RHOP’s Candiace Dillard interview: On Music, Acting & False Accusations
Via Bravo
We had a chance to chat with Real Housewives of Potomac’s Candiace Dillard-Basset and discuss an array of topics including her debut album Deep Space, delving deeper into acting, false accusations made by castmates, and the issue of colorism.
Candiace joined the “Real Housewives of Potomac” in its third season, yet today, she stands a staple of the franchise. Ever since her appearance on the third season of the show (and despite being polarizing), fans immediately fell in love with her fashion looks, her sense of humor, and her voice. On her second season, Candiace sang the original love ballad "I See You" for her husband, Chris Bassett, at their wedding. She later recorded a remixed version which prompted many fans to ask for a fully-fledged album. And she delivered!
In September 2021, Candiace dropped her debut album, Deep Space, which garnered millions of streams and solidified her position as a recording artist. We asked Candiace how it felt that the album has been out for over a year now. “It’s been amazing, it’s been surreal.” She added, “when you have a dream, you have an idea of it in your mind and then with a lot of hard work and a lot of people that are working really hard with you, it becomes real and comes to fruition.”
Candiace also recently embarked on a multicity tour which was held at different City Winery locations around the US. We asked her how the tour came to be and what it was like for her to perform her music. “I manifested the City Winery tour. I talked about wanting to do a tour a few years and I have been familiar with City Winery in DC. So, my team went to them and they agreed,” she said excitedly. “It was a whirlwind,” she added. Candiace also teased her upcoming collaboration with rapper Trina which she described as “cheeky” and “flirty. She also teased the visuals which she says are “Katy Perry vibes with a lot of visual colors.”
Candiace dished on some of the music she loves and revealed that she is currently listening to Ari Lennox’s “Age/Sex/Location” and Beyoncé’s “Renaissance". She also talked about some of her “tried and true” artists that she always listens to for inspiration and comfort like Brandy and Toni Braxton.
We also asked Candiace about her role in the upcoming show “Hush” and what it was like working with costars Erika Mena, TS Madison, and Caryn Ward Ross. “It was an amazing experience and journey, and hopefully we get greenlit for season two!” She also talked about the relationships she made on set, including with TS Madison. “TS Madison is a hoot. Literally one of the most down-to-earth, hilarious, crazy people I have ever met. I love her. we had a really nice heart-to-heart and I really got to know her. She’s actually a very soft, very sweet, thoughtful woman.” She also talked about TS Madison constantly making the crew laugh on set. “She was so funny the crew was laughing at her so much that we had to cut and redo scenes.” She also went on to talk about her other costars. “I really enjoyed working with Erica. She is so sweet, she’s a sister to me. I love her so much. Caryn Ward Ross is also amazing, super sweet, and such a talented actor.”
With all this success, it seemed like not everyone was happy for Candiace. Some of her castmates on Real Housewives of Potomac - namely Gizelle, Robyn, Mia, and Ashley - have been falsely accusing her husband of sexual harassment. “I think what’s making season 7 so egregious and dark, and inauthentic to our show is that you have women who are literally commandeering the #MeToo movement.” She adds, “It’s unfair to women and people who actually have real stories of sexual assault.”
Candiace says the cast has been using this storyline “for entertainment purposes” and that “for lack of a better word, it’s disgusting.” Candiace adds that she’s grateful for the edits that the show’s producers provided as evidence to prove the lies being told were not true. “Chris and I are grateful that they have really gone out of their way to try and help clear Chris’s name.”
Candiace candidly questions certain cast members’ spots on the show. “We need to hold people accountable for their actions and remind everyone that this is a show about our reality, about our real families, our real lives, and at a point where you don’t have that to offer, the question becomes do you belong on the show anymore?”
Following the latest episode of the show as well as their actions throughout the season, Gizelle Bryant and Robyn Dixon have received a lot of hate online calling them out. “I would not want to be them. I know that they’ve had a hard time since the beginning of the season. I feel like they were maybe not expecting things to go this way. I think they had planned for Wendy to look like a villain and for Wendy to be criticized and maligned by the viewers.” She adds that they are “disingenuous and come from a place of sleuthing and lying and scheming.”
Candiace continued to call out Gizelle for trying to manipulate the show’s storyline. “I know it’s premeditated. I know for a fact, Gizelle is someone who plans what she going to do and say, and who she’s going to attack every season.”
One aspect of the show that is constantly brought up is colorism. By definition, Colorism is a form of prejudice and discrimination where people who share a similar race are treated differently based on the social implications that come with the cultural meanings that are attached to skin color. Candiace as well as Wendy Osefo, another cast member on the show, have in many instances called out the blatant colorism present between the cast as well as with the viewers. “It’s a global pandemic. Wherever people of color exist, colorism exists too. It’s even more dangerous today because it’s not as overt and a lot of the time it exists in implicit bias.” She continues, “I think that colorism conversations need to happen before, during, and after the reunion.”
We ended our conversation on a lighter note asking about her upcoming holiday and birthday plans. “I love the holiday season so much. I am a family girl. I love my family. I love spending time with my family. Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s Eve, all of it.” She continues to say that she will be celebrating her birthday as she does every year: with an ugly Christmas sweater party. She also cheekily adds, “and shopping.”
Candiace’s debut abum Deep Space is available on all streaming platforms and Hush premieres December 1st on ALLBLK.
