Candiace Dillard Bassett “Always Had a Plan” for Her ‘RHOP’ Exit

From the time she arrived at The Real Housewives of Potomac during the Bravo show’s third season, Candiace Dillard Bassett has successfully kept fans coming back for more. Her succinct reads and impeccable vocabulary can bring even the toughest ‘Wife to tears. And when it’s time for Candiace herself to shed a tear, you know she will do so with her iconic “cry-angle” napkin fold.

As endearing as it’s been to watch Candiace on our screens for years, every Housewives star faces the moment they must hang up their wine glass and remove the cameras from their personal lives. Following the end of RHOP's eighth season, Candiace confirmed she won't be "driving back" to filming the show.

Here’s everything Candiace has said about leaving RHOP.

On Monday, March 25, 2024, the day after the Real Housewives of Potomac Season 8 finale, Candiace told People that she paused her run as a full-time housewife. In her statement, Candiace shared that the decision to leave came from her receiving multiple opportunities outside of the show she's been on since 2018.

"As I embark on a new chapter after six remarkable years with The Real Housewives of Potomac, I am filled with gratitude for the enriching friendships, personal growth, and moments of introspection that have defined this journey,” Candiace said. "With a whirlwind of new opportunities and responsibilities on my plate, I have decided to take a break from RHOP.”

People reported that a source close to Bravo told the outlet Candiace left Potomac on her own accord. The news came just months after Candiace told Entertainment Tonight she said she has an “exit strategy” for reality TV in her purview. Candiace proved she was already been focused on her ventures outside of Bravo, including her music, a starring role on the AllBLK Network’s Hush, and a guest host gig for Angela Yee's radio show, Way Up, in March 2024.

"I have always had a plan," Candiace explained about her future on RHOP. "Everything is a gift. All of this, like the music, the acting, Potomac -- it's all a bonus for me. None of it is something that I feel entitled to, and I would rather live that way than the other way."

In January 2023, Candiace made similar sentiments when Page Six asked her about her time on RHOP, making it clear that she would know when it was time.

“I’m here until I’m not or until they fire me,” she explained.

Although she’s not an OG, Candiace has become synonymous with RHOP during her time on the show. She has been at the center of several of the series’ scandals, including her epic fight with her former co-star, Monique Samuels, and her Season 7 beef with Gizelle Bryant that continued into Season 8.

In Season 7, Gizelle claimed Candiace’s husband, Chris Bassett, made Gizelle feel uncomfortable during the taping of the RHOP Season 6 reunion. The accusation caused Candiace and Gizelle’s friendship to dissolve and, consequently, Candiace’s friendship with Gizelle’s BFF, Robyn Dixon. Candiace and Robyn also came to blows after Candiace tweeted her disappointment in Robyn for not disclosing her marital issues with her husband, Juan Dixon, on the show.

“If you would just shut the f–-k up and worry about your boyfriends for hire and cheating husbands, you wouldn’t have to post ‘proof’ that you weren’t behind yet another plot against someone’s family,” Candiace said in October 2023, per Us Weekly. “Once again, the people of God are tired.”

In her interview with ET, Candiace said she would be willing to turn over a new leaf with Gizelle and Robyn, significantly shifting the current dynamics within the cast. However, Candiace said she wouldn’t do so without an apology from her co-stars and former pals.

“I mean, I'm probably crazy — I'm still optimistic that people could come to their senses," Candiace admitted. "But I'm also prepared to move around in the event that they're not, but I will also make clear, what I will not do is pretend like I'm not owed an apology and like I'm not owed humanity from people who want to be inhumane."

Many of the show's fans despised seeing Candiace's beef with Robyn and Gizelle follow them all season. Andy Cohen even addressed the feud on his radio show, SiriusXM’s Andy Cohen Live, that he hoped they would "move forward" after the Season 8 reunion. Unfortunately, Candiace's exit proves she's not open to forgiving either of the green-eyed bandits anytime soon.

We're definitely making a cry-angle just for you, Candiace!