'Real Housewives of Potomac' star Monique Samuels says Andy Cohen held her 'to a different standard' during 3-part reunion
- After leaving "Real Housewive of Potomac," Monique Samuels told Insider "it felt like a...load was lifted."
- Samuels left after alleging a "plot" was made against her during the three-part season five reunion on Bravo.
- She also said reunion host Andy Cohen "held [her] to a different standard" during the sit down.
Walking out of frame at The Real Housewives of Potomac reunion was Monique Samuels. Without regret, the reality star and entrepreneur left the Bravo series after having a tumultuous season five.
Samuels told Insider that during the reunion castmembers plotted against her family, spreading a rumor that she had cheated on her husband of nine years. The baseless rumor even went so far as to suggest her baby boy, Chase, was the product of the alleged affair.
"I'm a woman of my word. I've always said that if the show ever interfered with my family or my marriage that I would definitely get to packing," the reality star said a few weeks after telling fans she wouldn't be returning.
"It feels good to be able to speak out loud what your intentions are and then follow those intentions with actions and not have to be dependent upon fame," Samuels added.
The reality star said she "felt very free" making the decision to leave the franchise after joining in season two, adding: "I felt like a whole load was lifted off of me."
Season five was rough for Samuels. Friction with fellow castmate Candiace Dillard Bassett ballooned into a barnyard brawl.
Dillard Bassett filed charges against Samuels for her role in the melee with the mother of three later filing countercharges, which were later dropped on both sides. The incident leaked prior to the show's premiere and prompted many cast members, including Gizelle Bryant, Robyn Dixon and Wendy Osefo, to alienate Samuels.
At the reunion, Samuels finally issued an onscreen apology to Dillard Bassett for her role in the fight, but it didn't come with tears as is standard fare on Bravo. Host and executive producer Andy Cohen seemed visibly upset that Samuels wasn't more emotional, claiming she was "matter of fact and dry about the whole thing."
Cohen was quickly dragged on Twitter for not remaining a nuetral host as he has been in other "Real Housewives" franchise fights. Samuels agreed with social media's assessment.
"I was definitely held to a different standard," Samuels said of Cohen's treatment of her. "At some points, I was being looked to show the emotion that they wanted me to show versus what I was giving to them, which was true for me."
"I believe that his responsibility should be to get down to the bottom of whatever questions may have been unanswered during the season," she continued about the "Watch What Happens Live" host. "It's his responsibility to treat everyone equally. If you're going to hold one person accountable, everyone knows needs to be held accountable as well."
Samuels added that if "The Real Housewiveves of Potomac" had a more diverse production staff, they wouldn't have gotten so much heat for the show's treatment of her while it aired.
It's true: Many fans continually complained over Samuels' portrayal this season and how the fight between her and Dillard Bassett was treated much more severely than other franchises, who've also had physical fights, including "The Real Housewives of New Jersey," "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills", and "The Real Housewives of Orange County," which feature predominantly white casts.
"You need to have that representation behind the scenes because not everybody understands other cultures that are outside [of] themselves," said Samuels. "If they did that then you wouldn't get so much heat once it airs. It becomes obvious that the diversity is lacking in that area."
Samuels now feels capable of offering her reality to viewers on her own terms, she told Insider.
"If I ever returned to reality TV, I would definitely need to be on the executive producing staff and it would have to be a different type of show," she said. "I would want to be a part of something that focuses on a beautiful Black family and how we are just like everybody else. We get along. We argue, we have fun. We have ups and downs, just like everybody else."