Why are Monique and Chris Samuels not returning to 'Love & Marriage: DC'? 'RHOP' alum blames show's bad edit for sudden exit
POTOMAC, MARYLAND: Fans of Monique Samuels will see less of her on television, at least for the time being. The reality star and her husband Chris Samuels will not appear in the forthcoming season of 'Love & Marriage: DC.'
Fans of 'The Real Housewives of Potomac' were delighted to see Monique Samuels return to reality television in the OWN spinoff 'Love & Marriage: D.C.' The show followed three couples in the Washington, DC, Maryland, and Virginia areas as they navigated the ups and downs of life and love. However, Monique did not become a fan favorite. According to rumors, she has left the show following a rough first season.
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The second season of 'Love & Marriage: D.C.' is set to premiere in January 2023. The Samuels, Jamie and Erana Taylor, and DJ Quick Silva and his wife Ashley were all followed in the first season as they traversed their marriages, parenthood, friendships, and professional goals at various phases of their relationships. A second-season teaser solely shows the Taylors and Silvas. The Samuels are conspicuously absent. According to The Jasmine Brand, the Samuels' absence is due to them not partaking in the upcoming season.
"We’re told that they didn’t film anything for season 2," says the insider. According to reports, the choice is entirely up to Monique and Chris. They aren't the only pair that has decided not to return to the series. Tasha and Neil Lyons appeared as show friends in Season 1. Tasha stated on Twitter that they will not be returning. "I’m a firm believer that everything happens for a reason. That’s not where God wanted me and my family," JaysRealityBlog noted in a screenshot.
Before the second season was confirmed, PEOPLE Magazine claimed that the Samuels were separated and on the verge of divorce. Monique grumbled about Chris's emotional absence during the first season. She was also dissatisfied with his emotional growth, claiming that he was stagnant and complacent and that he expected her to do the hard lifting in their marriage. They answered the magazine's scoop in a long YouTube video. The pair stated that, while they are separated and spend appropriate time apart, they have not divorced.
"We have multiple homes…we decided we were going to spend a couple of nights apart while we were on our counseling journeys," Monique stated, citing the benefits to their marriage. "We’ve been communicating a lot better than what we have in a long time. We are most definitely still together, we haven’t given up on our marriage, we did not break up, and we are not looking to divorce. We are simply trying to be better."
Aside from the pair concentrating on their marriage, another reason they may not have returned is Monique's frustration with editing. She believes she was unfairly edited and depicted as a nagging and ungrateful wife. "Somebody had to keep the show going. Me coming in as a veteran of reality TV, at this point, I get it. I do feel like a lot of my context was removed from the entire show. Every time there was a situation, you saw everybody else’s reactions towards it. You rarely saw mine which I feel like would have gave a lot more clarity to the situation, but I get it," she told The Jasmine Brand.
'Love & Marriage: DC' Season 2 is officially renewed for January 2023.