‘RHOP’ Candiace Dillard Explained Why She Pressed Charges Against Monique Samuels
Monique Samuels joined Real Housewives of Potomac during the second season and befriended newcomer Candiace Dillard when she arrived in Season 3.
The ladies developed a sister-like bond but fell out over Samuels’ friendship with Ashley Darby during the next season. Even though Samuels and Dillard admitted they missed their relationship at the reunion, the ladies couldn’t overcome their problems and got into a physical altercation during filming for Season 5.
The fight resulted in the ladies pressing charges against each other, and Dillard explained why she wanted to get the courts involved.
‘RHOP’ Candiace Dillard and Monique Samuels got into a physical fight
During filming for Real Housewives of Potomac Season 5, former friends Candiace Dillard and Monique Samuels began arguing at a winery. Allegedly, Dillard threw a drink, and the glass, in Samuels’ face causing the mother-of-three to grab the pageant beauty’s hair and slam her to the table.
Sources also claimed police came to the scene but did not arrest either Potomac housewives. A couple of weeks after the incident, Dillard filed a complaint with the court, who then issued a summons for Samuels to appear on second-degree assault charges.
‘RHOP’ Candiace Dillard and Monique Samuels pressed charges on each other
A week after the podcaster received the papers, she filed a counter criminal summons on Dillard. The pageant beauty’s attorney accused Samuels of attacking his client “viciously” and asserted she was the aggressor in the fight.
However, the podcaster’s attorney maintained Dillard started the altercation and “has a public reputation for aggressive, belligerent, and threatening behavior.”
Both parties agreed that the footage that captured the fight would exonerate them. About a month after they filed, a Maryland court reviewed the case, watched the footage, and then decided they would drop the charges against both women.
While Samuels celebrated the dismissal on Instagram, Dillard did not agree with the conclusion, and her attorney said they would consider civilly suing the mother-of-three.
‘RHOP’ Candiace Dillard explained why she pressed charges against Monique Samuels
After the news of the pageant beauty pressing charges went public, she immediately received backlash. Some viewers criticized her for calling the cops and taking the altercation to the courts when she invited Samuels to “drag” her during Katie Rost’s hoedown in Season 4.
Others feel Dillard speaks recklessly and should be held accountable for her words instead of immediately running to the police. However, the pageant beauty disagrees.
Dillard responded to a follower who expressed similar beliefs and explained that she shouldn’t have to “defend” herself at work. Additionally, in a radio interview with Atlanta radio station V-103, Dillard and her attorney doubled down on the fact that Samuels attacked her first, and claimed several people had to pull the mother-of-three off of her.
She also believes Real Housewives of Potomac represents “the elite of black royalty,” and the fight went against her morals. Dillard promised viewers would see the entire altercation play out “from every angle” on RHOP Season 5, which premieres in Spring 2020 on Bravo.
