Monique Samuels couldn’t care less who her ex-husband is dating, especially since she believes he shadily leaked a video of her booed up with a former coworker.
Source: Brian Stukes/ Taylor Hill
On Sunday’s episode of The Real Housewives of Potomac, the returning friend-of-the-show met with Keiarna Stewart and Ashley Darby, who claimed that Stacey Rusch called Monique’s ex, Chris Samuels, and told him Monique “trash-talked him.” The allegation came to the group through Cookie, someone Monique has a notoriously messy history with, so when Keiarna and Ashley recounted the conversation, Monique didn’t take it at face value.
“The first thing that’s going through my mind is, I don’t even know what the truth is, because you’re dealing with people who twist truths,” said Monique. “Stacey could have very well called Chris, and she could have said exactly what was said, and then he could have spun it and said, ‘Oh, they were talking trash about me!’ and then you add Cookie into it with her lying a**. The whole story could be mixed up.”
Monique added in a confessional that if a conversation between Stacey and Chris was had, she hopes it was factual.
“I could care less if you tell Chris whatever you want to tell him, but at least have the facts and the story straight. Co-parenting has already been a nightmare, so to add that type of fuel to the fire is just insane,” she said.
Later at dinner, Dr. Wendy Osefo popped up and told Monique that Charisse Samuels called Chris immediately, and he denied talking to Stacey. Stacey then arrived and denied dating Chris as well, though behind-the-scenes footage showed her admitting they “hung out.”
An unbothered Monique remained calm and said that if Stacey was lying, the truth would reveal itself.
“Honestly, I don’t care if she dated him,” said Monique. “I’ve been there, done that. I moved on. I’ve healed, I’m good.”
She then listened as Stacey displayed receipts of Chris texting her and her leaving him on read.
As the episode aired, viewers noticed an account posting a video of Monique seemingly booed up with comedian and former radio co-host Jason Weems—and Monique is convinced she knows exactly who leaked it.
Hit the flip for more.
Source: Shannon Finney / Getty
Monique was a recent guest on Angela Yee’s Lip Service podcast, and she clarified her relationship with Weems.
According to Samuels, they worked together as co-hosts on Washington D.C.’s WPGC radio station, and according to the Bravoleb, they were “great friends” who “never spent any time outside the studio” until he offered his support during her divorce. The bond between her and the Weems, who was separated from his wife, strengthened, becoming “very emotionally connected,” and eventually “turned romantic.”
Monique also claimed the leaked clips from 2023 originated from Chris Samuels.
“And the reason this video is out there right now is because my ex-husband actually leaked it,” she said, adding, “Like legit, he has been showing this video to everybody, and the biggest question is how did he get it.”
She alleged he received the footage from a “former friend” of hers that she lost amid their divorce.
“She was the only person that I sharing this stuff with, she ended up giving it to him.”
According to Monique, her ex-husband is “completely different” than what people have seen on TV.
She also added that the video was leaked on one of Cookie’s “well-known” fake Twitter pages.
Elsewhere in the Lip Service interview, Monique spoke candidly about the challenges of co-parenting with Chris amid the fallout from their split.
Source: Shannon Finney / Getty
“Honestly, like, I wish you well…but I would also wish for him to leave me alone. Let me live my life,” she said, adding that although Chris has moved on and is dating, she isn’t. “I would even hate to bring somebody into a situation where he’s acting the way he’s acting, and we’re trying to co-parent.”
She alleged that Chris escalated tensions by involving their children in adult issues.
“He started saying very inappropriate things to the children. He told the children about the video that y’all saw. He actually described it to them…twisting the narrative…making it like, ‘Oh, your mom was having an affair.’”
Angela Yee referenced a moment from Monique’s book where she described a physical altercation where Chris once grabbed and lifted her by the throat in front of witnesses. Monique said that in that moment, she tried to rationalize the behavior.
“I did kind of egg it on…I’m gonna just let it go, right?…When you’re in a marriage, and when you’ve seen it growing up, it’s almost like this is normal,” but she said the turning point came when she realized her children were witnessing the dynamics.
Monique also explained why she’s choosing to speak out more now.
“I felt so alone going through it. I didn’t realize there were other people that had the same experience…Women DM me… ‘You’re describing exactly how my marriage is. I thought I was the only one.’” She added, “As Black women, we’re just rooted to protect Black men. But Black men gotta step up, too.”
