After a fan tweeted that her friendship with Dillard Bassett was “worth salvaging.”
She responded, “No not even close. Sorry”
As previously reported, Samuels had been charged with second-degree assault following an alleged incident with Dillard. The former beauty queen filed a complaint on Nov. 7, and days later, Samuels reportedly filed counter-charges against her RHOP co-star.
In December 2019, the charges were dismissed. The Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office informed lawyers for the Bravo reality stars that they would not be pursuing their ongoing cross complaints.
“Charges have been dismissed by the Office of the State’s Attorney for Montgomery County, Maryland,” Public Affairs Director Ramón V. Korionoff told PEOPLE.
According to communication from the State’s Attorney’s Office obtained by PEOPLE, their decision not to move forward was made after representatives reviewed both complaints, looked over footage of the incident provided by Bravo, and conducted a series of interviews with both Samuels and Bassett as well as witnesses on the scene.
In both cases, Samuels and Dillard Bassett faced potential jail time if a second-degree assault conviction had been made.
Though a criminal case won’t be pursued, the State’s Attorney’s Office decision does not prevent either woman from filing a civil lawsuit against the other.
Samuels’ attorney, A. Scott Bolden released a statement via PEOPLE: “We are pleased with the final determination by the Montgomery County’s States Attorney’s Office to not proceed against Mrs. Samuels for assault charges brought against her by Candiace Dillard Bassett,” the statement read.
“Consistent with her prior bad acts, offensive words and conduct, and her reputation for physical threats and verbal outbursts on the show, through third party interviews and the review of other evidence, the government concluded not to move forward against my client, Mrs. Samuels,” continued Bolden. “And while the government decided not to pursue my clients defensive claim against Candiace, we are very satisfied that justice was done.”
“It is our sincerest hope that both parties can move forward without any further judicial actions or involvement and that this dispute can be resolved through mediation or a thoughtful conversation between the parties, without threats, goading or bad behavior that Candiace is so well known for. It was not tolerated during the subject incident, and it will not be tolerated in the future, by my client,” said Bolden. “To that end, we will work diligently to create a better work environment for all RHOP cast members, that may only be had with more mature and better behavior from Candiace. We certainly hope she gets the help she needs so that the parties can avoid any further altercations between the two of them.”
Meanwhile, Dillard Bassett’s personal attorney James L. Walker, Jr., also provided a statement to PEOPLE: “We are very, very pleased that the prosecutor did not charge Ms. Dillard Bassett with any criminal charges or pursue the criminal charges against her,” Walker said. “As you may recall, the defendant’s legal team made the accusation that our client was the aggressor and assaulted Ms. Samuels by throwing a wine glass at her. However, it is very clear by today’s decision that this was a false allegation.”
“I still feel strongly that my client was the victim, but I do hope all parties can move on now,” Walker added. “I am also hopeful that Ms. Samuels and her team will cease and desist with the continual, unprofessional character assassination of Ms. Dillard Bassett, her husband, and her family.”
Photo Credit: Bravo
