The Real Housewives of D.C: How have they been doing

Updated on August 03, 2022 17:23 PM by Ava Sara

The Real Housewives of D.C. was the fifth installment of the Real Housewives franchise. The fifth installment starred exclusive housewives Mary Amons, Lynda Erkiletian, Cat Ommanney, Michaele Salahi, and Stacie Scott Turner.

The show premiered on Bravo T.V. on August 5, 2010, and fans eagerly welcomed the fifth installment with open arms. The show was initially a hit and ran for eleven episodes and finally ended with an exclusive two-part reunion in October 2010.

For over a decade, fans of the natural homemakers' franchise have been eager to know where the Real Housewives of D.C. is now. It has been over a decade, and those housewives have moved on in their lives after the show's ending.

However, we would like to know where these housewives are, who once set the small screens on fire. It was unfortunate that the franchise was short-lived but was full of drama and exaggerated situations, which were not only seen on the screen but were also dragged offscreen.

The scandalous decision

It was all that happened in November 2009 - Michaele, one of the most controversial housewives, and her then-husband Tareq Salahi made headlines for gatecrashing then-President Barack Obama’s first State Dinner.

The show was all about entertainment and not drawing on controversies related to the government. It raised eyebrows and was a shocking step taken by a real housewife.

Bravo cameras followed the pair’s gatecrashing day, leading them to their trip to the White House. The cameras recorded, and the fans watched the Salahis being questioned by security personnel at the gate with a clipboard.

The state dinner had a list of guests under which the government authorities did not mention the Salahis. They were uninvited guests and yet preferred to take the dangerous risk of forcefully entering the White House.

The controversy it created

The security instructed the Real Housewives couple to move to the side as they couldn’t find them on the guest list. However, Michaele and Tareq used the trick and eventually went inside the White House.

This incident created considerable controversy among the viewers of the Real Housewives franchise, not only that the producers and directors had to go through loads of issues following the incident.

Andy Cohen, the leading creator of the show, faced many issues. He has openly discussed the controversial situation created by the Salahis, which overshadowed the show's performance.

The controversy was so high that the case prompted him to cancel the show early on. It was an unprecedented incident, and Andy Cohen was unprepared for it. Salahis did not inform Andy previously that they would take such a decision and apply it literally.

In the words of Andy Cohen

“Frankly, I wanted to bring D.C. back for season 2. It picked up half of the season, but the Salahis tanked that show,” Andy Cohen said when he was hosting Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen in 2018.

“When the FBI is asking for raw tapes of your show, is it a good thing to maybe not move forward?” It was dangerous as no showrunner would like to mess with the government. But, the Salahis made it difficult for Andy Cohen to continue with the franchise as they received negative reviews from every section of the viewers.

Upon that, the franchise caught the eyes of the FBI, which was difficult for Andy Cohen and his team to avoid. So, they canceled the show even though the showrunners had already done Season 2 preparations.

Andy Cohen can handle cultural issues and issues related to haters and trolls, but when the government gets involved, he finds it better to move back. However, people like the first season of Real Housewives of D.C.

The cancelation of the show

Mary agreed with the sudden termination of the show during a May 2020 interview on the Behind the Velvet Rope with David Yontef podcast. She decided that gatecrashing into the White House was not a good step as it harmed the show's reputation.

It was not about house politics, culture cancelation, or even racism. It was more like messing with the government. So, it is evident that they had to take the back seat early on.

“It was a mess, it was a mess,” Mary said in the podcast. “I think the show worked. It’s just that the premise of the show ended up being so hijacked by that incident that it was very hard to continue.

And also think that financially I think that incident caused Bravo a lot of expenses on the legal side. So their business model was blown out of the water.”

It was all about the legal matters

It is evident that Andy Cohen and his team, along with Bravo T.V., faced loads of issues with the legal authorities. Gatecrashing into a private dinner party of the State which is exceptionally rigid, and only the government officials attend, unless any celebrity is invited, brings in more troubles than the thought of the subsequent seasons.

