Source: Bravo / Getty
On the latest episode of Watch What Happens Live on Sunday night, host Andy Cohen gave viewers more information on what really happened the night of the Real Housewives of Potomac Season 5 reunion. While guests Rachel Lindsey and Drew Sidora added in their two cents, Andy addressed the backlash he’s been receiving since the reunion aired and fans of the show saw what they deemed bias treatment against cast member Monique Samuels.
If you’ve been keeping up with all of the drama concerning the physical altercation between Monique and co-star Candiace Dillard Bassett, which aired this past season, you know that the reunion was filled with binders full of receipts, tears, and plots.
One of the most memorable moments of the three-part reunion was when Andy interrogated Monique about her actions pre, during, and post the fight. Many fans thought that the production footage shown during the reunion of the incident vindicated Monique and proved her claims that she was triggered and only defending herself against Candiace. Some also weren’t happy with him questioning Monique about her husband Chris’s income, or what he assumed was a lack thereof.
Because people felt Andy was unfairly operating in favor of Candiace and against Monique throughout the reunion, many took to Twitter to voice their dissatisfaction with the host’s moderating. Andy finally addressed the backlash he’s been receiving and got some additional input coming from his guests. In a clip of last night’s airing, Andy asked Rachel, who is apparently a big RHOP fan, what she thought of his moderating during the reunion. Before she could even explain why she felt Andy was unfair towards Monique, he interrupted her to begin defending himself saying all of his hard-hitting questions taking Candiace to task didn’t air and that it was really just an issue of editing.
“By the way Rachel,” he began, “you’re a big Real Housewives of Potomac fan, were you furious with me like everyone else was at my reunion hosting?”
“I wasn’t furious. That’s not the right word. I did think you were more on Candiace’s side than Monique’s,” she responded. “You were a little bit… You held [Monique’s] feet to the fire more than you did-”
Andy then quickly interjected saying, “I got that a lot, and I have to say I was really pushing for this to be four parts. I really talked to Candiace, a lot, about her role in this, and the fact that really people think that, a lot of people think that she provoked it, and she said ‘drag me.’ And we talked about that in relation to what Kenya and Porsha went through and I don’t think enough of that made it in the show, clearly, so, there you go.
He ended with a shrug of his shoulders.
“I know a lot of people were very upset,” he said.
Drew was eager to add in her two cents about the drama and backlash, asking “Can I dig in on that?” before sharing that she has talked to Candiace about the incident. In her opinion, while she can sympathize with both Candiace and Monique, the main thing we should be focusing on is the fact that both women expressed how childhood traumas have affected them in their adult lives and that both of them have received counseling for it.
“Because I talked to Candiace, I talk to Candiace, Candiace is my girl, and I just wanted to say you know, I see both sides,” she said. “But I think we need to commend the fact that we don’t talk enough about childhood trauma. We don’t talk about life trauma, and I think what we saw was a reaction based on that and I applaud both women for turning to counsel and to seeking help. And so I don’t like the whole picking sides thing. I think, you know, we can all see both sides and understand. I love Monique. Like I said Candiace is my girl, but I applaud them for getting the help that they needed and so hopefully I would just love for them to just get back to some friends, you know, at the end of all of the journey of their work.
In the end, while neither we nor Andy “see that happening” for Candiace and Monique in the future, I think Drew was really insightful in highlighting how both Candiace and Monique have talked about their past childhood traumas have played out in the present on the show. “Hurt people hurt people” as the saying goes. Let’s just hope there will be less hurting in Season 6, and perhaps clear neutrality from Andy next reunion.
