Exclusive: ‘Real Housewives: Ultimate Girls Trip’ Stars Gizelle Bryant and Candiace Dillard Talk Katie Rost, Juan Dixon’s Recent Firing and Their “Friendship” [Videos]

Peacock is back with the third season of Real Housewives: Ultimate Girls Trip, and the ladies are handing out reads and revelations during their time in Thailand. In true Girls Trip tradition, the group is made up of Housewives from different franchises; this cast includes Porsha Williams (RHOA), Candiace Dillard Bassett, Gizelle Bryant (RHOP), Heather Gay and Whitney Rose (RHOSLC), Leah McSweeney (RHONY), with Alexia Nepola and Marysol Patton (RHOM) to round out the cast. 

For our Potomac stans and fans, Baller Alert was able to chat with Candiace and Gizelle about their “friendship,” their dream cast for Ultimate Girls Trip and Potomac, if they would like to see Potomac alum Katie Rost’s return, favorite Bravolebrities, and the recent firing of castmate Robyn Dixon’s husband, Juan Dixon.

Candiace cleared things up and shared that while fans will see her and Gizelle be cordial during the Thailand trip, this was immediately after Potomac wrapped filming for their season and was watching the season alongside the world, finding out a few things Bryant had been saying on the show. 

“So we shot Potomac, and then two weeks later, we were en route to Thailand to Phuket, so I had not seen any of season seven of Potomac; we had not shot the reunion,” Bassett began. 

“Everything that came out during the season with her painting Chris as a crazy predator, to see if he was “with” and a “sneaky link” which are the buzz words she has used willingly and knowingly because she’s an intelligent woman, I was not privy to yet. I had not seen her do any interviews, backpedal, or sit with the cast, giving different versions of the story – none of that had occurred, and all I knew was what happened between her and me in scenes I was present in. Me seeing all of that after ‘Ultimate Girls Trip’ and after we got back when the show aired, I saw it with you, and it completely changed my view of Gizelle; if I had known those things going into Ultimate Girls Trip, the whole house would have been burnt to smithereens.” 

Gizelle’s answer was very brief regarding where she and Candiace stand when asked if they are cool, simply saying “absolutely not” followed up with “I don’t know her” in the words of Mariah Carey. 

Baller Alert reported about Juan’s firing this past week as the Head Coach at Coppin State after the former NBA player was named in a lawsuit filed by a former Coppin State player against the University, the University System of Maryland, the state of Maryland, and three of the university’s athletic officials.

Former Coppin basketball player Ibn Williams claimed he was catfished, extorted, and sexually assaulted by one of Juan’s assistant coaches. According to reports, Juan was named in the lawsuit because he failed to report the incident.

Bryant shared she spoke to Robyn Dixon about her husband’s firing “briefly.” 

“I spoke to Robyn briefly, and it’s a sad situation,” she said. 

“Coppin had a tough season, and the coaching world is a bit fickle – you’re as good as your season. I hate it for them. Robyn’s holding up now, and she’s a tough cookie.” 

Bassett shared she was “stunned” after learning the news and spoke to her husband and mother about the situation. 

“I was sitting at my desk stunned because it’s not what I saw happening, and I did not see that being the chain of events,” she shared. 

“It’s also not how Robyn presented it to us – she presented it as an open-and-shut situation. Juan was fine, saying a lot of it was hearsay because he had proximity to the situation. I’m hurting for her family and her boys – I wish them well. It’s sad, especially for their children, because their dad is their hero, and they are involved in basketball heavily. For this to be a bump in the road after going through so much, it’s hard to see. We’re at this age in social media, especially when it’s “king” for the younger generation. I pray for their mental state and that they can figure out how to sustain and return from this – I have faith that they will.” 

Recently, Katie Rost took to Twitter to express how she wants to return to the show and even dropped a bomb, sharing how she and Charrisse Jordan Jackson shared an “intimate moment” in the past. 

Maybe next season on #RHOP they will ask @CharrisseJordan about the night we had sex and I lied for her so she could get her settlement. Maybe ? I’m not bitter. Just saying . Or maybe she is so entertaining we will all be amazed as…. Never

— Katie Rost (@KatieRost) March 5, 2023

When asked if they would like to see Katie return, Bryant laughs, saying she does not believe what Rost is saying about her and Charrisse on Twitter, but she would like to see her return to the inner circle but wants her to “finish the season” if she does. 

“Katie is a good time – she came back in season four, but Katie has to be able to finish the season,” she said. 

“If she can come and successfully finish the season, I’m here for it.” 

Bassett is also open to her returning but would want to make sure she’s mentally capable of being on the platform. 

“Katie is working overtime to give us the tea on Instagram and Twitter,” she laughed. 

“I would love to see Katie return – I think she’s gone through a lot as of late, and I want to make sure she’s in a place emotionally, physically, and mentally to return. There are days when I’m not mentally apt to return as this platform and show can take a toll on all types of health, so I would want to make sure that, in light of what she’s shared of her journey, she is fully equipped to return and sustain.

Real Housewives: Ultimate Girls Trip premieres Thursday, March 23, only on Peacock.