The cover-up took lots of time, and cash, debilitating from the show's original funds, caused the franchise's shutdown.

As a result, the showrunner, along with Bravo, canceled the show for the betterment of every cast and crew member. The cast members who were exclusive in the franchise’s first season are introduced below

Mary Amons - first housewife

Mary Amons was one of the prominent housewives in the first season of the Real Housewives of D.C. However, after the show was canceled, Mary and her husband, Rich Amons, split up. The cancellation of the show did harm their real-life relationship. The couple decided to divorce after twenty-six years of marriage back in 2012.

The fans who have watched the first season recalled that the couple shares five kids: Lolly, Ryan, Alexandra, Meghan, and Matt. However, Mary Amons was heartbroken after breaking up with her husband since they were almost on the verge of touching the third decade in their marriage.

“It is with great sadness and a heavy heart that I have decided to end my 26-year marriage. While I have the deepest respect for my husband and wish him the best, we have grown apart,” she said in a statement in 2012.

In the words of Mary

“My primary focus is an amicable process, ensuring the well-being of my five wonderful children and their happiness, which has been, and will always be, of paramount importance.”

she further said in her statement. Mary and her husband, Rich Amons, are co-parenting their kids and doing all the parental duties. However, Mary has moved on in her career and become a successful businesswoman.

Mary runs her interior design company, Mary Amons Design. She reunited with Lynda Erkiletian, another housewife from the show, in July 2020 for lunch in D.C. “Loads of laughs and love lunching with my #covidbuddy @thereallyndadc @peacockcafe #RHODC #RHODC10years,”

she captioned a selfie via Instagram. Fans were glad to find that former colleagues and homemakers are still in contact and take time to spend their moments together.

Lynda Erkiletian - second housewife

Lynda Erkiletian, another housewife, runs a modeling firm - The Artist Agency; along with that, she also works as the executive director for the James and Paula Coburn Foundation.

She has professionally done well since Andy Cohen and his team canceled the franchise. Not only that, Lynda has kept up with the connections with her colleagues or homemakers even after a decade has passed since the franchise got canceled.

It was exciting for the fans to see that even after a decade, the homemakers have kept the connection and are friends. Lynda and Cat recently reminisced the memories of RHODC via Instagram Live. It was when the Bravo network aired a marathon in May 2020.

“It was such a super high to experience today and have us all together via social media,” Lynda said. “It was a lot of fun.”

Cat Ommanney - third housewife

Cat Ommanney was a famous housewife when the show Real Housewives of D.C. aired in 2010. However, Cat was more of an ex-housewife.

Cat and husband Charles Ommanney split in 2010, even before the show aired. It was surprising for the audience as they were not expecting a single housewife. However, Cat kept her husband’s last name during the show's airing.

Cat - the natural person

Cat joined the cast of Real Housewives because she was devastated in her personal life and wanted to know and explore life more. She found the opportunity to showcase herself as a housewife on the screen. Various women are blamed for the failure of a relationship. So, the first season did give the audience the idea about Cat as a person.

“My marriage fell apart and so my life has been completely turned upside down and inside out. I’ve had to do some major soul searching, and I still am. Hopefully, things will start to improve,” she told Parade.com then. She was able to explore and understand herself more through the show.

However, even though the franchise got canceled, Cat was able to move on in her life through the lessons she learned through the show. She started her life anew after the cancellation of the franchise with her then-boyfriend. She made news in 2012 by becoming a mother for the third time.

Moved to England

She welcomed her daughter Zara Isabella with then-boyfriend Rick. However, after the show wrapped, Cat moved back to the United Kingdom with no other seasons to be made.

She settled there and raised her two eldest daughters, Jade and Ruby. Zara Isabella must be ten years old now; later on, Cat seemingly moved to Mallorca, Spain, with her immediate family.

Nothing is much known about her professional life and success as a businesswoman, but she has flourished as a single mother. Fans hope she has been earning enough to care for her three daughters in Europe.

During the pandemic, she joined Lynda on Instagram Live and relived the old memories of the show, giving a sneak peek into their present life situations.

