Bravo’s ‘The Real Housewives of Potomac‘ is a reality show that chronicles the lives of a few influential women of Potomac, Maryland, and the ups and downs in their personal and professional lives. Amongst them was Monique Samuels, whose union with Chris Samuels was often the topic of gossip, especially as their last season on the show (season 5) warped several fiascos that might have challenged them. Even though their fans live and breathe drama, this news was upsetting for many.
Monique and Chris Samuels Had a Unique Love
Monique Samuels first appeared on the show as a main cast member in season 2 in 2017. She tied the knot with Chris Samuels, the former National Football League Player, back in 2012. Before ‘The Real Housewives of Potomac,’ she had released a few songs, had a blog about motherhood, and had a YouTube Channel. Early on in the show, a passive-aggressive discussion broke out between Monique and her mother-in-law during Chris’ induction into the Alabama Hall of Fame. They quarreled about marriage, money, kids, and jobs.
It seemed like Chris was sandwiched between the two, but he still stood up for his wife amidst the whole squabble. The couple also tried to reconnect and discussed their finances on the show, as they spoke of hiring executive assistants to manage all their properties. In season 3, their marriage was going well, but Monique was stressed due to the overwhelming work. Going on dinner dates with her husband, running errands, and being a mom were too taxing for her. But, he did do his best to show his application via small yet meaningful acts of kindness.
Monique didn’t hold back from expressing her love either, as she planned a beautiful celebratory party for his 40th birthday. Then, Chris also assisted her with launching her business, took her out for cheese and wine dates, and discussed the logo for her novel mom blog. If that’s not the sweetest thing, he also insisted she take a break and offered a getaway trip to France for her birthday. He later raised the bar further by getting his nails done alongside his wife. However, he didn’t want her to be overworked, which led to some bickering, but they made up over the phone while Monique was on her birthday vacation.
To fans’ surprise, there was later a point where Monique pranked her husband by pretending her water broke to prove her point about their family not being ready for an emergency delivery. So, the drama was unparalleled in season 5. Monique felt a lack of support from her husband, and her frustration was visible. But he did show up in the last episode, ‘Reunion Part 3,’ of season 5 to hold the people accountable who plotted against his family.
Monique and Chris Are Officially Divorced
Although many rumors surfaced about Monique and Chris getting a divorce and ending their 10-year-long marriage around the early 2020s, the couple died all such allegations for years. In fact, they even sat down beside one another for a YouTube Live stream on October 18, 2022, to categorically deny all claims while also asserting that they are working on the issues they do have. “We wanted to step back and focus on ourselves,” she later candidly added. “If I’m not good, I’m not good for him or my children. If he’s not good, he’s not good for himself, me, or the children.”
As if that’s not enough, Monique even credited the show for uplifting her marriage with Chris because they never went out on any dates as a married couple before the show. But after the season 5 reunion episode, the couple scratched out the possibility of returning to the show because they believed they weren’t portrayed very authentically on the show. In an interview, the former said, “They tried to paint a picture of my husband and I as if we were just this aggressive couple, and they showed him on Instagram going off on the women for telling these lies and plotting and stuff.” This narrative was disappointing and one-sided, in her opinion.
Therefore, Monique and Chris decided not to return for season 6 in 2021, leaving fans utterly shocked when the mother of three – Christopher (10), Milani (8), and Chase (4) – filed for divorce two years later. According to reports, she’d filed a complaint for absolute divorce on April 14, 2023, before filing an amended complaint for absolute divorce on June 15, which was finalized on September 25. They were actually amicable about the whole ordeal, setting a great example for their kids of how every relationship should have mutual respect.
“I was thinking like most people, ‘Okay, we’re going to stay together for the kids,'” Monique, a reality star plus social media personality, later conceded on Instagram Live. “But that never works because staying together for the kids means that you’re giving them a terrible example of what a relationship should be like… My children notice a difference in how [Me and my retired ex are] able to parent with us not focusing on the marriage. We’re focusing on ourselves and we’re focusing on our children. I know that right now, I am being a far better example of self-love for my children not than I ever have in our life… We’ll continue to co-parent in a way that’s loving.”
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