Monique: Candiace Has to Earn Respect from This Group on Her Own

BravoTV.com: What do you think about Gizelle’s shade at you when she said she liked Candiace better?
Monique Samuels: Everyone has their cup of tea and people they prefer or dislike. I didn’t mind the shade considering the feeling is neutral as it pertains to Gizelle. She’s not my cup of tea, but I tolerate her.

BravoTV.com: Tell us about the bubble soccer – how was it?
MS: Bubble soccer was so much fun! If it wasn’t so hot outside, the game would have lasted more than 3 minutes. It was so hot inside the bubble that you could barely breathe or see anything. I really enjoyed it — I love running around and participating in athletic games!

Candiace Shares a Not So Little Tidbit About Her Man

BravoTV.com: What did you think about the ladies “grilling” new girl Candiace?
MS: Grilling is part of getting to know someone. Personally, I thought Candiace was giving way too much information to these ladies too soon. They enjoy judging people, and I don’t think that she was prepared to defend herself at that moment. I feel like the Candiace that I met at Ashley’s event was far more capable of handling the shade than bubble soccer Candiace. Maybe the heat, pressure from the food being late, or lack of napkins left her unprepared to "clap back." I was hoping that she would’ve put them in their places right away that day.

BravoTV.com: You mentioned that Candiace was getting it worse from the ladies than even you did — do you still think that? Did you feel the need to help her out?
MS: I definitely felt like Candiace got more heat from the ladies than I did, especially when she started telling us about how much her mom does for her. Most of us are or were married to successful men, so we’re accustomed to hearing stories of the man being the provider, not our mommy. I think it was a little shocking for the group since most of us have been caring for ourselves since our teenage years.

I wanted to help Candiace out because I really do like her, but at the same time, it’s important for her to earn the respect she deserves from this group on her own. But I’ll definitely be giving her some advice moving forward if she wishes to receive it.

Karen Huger's Wig Moment At the Barbecue

BravoTV.com: That wig moment… what are your thoughts?
MS: OH MY GOD! I couldn’t breathe let alone help Karen with that wig! That was the perfect way to shift the negative focus that was on Candiace. We all laughed so hard! Karen is hilarious, and she handled that wig shift with class and dignity! I could only imagine what would have happened if Karen had actually played bubble soccer—her wig would have still been in the bubble!