Michaele Salahi - fourth housewife

The most scandalous housewife of all, Michaele Salahi, made news of many controversial steps in her life. She divorced less than two years after the show got canceled due to her headline-making White House gatecrashing scandal.

Michaele and Tareq called it quits to give each other personal space and peace after eight years of marriage. The show harmed the couple due to the lashes they received through social media.

The couple divorced

The show was shelved in 2010, and they got divorced in 2011. That same year, Tareq filed a missing person report for Michaele, as she went out of connection with Tareq, but she was on the road with Neal Schon of the rock band Journey.

So, it looked like the drama was always there amongst the ex-couple. They like drama and do anything to get in with the dramatic environment.

Michaele and Tareq’s divorce was finalized in August 2012, and Michaele could not just wait to get married to the rocker in 2013. She is happy in her new set of limelights which she has been receiving for the last decade after marrying Neal Schon.

Michaele still tours with the rock band Journey and even runs a joint Instagram account with Neal Schon. The lady can do anything for attention and the spotlight, even though it had cost her crashing a whole franchise.

Stacie Scott Turner - fifth housewife

Stacie gained popularity through the show Real Housewives of D.C., but it was short-lived. She is doing good in her life after ten years of the show. The show had a profoundly negative impact on all the homemakers; the sudden removal from the limelight brought them into real-life troubles, ending their relationships.

She is the last housewife on the list of RHODC cast members; Stacie and her then-husband Jason Turner broke up after the show ended. The ex-couple shared two kids but could not continue their relationship, so they split up in February 2012 after 14 years of togetherness.

However, Stacie has gained success in her professional life as she works in real estate in Maryland. She and her then-husband are co-parenting their kids, and Stacie is making the maximum out of her life, even though she is not under the direct spotlight anymore.

Most disputable canceled series

The show was short-lived, but fans could never forget it. The Real Housewives of D.C. is still one of Bravo's most disputable canceled series. However, it has been ten years now, and fans are eager to see those housewives once more on the television screen.

Nevertheless, for the fans, the show certainly deserved a reboot. However, Andy Cohen is riding high on his recent success of Real Housewives of Potomac, so he might have forgotten those housewives.

Fans did not forget

However, fans have not forgotten it; as long as the whole Real Housewives franchise carries on, the discussion of RHODC will continue. Mainly because it was the first-ever Real Housewives show that did not receive a second season; it was a huge deal back then, resulting in the show's cancellation.

It is a huge deal since it's the only show that hasn’t received a sequel. Even though the former homemakers have happily moved on in their lives, fans cannot forget their short presence onscreen.

RHODC was an infamous entry to this franchise as it was veiled in a political scandal, and Andy Cohen found it to be a wasted opportunity. But, fans think the former homemakers should be given another shot in front of the screen.

It’s been ten years, and the government has changed twice in the United States. So, a reboot of the original cast members can be a good way of reintroducing them to the new set of Real Housewives viewers.

Still no response from the makers

Fortunately, more than a decade has passed since the scandal created more news than the show itself, resulting in the untimely conclusion of The Real Housewives of D.C. However, fans are eager to see those housewives again on the small screen, as it is the perfect time for reviving the show.

There have been lots of emails that fans sent to Andy Cohen to reboot the RHODC. However, he hasn’t responded to fan emails as the team concentrates on the franchise's other shows.

The impact left on the viewers

The Real Housewives of D.C. showed it had pioneer potential as the show was filmed keeping the political location as a backdrop. Moreover, viewers get to see and enjoy the lavish lifestyle of the bureaucratic elite in D.C. these women are rich.

They have made themselves capable enough to be walking amongst the other elites. Moreover, viewers got a glimpse into the high-class lifestyle of the homemakers in Washington D.C. It was an entertaining dose for many television viewers, so bringing it back to the screen can be fruitful.

The subsequent success it received

Till now, Andy Cohen and his team have had loads of success with all the franchises. They have covered from the charming upper west side condos of New York City to the aristocratic mansions of Beverly Hills.

