The Real Housewives of D.C. debuted in 2010 and aired for just one season. Although the series was added to Peacock, most Real Housewives fans forget that the series exists in the franchise because it was the first in Real Housewives history to be canceled.
While it doesn’t have the legacy of other Real Housewives brands, it made an impact at the time because of the massive controversy that surrounded its cancelation. Months before the reality show premiered, the series made national headlines when cast member Michaele Salahi and her then-husband, Tareq Salahi, crashed a popular White House event. A breach in security for the former U.S. president nipped the series in the bud.
The Hill reported that in 2015, Andy Cohen cited the couple’s infamous event crashing as the reason for the show being canceled. “I loved Real Housewives of D.C. I wanted to bring it back for a second season,” he said. “But that show really got torpedoed by the ‘Salamis.”
Inside The Scandal That Rocked The Real Housewives Of D.C.
On Nov. 24, 2009, former United States President Barack Obama held the First State dinner in honor of Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at the White House. With the Bravo camera crew in attendance, Michaele and Tareq Salahi managed to bypass two security checkpoints, a name-checked guest list, and a metal detector to access the exclusive event.
As reported by Bustle, Roxanne Roberts from The Washington Post recognized the couple and was suspicious of how they could access the event. They made it to the White House’s Blue Room, even meeting Barack.
Canceled Real Housewives Franchises | |
The Real Housewives of D.C. | 2010 |
The Real Housewives of Dallas | 2016-2021 |
The Real Housewives of Miami | *Revived for new seasons, thanks to Peacock* |
NBC News reported that Michaele and Tareq eventually left the event before 10pm because she felt sick. The timing was suspicious considering this was when all guests had to take their seats. If they were not properly on the guest list, they wouldn’t have had seats, proving they snuck into the event.
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The pair sneaking into the event reached The White House security team after the couple shared a Facebook status on their joint account saying, “Honored to be at the White House for the state dinner in honor of India with President Obama and our First Lady!”
The following day, a White House official confirmed to NBC that Michaele and Tareq “weren’t invited” to the event, sparking an official investigation.
The pair insisted they were invited to the White House event. “We’re greatly saddened by all the circumstances that have been involved in portraying my wife and I as party crashers. I can tell you we did not party crash the White House.” They turned down a hearing with the U.S. House of Representatives Homeland Security Committee and instead appeared on the Today show.
- The Committee on Homeland Security subpoenaed Michaele and Tareq for an official hearing in 2010.
- At that hearing, the couple invoked the Fifth Amendment, refusing to answer questions that could ultimately discredit them.
- The couple luckily escaped any legal problems, and the Secret Service did not consider criminal charges.
- Tareq was forced to resign from the Virginia Tourism Board.
The Real Reason Why Bravo Canceled The Real Housewives Of D.C.
Bravo didn’t give an official reason for canceling The Real Housewives of D.C, but Michaele Salahi, the most suspected Housewife and White House party crasher, is to blame.
As reported in US Weekly, Andy confirmed NBC was less than thrilled with the scandal, which forced Bravo to pull the plug on the show.
“Frankly, I really wanted to bring D.C. back for season 2,” Andy shared on a 2018 episode of Watch What Happens Live.
When the FBI is asking for raw tapes of your show, [it’s a] good thing to maybe not move forward?
2:00
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“I sort of knew this was going to happen,” Michaele admitted to People (via NewJersey.com). “The other women didn’t want me back on the show, and Andy stood his ground and said there wouldn’t be a show without me on it. I’m grateful to him for that.’”
Michaele claims it was more personal than her actions at the White House dinner. The Housewife was gearing up to be one of the franchise’s great villains, giving The Real Housewives of New Jersey’s Danielle Staub a run for her money. “There was so much negativity with the other women,” she explained to People. “If they could blow me up, they would. That’s how much they hate me.”
Where Are The Cast Of The Real Housewives Of D.C. Now?
The Real Housewives of D.C. premiered in August 2010 and ran for 11 episodes before it wrapped up with a two-part reunion. Despite being short-lasting, it has gone down in Bravo history for being the first city in The Real Housewives to be canceled, and for the shocking drama involving The White House!
Although the show ended almost 15 years ago, Mary Schmidt Amons, Catherine Ommanney, and Lynda Erkiletian have maintained a good friendship. “The three of us have a very fun WhatsApp chat,” Mary shared with Bravo in 2024, adding that the group chat had become more active after the show dropped on Peacock. “We’ve had some really fun moments.”
Michaele Salahi
Less than two years after their White House event-crashing scandal, Michaele and Tareq split after eight years of marriage. That same year, ABC reported that Tareq filed a missing person report for Michaele. She was later found touring with Journey lead guitarist Neal Schon. The couple married in 2013, and she is still on tour with the iconic rock band.
ABC
noted that Michaele and Neal were married in a pay-per-view ceremony broadcast live from the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco, California.
Mary Schmidt Amons
According to ScreenRant, Mary Schmidt Amons split from her husband Rich in 2012, after 26 years together. “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.”
Mary and Rich share five kids: Lolly, Ryan, Alexandra, Meghan, and Matt.
She now runs her own interior design company, Mary Amons Design, and still meets up with her co-star Lynda. When her iteration of the franchise landed on Peacock, she wrote on Instagram. “Filmed in 2009 & early 2010, our epic, iconic series features an unprecedented moment in history that is forever documented along with some hilarious one-liners!” she wrote.
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Catherine Ommanney
Catherine Ommanney (also known as Cat) split with her husband Charles in 2010 before the reality show had a chance to air. After the show was canceled, she moved to the UK and had a third child. US Weekly reported that she now lives in Mallorca, Spain.
Cat hit the headlines more recently after claiming she had an affair with Prince Harry when he was 21 years old and she was 34. “He was really funny, a total gentleman, totally down to earth, normal,” she said during an appearance on Piers Morgan Uncensored in December 2022 and declared it the “most passionate kiss I have ever had in my life,” as reported by Marca.
Stacie Scott Turner
Stacie Scott Turner split from her husband Jason after 14 years of marriage. She lives a quieter life now, working in real estate in Maryland.
According to ScreenRant, she is the founder of her charity, Extra-Ordinary Life, which offers life-changing experiences to teenage girls in foster care in the Washington, D.C. area.
Lynda Erkiletian
Lynda runs a modeling firm, The Artist Agency, and is the executive director of the James and Paula Coburn Foundation. The mother of four is currently dating Fulton Liss, a former tennis champ.
Lynda and Cat reminisced on Instagram Live when Bravo aired a marathon of RHODC in May 2020. “It was such a super high to experience today and have us all together [via social media],” Lynda declared. “It was really a lot of fun.”
She spoke to Jezebel in July 2020 about their experiences and how reality TV has changed since RHODC aired. “I think D.C. was supposed to represent what’s important to today’s time, not who has a Ferrari or how many furs you can wear,” said Lynda. She admitted she isn’t keen on joining the show if it aired today.
Season 1 of
The Real Housewives of D.C.
is currently streaming on Peacock.
The Real Housewives of D.C.
- Release Date
- August 5, 2010
- Main Genre
- Reality
- Cast
- Mary Schmidt Amons , Lynda Erkiletian , Stacie Turner , Catherine Ommanney
- Seasons
- 1
- Streaming Service(s)
- Peacock
