Candiace Dillard Bassett, Chooses Motherhood Over Drama

Reality television didn’t create the star that is Candiace Dillard Bassett, but the Real Housewives franchise exposed her brilliance to a worldwide audience. In 2016 Bravo introduced the RHOP highlighting African American women from one of the most affluent zip codes in the country. Candiace Dillard Bassett, a former beauty pageant queen presented a very different example for young Black women on reality television. Initially the Potomac franchise faltered, as audiences weren’t used to seeing Black folks with “old money” and family roots grounded in social and political excellence. The show took a few seasons off then resurfaced with a tighter cast and gained a huge fanbase. The definitive Black American Princess, Candiace joined the show with a very interactive mother, a very smart mouth and a devoted if somewhat overwhelmed new husband. The RHOP debut caught a very young Candiace in the throes of a personal transition from girlhood to womanhood. Over eight seasons fans witnessed Candiace shift her allegiance from under her mother’s thumb to her husband as the couple fought for financial and emotional independence. With a few bumps along their marital journey, the show chronicled Candiace and Chris become a stronger unit. Fans of the slightly dramatic but very fashionable and witty star, learned her personality was a combination of old school traditional family values mixed with a new school woman, determined to carve out a career on her own terms. During the toxic season finale of season 8, Candiace revealed that after a fairly short IVF journey, she and Chris were expecting. The news brought a positive ending to the tumultuous season and solidified the fact that Candiace Dillard Bassett is the girl destined to have it all.

As one of the last in her friend group to get pregnant, Candiace was intentional about chasing her dreams of being an artist and becoming a mother.

“I’ve had the benefit of seeing my friends become mothers and I’ve learned from a lot of them. I’m blessed to have a really supportive family and friend group,” she shares.

Candiace was also intentional about sharing her IVF journey on the show to empower other women with fertility issues. “I was at an event at the White House and two different women came up to me and shared that they froze their eggs because they saw my journey on the show. As far as I know, I was able to get pregnant naturally, but my hope is that by me sharing my journey, it will empower women to think of IVF as a family planning method. I’ve spoken openly about the fact that I believe IVF should be covered by insurance. It shouldn’t be this astronomical price that most people can’t afford,” Candiace says. Being an advocate and voice for others isn’t new for the talented songbird. Candiace interned at the White House during Obama’s presidency and has been instrumental in Vice President Kamala Harris’ 2024 presidential campaign. For Candiace, the issues driving the current presidential election directly relate to her life and passion. “This election is so important because the state of our democracy is on the line. I’m thinking of what a country without democracy would look like for our child. My personal IVF story makes me passionate about what America would become if our reproductive rights are stripped from us and that’s exactly what will happen in a Trump administration,” she says.

Candiace’s outspoken nature, strong personality and intellectual prowess are the biggest traits that separated her from the other pretty faces on RHOP. Along with cast mate Dr. Wendy Osefo, Candiace championed women who refuse to settle for success based solely on looks alone. She says taking a break from the toxicity of the show wasn’t a difficult decision for the couple. “Chris and I always said when it stopped being fun we’d reevaluate our participation and that’s what we did,” she explains.

As Candiace and Chris prepare to welcome their new addition, her former cast mates of RHOP will be focused on the season 9 premiere airing Sunday, October 6th.  “I won’t be watching on Sunday,” she laughs.

“I won’t be watching this season. The show got to the point where I stopped enjoying watching it. It became more of a chore and a stressor. Still I wish the season 9 ladies well. I’m rooting for the whole cast.

I still talk to Karen and Wendy so of course I want them to get what they want out of it, but overall I want the show to continue to be successful.

I was a part of building the legacy of Potomac and no one can take that away from me.”

Candiace says her current focus is on motherhood, and family first, followed by returning to the stage and pursuing her artistry. She envisions being on tour and having her baby right there with her backstage like so many other successful artists are doing.

“I plan to take things day by day, but I see successful women navigating their careers with motherhood and I believe I can do that. I truly believe I can have it all,” she says.