Bravo T.V. has successfully jump-started the Real Housewives franchises in several major cities from coast to coast. The franchise has received international recognition with the presence of so many modern homemakers in various locations.

Andy Cohen and his team expected RHODC to make it to the top, but, unfortunately, D.C. housewife Michaele Salahi messed it up. She and her then-husband got too involved in the high governmental society, creating a national uproar.

Michaele Sahani and her husband forcefully attended a 2009 state dinner hosted at the White House without an invitation which crashed RHODC's chances for future seasons.

Things went down from there

Nevertheless, the show failed to become another successful Real Housewives reality television series. Andy Cohen chopped the show off from the Real Housewives franchise as Michaele’s White House scandal made national headlines.

It was irrevocable, the mess the Sahanis created by budging into the White House and trying to mess up with the government personnel. Not all realities can be accepted by the world, especially when the legal authorities are getting wrapped up in it.

However, it has been over a decade now that followed other franchises and other significant incidents. The capital of the United States has been recurrently exposed to much larger profile scandals after that incident.

Scandals like impeachments and insurrections have shaken the nation from the core. Moreover, people have forgotten the gatecrashing of Michaele, keeping there are more significant issues right now.

These other recurrently critical incidents added after that scandal also mean that the Michaele Salahi scandal has tanked over time; people have had enough time to keep it as past trouble.

The success of the other franchises

However, that one show did not stop Andy Cohen and his team from making other franchises. In recent years, the Real Housewives franchises have spread out in various cities and overseas to Dubai.

The franchise has excelled in every way possible, and Andy Cohen has turned the scandals into gold. Bravo T.V. knows that negative publicity is also publicity; people love to see scandals and gossip. So, it was apparent that Andy Cohen and his team cashed on it.

The scandal included filming RHOSLC star Jen Shah even after her arrest. Jen Shah allegedly committed wire fraud, and Bravo T.V. covered the whole scandal leading to a considerable increase in the number of viewers of the show.

Andy Cohen knows how to count gold through outrageous scandals. People love to watch them, and Bravo T.V. openly serves them.

Tongue-in-cheek situation

The second scandal was the airing of Michael Darby, who was groping a producer on Real Housewives of Potomac. When the show RHODC starred, the whole franchise concept started, so the makers were sensitive about many things.

But, Bravo has gone through numerous scandals, criticisms, and controversies for their Real Housewives franchise after a decade. Now, they know how to deal with each scandal discreetly.

Andy Cohen has a much higher tolerance for public misconduct than he had over a decade ago. Back then, he was starting and wanted more and more positive reviews rather than scandals or outrageous reality-show coverage.

However, now that is what is the driving force of the whole franchise; without a disgraceful scandal, the show is nothing. So, fans think bringing back the RHODC homemakers on screen with a reboot is no injustice.

Still more is left to show

There has been loads of discussion regarding the recent success of the Real Housewives of Potomac. While some have even argued that Potomac has effectively and accurately filled in for the absence of The Real Housewives of D.C.

The long-time fans are not convinced by this argument; they believe that those original housewives had a lot more to give and show on the screen which they should get back through a reboot.

The success of the Maryland-based series RHOP only symbolizes the fame and name surrounding the Delaware-Maryland-Virginia region. The region is very comprehensive, even though it cost Andy Cohen to start from scratch.

But, the politics and controversy that the Real Housewives of D.C. gave still lack in the Potomac. Many long-time viewers of the show have agreed that RHODC had its ways of viewing things by pointing out the influence of politics in the bureaucratic lifestyle.

Need a reboot of RHODC

Fans had not forgotten the impact The Real Housewives of D.C. left on them before it ended. However, fans had recently discussed that the show was shelved even before it got a chance to prove its potential.

The viewers of the show are looking forward to the show’s comeback. Keeping the exhilarating current political climate of the United States along with the ongoing Real Housewives of Potomac's pounding high entertainment value, fans are looking forward to a reboot of RHODC.

The viewers are confident that the show would thrive this time and bring in coins for Andy Cohen.