‘RHOP’: Robyn Dixon Says Being Broke and on the Show Reunited Her With Juan
The on-and-off relationship between The Real Housewives of Potomac stars Juan and Robyn Dixon keeps fans wondering what their future will be. After divorcing a decade ago, the former couple continued living together for the sake of their children and minimal finances. They later reconciled and are planning to marry. According to Robyn, they would have never gotten back together if not for being broke and cast on the show.
Juan and Robyn Dixon struggled financially before the show
The couple wed for the first time in 2005 and were living the good life off of Juan’s NBA fortune until 2012. According to Robyn, she trusted a close friend fellow basketball player Earl Badu to invest their money. He was also a groomsman at their wedding. Badu reportedly stole hundreds of thousands of dollars from the Dixons. He later died by suicide.
Robyn filed for bankruptcy, claiming that she was $217,000 in debt and earning just about $2,000 monthly, according to Radar Online. Among her debts included $1489,813 to a mortgage company, $28,372 in car payments, $16,577 to American Express, $10,871 to Discover, and about $3,000 to Bloomingdale’s.
The bankruptcy dismissal came in 2014. Still, she was forced to enroll in credit counseling, as well as pay the IRS $16,183 in back taxes. They also lost their Maryland mansion in the process and divorced.
Robyn Dixon says being broke and subsequently cast on the show reignited their romantic relationship
By season 3 of the show, Juan embarked on a college basketball coaching career by accepting a position as the head coach for Coppin State University. Robyn began renovating and flipping houses, while also dabbling in fast fashion and other construction projects. In retrospect, she says the show contributed to their reconciliation because they were able to use the platform to better their financial situation.
“I will be honest, if Juan and I were not broke and honestly if we weren’t on the show, we probably would not be together today,” she told People during 2022 BravoCon. “I say that because having to come together when you’re financially struggling and having to support one another for the sake of your kids, it was more so we wanted each other to get to a better place because we have children.”
After they split, Juan dated other women while Robyn focused on raising their sons. He moved back in with her due to financial hardships and assist in completing higher education. “If we had divorced and been in a great place financially, he would have been off, I don’t know, [in] California, living his life,” she added. “I’d be off in New York living my life. We would not have been forced to come together to try to make things work…Having going through those financial struggles and living together and supporting each other and watching each other get better and grow and establish careers, that actually helped bring us back together.”
Why she’s making Juan sign a prenup
Robyn is so dedicated to not making the same mistakes financially that she’s taken on primary breadwinner for their family. The couple became re-engaged in 2019 and have stalled on wedding plans. But after recently obtaining their marriage license, it’s clear they are moving forward, but not without Juan having to sign a prenup.
Robyn revealed she signed a prenup the first time around and doesn’t believe either party is entitled to split anything 50/50 amid a divorce. She notes that in their first split, she didn’t receive half. Whether Juan signs the prenup has yet to be revealed.
