Is Wendy Osefo 'Osu'? Ashley Darby causes rift between 'RHOP' star and newbie Nneka Ihim over 'false' attack on family
POTOMAC, MARYLAND: Ashley Darby is going back to 2008 and blaming it on the drink. Ashley attributes her rambling memory to being overserved in a preview of the November 19 episode of 'The Real Housewives of Potomac', when she sits with Karen Huger for a little catch-up.
This comes after Ashley inadvertently sparked some conflict between Wendy Osefo and the group's newbie, Nneka Ihim.
"I may have implied that to Wendy, that Nneka was, like, sort of implying that Wendy was Osu," Ashley says to a surprised Karen, who swiftly admits she has no idea what 'Osu' means. Ashley tells her she learnt about the word from their Nigerian friends, who relate it to being a social pariah.
"What did Nneka say?" Karen inquires.
"Here's the thing, Nneka didn't say anything!" Ashley informs her.
"So, you made this s**t up?" Karen is curious. "Were you being messy?"
"No, I misremembered," Ashley says, saying her recall of the event has changed since it happened. As evidenced by flashbacks, it was Ashley who suggested to Nneka that Wendy may be Osu (she isn't).
"I think I put too much sauce on it," Ashley acknowledges in a confessional, "and implied that Nneka was the one who brought it up, and that's not right. I feel really guilty about it, and I do want to want to set that record straight."
"Girl, Ashley got a wooden leg!" Karen breaks out during her own interview. "When she drinks, it goes straight to her big toe and stays there. Talking 'bout, 'Oh, it's goin' to my head...' No, it went to that bunion in your toe."
"Girl. Girl," she says to her friend. "I'm just buckling up. My god."
Wendy replied to rumors that she was from a 'cursed' Nigerian tribe in 2020. For a variety of reasons, her representatives maintained that the information was untrue.
They stated that her mother is from Anambra State, not Imo State, where 'Osu' people live, and that her father lacks the ancestry.
Furthermore, Wendy's sister allegedly conducted a "customary background search" to rule out any mental illness or 'Osu' lineage in either party. The search yielded no "negative findings".
Nigerian community denounces 'RHOP' star Wendy Osefo for denying 'Osu' heritage
The Nigerian community is outraged and appalled by Wendy's claims about her 'Osu' origin on last week's episode of 'RHOP'. Wendy was at the centre of a controversy in the episode that aired on November 12 when her co-star, Ashley, questioned the doctor of philosophy about her claimed cursed 'Osu' heritage.
Wendy's reaction to the charge was visibly irritated, as she fiercely denied any links to Osu and dismissed the heritage as terrible.
“Osu is something from, like, ancient Gods in Nigeria. My family is not that, right? And it basically is people, who are considered outcasts,” Wendy said to Ashley.
She added, “So the fact that you came to Kamrynn’s sip and see, and you saw all the women with the headties and all the Nigerian people partying with us? If you’re an Osu, no one would come to your events. No one would be around you. It’s like forbidden. So yes, it is a bad thing, but that’s not … it ain’t me.”
Following the airing of the episode, members of the Nigerian community turned to social media to criticize the 'RHOP' star for her harsh statements. A Nigerian native goes off on the former professor in a video shared by allaboutthetea.
He claims, “Listen, as a full-blooded Igbo person, someone who believes in the well-being of Igbo nation, you should never be seen talking about Osu cast.”
He added, “I’m not saying this because I’m an outcast … well, if you think I am, that is your business! My problem is, I can’t lay my hands on significant reasons for the stigma. There is no danger in associating with them [Osu], so why will someone who claim to be a doctor project her tribe poorly on a global TV? Some of these people you stigmatize don’t even know the story, nor believe in it.”
The post's comment section was flooded with criticism of the reality TV star. "Wendy with her 4 degrees, couldn’t shut her mouth," one user wrote.
"How do you call yourself ndi Igbo, but so ignorant of your culture?" someone else said.
"Why does she despise OSU people so much?" said another. "This is not looking good."
"[She’s] best in seeing the bad in others, but not herself… Calling gele, headtie just to feel among…rubbish," another observer noted.
What is 'RHOP' star Wendy Osefo's net worth?
Wendy's net worth is believed to be $1.5 million, according to 'Cheat Sheet'. Her primary source of money is supposed to be her work as a political analyst and scholar.
She also makes money as a 'RHOP' cast member.
'The Real Housewives of Potomac' Season 8 airs Sundays at 8 pm ET/PT on Bravo.