It’s impossible to know what to expect when the ladies of Real Housewives of Potomac gather in the same room. One of Bravo’s most popular Housewives franchises has seen blowout physical fights and threats to drag women—pregnant and all. Throw the women of Potomac under the heat of multiple spotlights and the frenzy of 1,000 cheering fans at BravoCon at Las Vegas’ Caesars Forum, and it’s akin to lighting a long fuse and waiting for the TNT to explode.
The audience at BravoCon day two was even more electric than the first day, and the “Potomac Takes Vegas” panel was the perfect event to slot for the afternoon, while the energy was at its peak. Factor in that Candiace Dillard—perhaps the franchise’s most contentious Housewife—retweeted a slight about her fellow cast member Gizelle Bryant only a few hours before the panel began, and it wasn’t at all surprising that the ladies’ hour on the Gold Stage kicked off with some drama. What was surprising is who that drama was between.
Moderator Rachel Lindsay began by asking the audience which Housewife they thought would have the most to answer for at the reunion of RHOP Season 8, which has not yet been filmed. (The premiere of Season 8 airs tomorrow night). A sea of audience responses yelled, “ROBYN!” in return, referring to the fact that Robyn Dixon never discussed an infidelity scandal she experienced with her husband Juan Dixon until after Season 7 wrapped filming. When Dixon spoke about the circumstances surrounding her husband’s alleged unfaithfulness in January, fans were upset that the events had taken place before Season 7 started filming, but were never mentioned in the actual show.
After premiering an exclusive clip from an upcoming episode of Season 8—where cast member Karen Huger fumbled through a vague, pastry-related analogy she made about pie and Dixon’s withholding of information from the previous season—Huger tried to explain herself. The result was equally as jumbled, causing Dixon to gesture to the audience and say, “She makes no sense, y’all.”
But Huger wasn’t quite finished. “No, Robyn, the sense was: You lied all seventh season, holding up the story,” she began, alluding to Dixon’s reluctance to speak about the infidelity rumors. “And then you called my name on Andy Cohen’s show [Watch What Happens Live], like, ‘I waited for Karen to out it!’ No honey, you out it, that’s your life. Let’s be clear: We worked through it, there is great conversation between Robyn and me; we banter back and forth. But the only person on this platform that makes no fucking sense is Robyn Dixon.”
Dixon looked a bit flustered in response to the crowd’s ensuing mix of gasps and cheers, simply adding: “She is so obsessed with me, y’all. She is extremely obsessed with me, and you will see it in Season 8.”
But though Lindsay tried her best to move past the discord between Huger and Dixon, there was only so much she could do between two strong-willed women of Potomac.
“Karen I don’t know why you’re shaking your head, you know that I address everything [in Season 8],” Dixon added.
“I didn’t think you would answer the question honestly,” Huger responded. “She does address it in her way, you just have to speak her language.” This remark didn’t sit well with Dixon, who fired back by replying, “You sound crazy! You’re saying stuff just to say it.”
“Yes, we talk about the issues that were taking place during that time,” Dixon added, clarifying that she would indeed address the rumors about her husband’s infidelity on the show as opposed to entirely off-camera. “When you say, ‘Why didn’t I address it before?’ Well Season 7, [that rumor] was not something that was going on in my life, it was not relevant to my life. So I did not feel the need to walk in front of a camera—”
Before she could finish her sentence, Dixon received boos from the excitable crowd. It was an unsurprising response, given that fans who devote so much time and love to Housewives franchises often feel that there’s an unspoken contract between the show’s stars and the audience that Housewives should be transparent about their lives if they’re willing to be on camera.
When the crowd finally quieted down, Dixon continued to explain her choice not to talk about the alleged infidelity last season.
“When my husband and I dealt with an issue five months prior to filming Season 7, why would I walk into Season 7 holding onto an issue that was no longer relevant to our relationship?” Dixon asked, seemingly to both Huger and the keyed-up audience. “It was not a problem, it was not an issue. My husband is not going to be thrown under the bus for a storyline that is not actually an issue at that moment.”
Huger took this moment to add another two cents to the proverbial Potomac piggybank. “I find it interesting that everything [my husband] Ray and I do is under a microscope!” Huger said. “Even if it’s not under a microscope, they throw it under a microscope. And your math is not really adding up here.”
“Karen, you still will not admit to all of the things that we have presented to you [about your marriage],” Dixon replied. “You continue to walk in front of cameras and talk about your perfect institution, and when we talk about stuff, you act like people are lying. Everyone on this stage knows that not one lie has ever been told about your marriage.”
“Lies have been told!” Huger immediately retorted. “Ray and I, we are standing. My husband is not out there with women at hotels, checking into a room. I am happy that Robyn and Juan are in a good place, let’s be clear. But don’t bring the bullshit.”
While the argument about Dixon’s lack of transparency did not come up again after Lindsay quieted the crowd and hurried past Huger’s final comments, it certainly was the perfect way to galvanize a crowd that was already excited for tomorrow night’s Real Housewives of Potomac premiere. Furthermore, it was solid proof that you never know quite what to expect when you take your seats at a BravoCon panel and wait for the Housewives to step into the ring.
