The Real Housewives of Potomac drama is heating up faster than ever! An alleged contract between Stacey Rusch and her former boyfriend, Thomas Anthony “TJ” Jones, has surfaced online. The alleged document suggests the RHOP star agreed to pay the actor half of her salary for his appearance on the show, fueling long-running rumors about the authenticity of their relationship.
The contract’s leak comes amidst ongoing rumors that TJ Jones is preparing a lawsuit against Stacey Rusch, claiming she failed to pay him for appearing on season nine of the Bravo reality show. According to Reality Blurb, the supposed contract, which was shared on social media by the account Bravo and Cocktails, is titled “RHOP Contract.”
It reportedly reads: “I, Stacey D Rusch, willingly enter this agreement with Thomas Anthony Jones Jr. as an equal partner and cast member of Bravo TV’s Real Housewives of Potomac (RHOP) produced by Truly Original, LLC, and NBCUniversal Media, LLC. I agree that Thomas Anthony Jones Jr. is entitled to 50% of my total salary earned as compensation for my appearance for the 2024 season as a cast member, and each season I appear as a cast member of (RHOP) thereafter.”
The Alleged Contract Between Stacey Rusch And Her Ex
The controversy surrounding Stacey Rusch and the alleged contract first broke at the season nine reunion, where TJ alleged that he was under contract with the Housewife and that she owed him money. Stacey vehemently denied the claim. As BOSSIP reported, the issue was then brought up again during the season 10 premiere, where fellow cast members Gizelle Bryant and Ashley Darby alleged that an unnamed “famous actress” had shown them legal documents, or “receipts,” that suggested TJ was planning to sue Stacey for “not executing on their season 9 payment agreement” that included “50% of her #RHOP checks.”
While the contract has not been verified, its contents have raised eyebrows in legal and reality TV circles. Summer House: Martha’s Vineyard star Preston Mitchum, an attorney, weighed in on the document’s appearance, stating, “As an attorney, even the looks of this PMO. From the randomly bolded ‘RHOP Contract’ at the top, to the paragraph spacing, to his signature not being there, to him not being a cast member and therefore no contractual relationship with Truly/Bravo/NBCU.” Mitchum added, “Even if they entered one, it should be written very differently.”
The leak of the supposed contract immediately provided ammunition for the other housewives. Things came to a boil early in the season at Darby’s Bloom Ball when the mother of two accused Stacey of misrepresenting herself to the group. “You are a full-grown woman who came into this group and misrepresented yourself,” Ashley said as she pointed her finger in Stacey’s face.
Beyond the financial accusations, the document implied that the entire storyline was manufactured, lending credence to claims by Bryant and Darby that the romance was a “bought boyfriend” plot. Despite the messiness and the allegations of a manipulated plot, Rusch has consistently denied the claims. When addressing the allegations, she told exclusively BOSSIP, “To this day, I don’t know what they’re talking about. My job is to live my life well. Apparently, their job is to hate on me.”
