With 2 New Housewives Leaving “RHOP”, Is It Time for Black Women to Divest All Together?

Updated on Monday, April 15 at 11:45 a.m.PT: “Real Housewives of Potomac” star Robyn Dixon has now confirmed she won’t be returning for the show’s ninth season due to her being officially fired from the franchise.

“Yes, I will not be returning for season nine of ‘The Real Housewives of Potomac,’” Dixon said revealed on Monday’s episode of her “Reasonably Shady” podcast she co-hosts with fellow “RHOP” star Gizelle Bryant. “It’s reality. The network did not invite me back. I was fired, for lack of better words. I will not sugar-coat the situation the situation and say, ‘Ooh I am walking away and this is a break’ or anything like this. This is a network decision.”

She later added:

“I’m okay with it because nothing lasts forever. I’ve had a very long run on the show, and I just really appreciate that time and the opportunity that I had on the show. Thank you to the fans who have watched us from day 1,” Dixon continued. “I do want to especially thank all of the fans and viewers who have supported me, showed loved to me. Whether you directly sent me love or you prayed for me or you have positive thoughts around me, I appreciate you. And I hope I inspired you the viewers, the fans, to live your life authentically. To not feel pressure to change for anyone, or impress people, and just to be yourself.”

See original story below.

On Monday, less than 24 hours after the season finale of “The Real Housewives of Potomac” aired on Bravo, fans of the show were shocked to learn that not one but two series staples were parting ways with the franchise: Candiace Dillard-Bassett and Robyn Dixon.

In a statement to People, Dillard-Bassett reflected on her time on the show and all that it’s given her but assured fans that it wasn’t necessarily the end of the road completely.

“As I embark on a new chapter after six remarkable years with ‘The Real Housewives of Potomac,’ I am filled with gratitude for the enriching friendships, personal growth and moments of introspection that have defined this journey,” she explained. “With a whirlwind of new opportunities and responsibilities on my plate, I have decided to take a break from RHOP. This is not a farewell, but a ‘see you later.’”

As for Dixon, while no official statement has been released, The Jasmine Brand exclusively reported that she won’t be returning for the new season—though the door is still open for her to return some time in the future and to make appearances here and there in the upcoming season.

This shakeup comes just a few days after it was revealed that “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” (RHOBH)star Annemarie Wiley would not be coming back for a second season. And these departures come nearly two months after “Real Housewives of Atlanta”(RHOA) star Kandi Burrus announced she would no longer be returning to the franchise either citing her various mounting creative endeavors.

“I decided I’m not coming back this year. It’s been 14 seasons, and they allowed us to sit around for a little too long, but during that time I had started working on a lot of other things, and I got some nice big projects coming soon, so I’m super excited about those things,” Buruss said back in Feb.

With all the change happening in the franchise, it may be worth interrogating if the popular show has run its course when it comes to the role it plays in elevating women’s—Black women in particular—status. It’s true that these women all came to the franchise with things going for them already and that their respective shows helped expose them to a wider audience. But it’d be remiss not to acknowledge the contributions that Black women specifically have made to the franchise, specifically as it relates to their increasing popularity in pop culture. From memes to catchphrases and everything in between—the way Black women have show up and shown out (for better or for worse) on these platforms cannot be ignored.

But it’s precisely because of that, that it may be time for them to spread their wings and see how far they can fly now that their horizons have been expanded and opportunities to diversify have been offered. We know Black women are beautiful and multi-layered, they (*cough we) have a lot to offer this world. We’ve seen glimmers of this already with the myriad of housewives taking part in everything from clothing lines, home decor lines, movies and tv shows, podcasts, and more.

Perhaps this shakeup will not be a chance to breath new life into the franchises and provide a new batch a rising women the chance to come to the forefront, but maybe it’ll inspire some of the remaining ones to take a chance on themselves boldly step out and into a new chapter of their lives. Besides, it’s not like they can’t come back as we’ve seen with RHOA’S Porsha Williams-Guobadia. But it’s worth taking the risk and exploring new avenues anyway.