Former Real Housewives of Potomac star Monique Samuels is returning to the show, People reported. The 41-year-old, who appeared on the show from Season 2 until Season 5, exited in 2020 after an on-camera physical altercation with fellow housewife Candiace Dillard Bassett. Samuels finalized her divorce from former NFL star Chris Samuels in Sept. 2023. The pair were married for 11 years, and are parents to daughter Milani, 9, and sons Christopher, 12, and Chase, 6. “Monique’s in a totally different place now, and fans will see that,” a source told People. “She’s excited to show who she is now—not as a wife, not as just a mom, but as a woman starting over and taking on life on her own terms.” Filming on the new season is already underway with Gizelle Bryant, Ashley Darby, Dr. Wendy Osefo, Keiarna Stewart and Stacey Rusch all returning. Samuels will be joining the cast in a “friend” capacity. Sadly, her beloved pet bird T’Challa, who stole all the scenes he was in, will not be back, having died in 2021 in a “freak accident.”
