As Stacey Rusch faced rumors linking her to Chris Samuels on The Real Housewives of Potomac, she urged the ladies to go directly to the source.
RHOP Season 10, Episode 9 picked up at Gizelle Bryant’s Reasonably Shady party, where Keiarna Stewart continued insisting that Stacey had called Chris to report that Monique Samuels “was trash-talking him” to the group. Stacey, meanwhile, denied contacting Chris, let alone repeating anything Monique said about the demise of their marriage.
“Why don’t we call the person that is accusing me of a lie?” Stacey suggested.
So, Charrisse Jackson-Jordan called Chris on speakerphone in front of all the ladies, updating him on what Keiarna had heard from Karen Huger’s friend Cherita “Cookie” Whiting.
RELATED: Monique Samuels on Chris Samuels Dating: “He Loves Hanging Around Potomac Housewives”
“I’m actually filming, and we just had a situation where Cookie was made to look bad,” Charrisse said, breaking the fourth wall. “I know you and Cookie are very good friends, and I just want to know if Stacey communicated with you about a conversation that was had about Monique. That’s it. Yes or no?”
As the women all leaned in, Chris shut the rumors down: “Yeah, I don’t know nothing about what the f–k y’all people talking about.”
How the RHOP cast reacted to Chris Samuels’ statement
Despite Chris confirming that Stacey never made the alleged phone call, several castmates still refused to believe her.
“We called Chris, and you still want to accuse me of being a liar,” Stacey said. “He just told you ‘no.'”
In a confessional, she added, “It’s very clear to me that no matter what I do or what I say, everyone is always questioning me.”
RELATED: Stacey Rusch Slams Ashley Darby for Questions on Chris Samuels: “Speaking My Truth” (EXCLUSIVE)
Gizelle, doubled down, telling a producer, “Nothing would convince me that she did not tell him. Nothing.”
Later, Gizelle, Tia Glover, Keiarna, and Ashley Darby, gathered at Angel Massie’s house to rehash the drama.
“What super bothers me about it is … It was just, like, so refreshing to hear her story,” Gizelle said. “So, for somebody to get up off that table and call her ex-husband is disgusting.”
Inside Stacey Rusch and Monique Samuels conversation about Chris Samuels
RHOP‘s Nov. 30 episode concluded with Stacey and Monique finally coming face-to-face to address the rumor directly.
Before Stacey arrived at the dinner, Keiarna and Ashley briefed Monique on Cookie’s claims. Monique, however, was inclined to give Stacey the benefit of the doubt. Both Cookie and Chris “could have spun” the narrative, she noted, and “the whole story could be all mixed up,” by the time it reached them.
“I could care less if you tell Chris whatever you want to tell him, but at least have the facts and the stories straight,” Monique added in a confessional. “Coparenting has already been a nightmare. So, to add that type of fuel to the fire is just insane.”
Once Wendy Osefo arrived and filled Monique in on the speakerphone call, Stacey joined the group, giving her and Monique the chance to talk directly.
“What happened when we sat at the table after Pride, that was my way of just being vulnerable with the group,” Monique told her. “I didn’t know that you were still in contact with Chris. But I don’t associate with people who associate with my ex-husband.”
Stacey reiterated that she never called Chris and denied rumors that they had dated. To underscore it, she showed Monique her phone, revealing several unanswered messages Chris had sent — proof, she said, that she “was not talking to” him.
As the women speculated who might be feeding Chris intel, Stacey and Monique agreed to move forward. Before their sitdown ended, however, Monique warned Stacey to “be very careful” in dealing with her “messy” ex-husband.
As the drama plays out on RHOP, don’t miss what Monique spilled about why her and Chris’ marriage ended.
