leave. ”

The Singer Says ‘RHOP’ Cast Members Constantly Attack Co-Stars’ Husbands
Attacking husbands and/or marriages was a theme for season 8, as Wendy Osefo’s physician husband, Eddie Osefo, received accusatory smoke from the cast as well. Robyn’s husband, Juan Dixon, provided the ladies and his wife with enough ammunition to incriminate him five times over and Karen was accused of cheating on her longtime husband, Ray Huger. Mia Thonton enjoyed instigating the marital confusion of others but burned her own marriage to the ground by leaving her husband, Gordon Thornton, for her lover, Incognito aka Inc.

“The real problem is everyone on the show doesn’t have a husband or can’t seem to get a husband. Unfortunately, there’s nothing I can do about that. I can’t help anyone with that problem. But if everyone had a husband, there wouldn’t have been any of the problems we had, the story lines would’ve been totally differen,” Candiace says.

Candiace left the show in time to thoroughly enjoy her pregnancy and embrace her marriage in a way she hadn’t been able to since season her inagural season. Her music career started taking off during season 4, and Candiace took the time off to focus on doing as much as she could to connect with fans before she had to slow down and focus on her pregnancy.

Candiace Is Looking Forward to Welcoming Her New Baby

“My last show was in July, and I was super pregnant but the fans were so sweet. It was really fun, really empowering. They embraced me and it was a good feeling. I can’t wait to get back on the road after the baby is here. I see other artists touring with their babies waiting for them backstage, and I see myself doing that. I am blessed to have a really supportive friends and family group. I see myself being able to do it all. But I’ve enjoyed this break. I don’t feel like I’ve missed anything.”

Surprisingly, Candiace hopes season 9 is successful for all the women on the show. After dedicating the last few years of her life to the RHOP brand, she believes it would be foolish to hope for the demise of the house she helped to build. She maintains a friendship with Wendy and Karen and says she is fine wishing the rest of the cast well from afar.

“I was a part of building the legacy of Potomac and no one can take that away from me. Honestly, I’m rooting for the whole cast. I want to see the show do well. I still talk to Karen and Wendy, so of course, I want them to get what they both want from the show, but I’m also at peace and have not regretted my decision for one minute. I would never say what I wouldn’t do in the future; but for now I’m perfectly happy focusing on my family and new baby.”

The Real Housewives of Potomac premieres on Sunday, Oct. 6, at 8 p.m. ET on Bravo. Episodes will be available to stream the next day on Peacock.

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