Monique Samuels on Quitting ‘RHOP’ – ‘I’m Done, I’ve Had Enough, and I’m Moving on With My Life’
Monique Samuels exit from RHOP leaves many fans wondering why after such a rollercoaster season, she won’t stick around to redeem herself. But Samuels says she’s done the work off-camera to heal from such a traumatic season. For Samuels, the alleged plot against her family was the final straw.
Monique Samuels announces her departure from ‘RHOP’
Following the conclusion to the three-part reunion of season 5 of RHOP, Samuels took to Instagram live to announce her departure. In a nearly 15-minute video, Samuels says the drama during the season coupled with things happening behind the scenes led to her exit. For Samuels, the drama is not worth her reputation nor potential damage to her family.
“It was a crazy ride. It’s not easy doing reality TV, and to be quite honest, I’m over it. I appreciate everything people have done for me, everybody that has been Team Monique, I love y’all, I thank y’all, but when you cross certain lines, there’s no going back,” she said. “For me, my family is that line. The opinion of my family and my kids and what they think about anything that I do is more valuable to me than anybody’s opinion, so I’m over it.”
Furthermore, Samuels says she’s disappointed in her actions this season and she does not feel that her co-stars are being held accountable for their part. She believes a series of events on camera and behind the scenes feed into the stereotype of reality television painting a negative portrait of the Black community.
“I wanted to represent real Black love and show people something outside what the stereotype has been on TV. Unfortunately, this season I played right into that stereotype…I’m always going to be a great example and role model for my kids, and you have to know when enough is enough. And enough is enough.”
Monique Samuels says she quit ‘RHOP’ because she had enough of the drama; says her co-stars hit below the belt and took things too far
Samuels’ decision comes after a tense reunion special. During part three, Samuels and her husband confronted her co-stars, Robyn Dixon and Gizelle Bryant, over the accusation that the two women tried bringing false rumors about the Samuels’ family to the show.
Per the Samuels’, Bryant and Dixon attempted to expose an alleged affair between Samuels and her personal trainer that resulted in a baby. The baby, the Samuels’ third child, is allegedly not the biological son of Samuels’ husband.
The Samuels insist the rumor is untrue and both Dixon and Bryant deny their involvement. But Candiace Dillard previously went live admitting that Dixon and Bryant indeed wanted to bring the rumor on the show.
Karen Huger also corroborated the plot. Still, Andy Cohen suggests that due to the rumor never making the show, the Samuels’ should let it go.
In an interview with FOX D.C. Samuels says the alleged rumor about her child took things too far and left a nasty taste in her mouth. As a result, she’s opting not to return for season 6.
“I’m done, I’ve had enough, and I’m moving on with my life,” Samuels declared. “At the point where you start involving family…I’m tired of the lies and throwing people under the bus, people’s families and livelihoods all for the sake of a storyline.”
Samuels says her decision to join the show was to hopefully change the narrative of broken Black families and bitter Black women on reality television. Unfortunately, she says with her physical altercation coupled with her ongoing feuds with her co-stars contributed to the stereotype. Overall, she says her co-stars took things too far.
“There’s so much ugliness and it’s rooted in so much hate, that’s the type of energy that I’m not going to play with and I’m done with it, I’m over it,” Samuels continued. “My kids, my family, my husband – they mean more to me than anything.”
Samuels is focusing her energy on her new essential oils line and her podcast and lifestyle brand.
