The Real Housewives of Potomac drama just crossed a new line.
Fans are shocked after Ashley Darby from RHOP revealed she hooked up with Jackson Jordan. He is the son of former castmate Charrisse Jackson-Jordan.
Some viewers called it gross. Others shrugged it off.
But Candiace Dillard Bassett had a very different take. And she did not hold back.
“Confirmation of Who She’s Always Been”
Candiace appeared on Carlos King’s podcast Reality with the King and wasted no time diving into the mess.
“Do I think it defines her character? I think that it’s confirmation of the character that we’ve always known her to have,” Candiace said.
She made it clear she was not shocked.
At all.
Candiace added that she does not fully condemn Ashley. But she also refused to excuse her.
“To which I don’t always fault her,” she said. “I don’t condemn people for all of their evil because everyone has a story.”
That sympathy did not last long.
Candiace Blames Ashley’s Past
Candiace believes Ashley’s decisions stem from her upbringing.
She said Ashley often spoke about her childhood and how it shaped her choices.
“She talked about it a lot,” Candiace explained. “How she came from humble beginnings, and they didn’t have a lot of money, and her parents were abusing substances.”
Candiace claimed those experiences pushed Ashley into unhealthy patterns.
“I think that informed why she felt like she had to go run up behind Golem,” she said, referencing Ashley’s ex-husband Michael Darby.
From marrying Michael to allegedly sleeping with Jackson, Candiace sees one continuous storyline.
“Low-Down, Low-Budget Nonsense”
While Ashley has denied wrongdoing, Candiace went nuclear with her words.
She called the situation “low-down, low-budget, slue-footed, trailer park nonsense.”
Harsh. Direct. Very Candiace.
Still, she insisted she was not surprised.
She labeled the alleged hookup “on-brand.”
“I think she is a woman that is haunted by her environment,” Candiace said. “She is a product of her environment, and it makes her do foul, low-budget things.”
That included, in her words, “justify allegedly sleeping with your friend’s son.”
in just THREE episodes, candiace:
— david 🌿 (@_cutthroatking) January 11, 2026
-clocked lisa as a traitor
-clocked donna as the secret traitor
-lied on michael’s name then effortlessly deflected when confronted
-successfully used a conga line to distract the faithfuls
-rallied the faithful to get donna out#TheTraitorsUS pic.twitter.com/wMqSLN0Jnm
Fans Are Divided
The moment has split the RHOP audience straight down the middle.
Some fans defend Ashley and say she owes no one explanations.
Others agree with Candiace and say the situation crossed a line that should never be crossed.
One thing is clear. This storyline is far from over.
And Bravo fans will not stop talking about it anytime soon.
RHOP Star Candiace’s Shocking Past Before Reality TV
Before reality TV fame, Candiace lived a very different life.
She worked at The White House under Barack Obama.
From Politics to Reality TV
Candiace was in the Department of Public Engagement and Intergovernmental Affairs from 2010 to 2011. She later returned in 2012 as a Field Organizer during Obama’s re-election campaign.
Her role focused on outreach to the African-American community and internal coordination.
She called the experience life-changing.
“You can’t tell me no anymore,” Candiace said in 2019. “I’ve done everything backwards and forwards six times.”
That determination followed her to Bravo and later to The Traitors.
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