Look Back at Charrisse Jackson-Jordan’s Sweeping History on RHOP
The Potomac socialite returns as a Friend of the series in Season 8, though fans will have to wait and see if Sha-sha will be making an appearance.
The Real Housewives of Potomac is back for Season 8, and the ultimate East Coast socialite Charrisse Jackson-Jordan is back in front of the cameras.
The mother of Jackson and Skylar Jordan joins current Housewives Karen Huger, Robyn Dixon, Candiace Dillard Bassett, Gizelle Bryant, Ashley Darby, Dr. Wendy Osefo, Mia Thornton, and newcomer Nneka Ihim for a nail-biting new season. RHOP fans would be well to know that Charrisse is not just a friend to most of the women but an O.G. who’d banded the group together at the show’s inception, having since appeared in various capacities over the years.
“Looks like another great season,” wrote the supermom and philanthropist when revealing her Season 8 ‘Friend of the Cast’ photo on Instagram.
Let’s look back at Charrisse’s role on RHOP since its first season.
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Season 1: Housewife
Charrisse came fresh onto the scene with fellow Potomac Housewives Karen, Ashley, Gizelle, and Robyn, the latter of whom had known Charrisse for 13 years. Charrisse’s then-husband, N.B.A. Coach Eddie Jordan, had previously coached Robyn’s husband, Juan Dixon, when Juan played for the Washington Wizards.
“She was one of the most gracious coaches’ wives in the N.B.A.,” Robyn said of Charrisse in the RHOP Series Premiere. “She is the ultimate party hostess, very philanthropic. Everyone in Potomac knows who Charrisse is.”
At the time, Charrisse and her husband were married for about 18 years. However, throughout the inaugural season, the couple struggled with Eddie regularly being away in New Jersey, where he was head coach at Rutgers University. More than once, Charrisse referred to herself as “the second wife” or “the mistress” to Eddie’s first love: his career.
Although Charrisse said early in Season 1 that she was “fine” with the arrangement between her and Eddie, in Season 1, Episode 4, Charrisse confessed to the other ‘Wives that her marriage was at “a crossroads” after expressing feelings of loneliness.
The couple’s deteriorating marriage became front and center of Charrisse’s storyline, but Season 1 was also the home to her $80,000 party to celebrate the Housewife’s 50th birthday (on Eddie’s dime). Eddie’s absence was “the big elephant in the room,” according to Gizelle, but “Charrisse [was] not letting that stop her fun.”
Season 2: Housewife
In Season 2, Charrisse said divorce was “inevitable” and that her marriage was “basically over” after Eddie decided to remain in New Jersey, even after being fired from Rutgers University. It was also when Charrisse let her rapping alter ego, “Sha-sha,” out from the shadows.
“I don’t know if I can control Sha-sha,” Charrisse told RHOP producers.
Though Eddie voiced his desire to have a divorce, Charrisse found strength by taking the “out with the old, in with the new” approach, reinventing herself and her home (including her showstopper of a champagne room). She also found a way to continue throwing her historically lavish parties, including Skylar’s Sweet Sixteen, at which Eddie made a surprise appearance.
“For me, the easiest way to deal with what’s going on with my soon-to-be-ex-husband is to just focus on my kids,” Charrisse said in Season 2, Episode 4. “It’s the best thing that came out of my marriage.”
Charrisse sought therapy to help cope with the separation, eventually having a heart-to-heart discussion with Skylar in Season 2, Episode 7. (Charrisse and Eddie officially divorced in 2019, with the Housewife announcing on social media that she was “free at last”).
Aside from her marriage woes, conflict between Charrisse and Karen arose when both took credit for organizing a trip to Bermuda. Season 2 was also when Charrisse introduced former Housewife Monique Samuels to the group.
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Seasons 3 through 6
Charrisse took a step back and joined RHOP Season 3 as a friend of the series. She might have had her say in the RHOP Season 2 reunion about the tax issues faced by the Grand Dame Karen Huger and her husband — where Charrisse called Ray Huger the “broke Bill Gates” — though Charrisse didn’t appear as much in the show’s third season as she had the first two.
In Episode 3, Charrisse and Robyn arrived together for Monique’s husband’s 40th birthday celebration.
“Me and my sister Charrisse are completely inseparable,” Monique told RHOP producers. “She’s been through so much with her marriage, and I try to be the best friend I can be to her.”
Later in the season, Charrisse and Karen gave one another the iciest cold shoulders at Gizelle’s Sunday garden brunch. “The shade was real” between Charrisse, according to Gizelle, when both attended a bubble soccer party hosted by then-newcomer Candiace.
Together, Charrisse, Candiace, Monique, and Ashley dared to go for a cryotherapy session, bonding when reflecting on their personal relationships (at the time, Charrisse was still in the process of divorcing Eddie). But after Charrisse made what Candiace called a “shady bitch” comment about Candiace’s engagement ring, Charrisse and Candiace had a big row on the ladies’ bus ride to their Nemacolin girls' trip.
Gizelle came to Charrisse’s defense and demanded Candiace apologize.
“Charrisse is someone that is central to this whole group,” said Gizelle in the confessional. “We’re all friends because of Charrisse. If you want to pick on anybody, Candiace, it surely shouldn’t be Charrisse.”
Charrisse and Robyn’s friendship was tested after Charrisse chose to side with Monique over a conflict involving Monique’s car accident. The split was further divided when Charrisse attended Monique’s Human Growth Foundation Gala instead of Robyn’s She is Empowered event, causing Robyn to feel “betrayed.”
Both hashed things out in Season 3, Episode 12, though Charrisse and Monique later found themselves drifting apart after Charrisse felt Monique was “using” her to attain networking contacts. The fight carried over to the girls’ trip to the South of France.
Charrisse did not appear in the RHOP Season 4. However, she did appear as a Guest on the show for a handful of episodes in Season 5. She served diamonds and denim at Candiace and Chris’ one-year anniversary party and had a front-row seat in Episode 3 as beef between Candiace and Monique continued.
Seasons 6, 7, and 8
Charrisse didn’t appear in Season 6, but returned as a Friend of the series in Season 7, the first time in such a capacity since RHOP Season 3. Her and Robyn’s friendship was stronger than ever, with Robyn maintaining that “Clearly, the grand dame of Potomac title really belongs to Charrisse.”
Glaring tensions between Charrisse and Karen carried through the season, including an event when Karen suddenly grew ill just as Charrisse arrived at a family-friendly event. Karen said she and Charrisse hadn’t been friends in five years since the RHOP Season 2 reunion, claiming in Season 7, Episode 7, “that bridge burned down.”
“I think she thinks I know all of her secrets,” Charrisse said later in the episode. “And she’s probably right.”
Charrisse joined the rest of the Season 6 cast for a girls’ trip to Miami, despite her wanting to have her own place in light of her snoring and sleeping in the nip — a move Mia later called “very theatrical.”
In Season 7, Episode 13, Sha-sha came out during a stormy girls’ dinner at Riviera Maya, Mexico, when she and Karen slammed the dinner table and unleashed five years’ worth of pent-up rage at one another. Later in the trip, some of the members suggested Karen had beef with Charrisse because Charrisse (and not Karen) was the one who got the women together at the very start of the RHOP series.
Robyn referred to Charrisse as “the true socialite of Potomac,” though Karen said the others “were scared of Charrisse ’cause Charrisse do have some sh-t on them.”
The Charrisse and Karen drama continued to the Season Finale and Reunion, and it’s likely it will continue in RHOP Season 8, airing Sundays at 8/7c on Bravo.
In the meantime, catch up on The Real Housewives of Potomac on Bravo and Peacock.
