'RHOP' star Michael Darby sues Candiace Dillard for $2M over accusations he had oral sex with a man
POTOMAC, MARYLAND: Ashley Darby's estranged husband Michael Darby is suing Candiace Dillard over her controversial claims against him. 'The Real Housewives of Potomac' star, 63, filed a defamation lawsuit against Dillard, 36, for her comment that he performed oral sex on a man.
On the 'Bravo' reality show, Dillard alleged that Michael "likes to leave [Ashley] and go to a man named [censored]’s house and suck his d***.” In the November 2022 episode of the show, Dillard also claimed he paid for sex. Citing court documents, TMZ reported that Michael's lawsuit said a cease-and-desist letter was sent to Dillard earlier this year but she has not yet retracted her story. He is suing Dillard for $2 million. Notably, in the past, courts have ruled that it is not defamatory to describe someone as gay.
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Dillard's strained relationship with the Darby
Over the years, the back-to-back feud with both Michael and Ashley Darby has been captured on 'RHOP'. Ashley, 34, recently accused Dillard's husband Chris Bassett of sending inappropriate messages online and flirting with her pal Deborah Williams. However, Ashley later claimed that she was in a "difficult" spot when she told the 'Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen' viewers as her accusations "contradicted everything."
Ashley also added that she still needs to "discuss" with her friend though she knows Deborah "to be truthful," and continued, "Deborah maintains that there were some things that were not lining up." In a tweet by Bassett, the 44-year-old chef denied the accusations and wrote, "I would just like again, thank #rhop production and the team in the editing room for continuing to show LIES these women continue to tell about me."
Dillard calls Ashley a 'flop'
In December 2022, Dillard called Ashley a "flop" while in her statement to the Fox 5 DC, Ashley called the friendship with her castmate a "work in progress." The feud between the both grew stronger after Ashley was accused of "skating by" on the reality show as Dillard said she was giving "nearly nothing" to the viewers. Referencing Michael and Ashley's sons Dylan, 2, and Dean, 3, Dillard tweeted, "Can’t pimp your children out for two-minute scenes forever," and a month later, she told Andy Cohen that the singer "just needs to shut the bleep up." In April 2022, Michael and Ashley announced their separation after eight years of marriage.