Candiace Dillard Bassett is pregnant, reveals this influenced 'Real Housewives of Potomac' departure
A new season of "The Real Housewives of Potomac" star Candiace Dillard Bassett's life is due this fall.
She and her husband Chris Bassett, 46, revealed to Entertainment Tonight on Monday that Dillard Bassett, 37, is in her second trimester and expecting their first child later this year.
The couple showed some of their fertility journey, which included two rounds of egg retrieval and freezing embryos, on "RHOP." In January, Dillard Bassett had one of their embryos implanted and waited two weeks to find out whether she was pregnant.
"Our doctor called us at 8 a.m. and she tells us that we're pregnant," Dillard Bassett said. "We waited and waited and waited all this time, so to finally hear that, after those two weeks, the process has worked after a year of doing the shots."
Bassett, who has three children from a previous relationship, had given his wife a few more years – until he turns 50 – to start growing their family, they revealed.
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"I was kind of content but then I just got the itch. When I knew, it was, like, undeniable," Dillard Bassett said. "I kind of woke up and realized that I was never going to be 100 percent ready."
She added, "I always wondered, like, how would I know when I was ready? And I always felt like a part of my anxiety was that I wasn't sure that I would know, and when I knew, it was undeniable."
Candiace Dillard Bassett's pregnancy was '95 percent' of the reason she left 'Real Housewives of Potomac'
Last month, Dillard Bassett announced she was leaving "RHOP" after six seasons.
"With a whirlwind of new opportunities and responsibilities on my plate, I have decided to take a break from 'RHOP,'" she told People magazine, adding, "This is not a farewell, but a 'see you later.'"
Reflecting on that announcement, the Bravo star said her pregnancy was "probably 95 percent" of the reason for her departure from the Bravo-verse.
"I was really adamant about creating a space not just for the baby but for me, us, this time in our lives ... to feel peaceful and to feel free and to feel positive ... without any added pressure – good, bad or indifferent – from the show," she said. "I was not confident that I could have that in the space the show is in currently. It was kind of a no-brainer."
Dillard Bassett first appeared on "RHOP" Season 3 in 2018 and also starred on Season 3 of the spinoff show "Real Housewives: Ultimate Girls Trip."
She alluded to "RHOP" not being a conducive environment for a healthy pregnancy, saying, "I just wanted to experience (pregnancy) free of any unwarranted stuff."
Dillard Bassett weighed in on what it would take for her to return and explained the show would have to be "a different space."
"There's so many things happening in my career, in Chris' career, in our families, that I'm excited to be able to focus on and enjoy without the behemoth that is the show," she said.