Candiace Dillard: I Generally Question the Way Ashley Communicates

Bravotv.com: What were your thoughts when Gizelle tried giving you advice on giving Ashley the benefit of the doubt when it comes to her intentions on getting pregnant?

Candiace Dillard: I would like to give her the benefit of the doubt. I would like to believe she is well meaning and genuine in her intentions at this time. I DO believe Ashley desires to have a baby. My argument has not changed, though: 1. her actions don’t match her claimed intentions and 2. her husband’s disrespect of their marriage — allegedly claiming to want to be with other people in a sexual manner — doesn’t lend itself to a breeding ground of procreation. I have only responded to what I’ve been given. Maybe Gizelle knows something I don’t. And if that were the case, I would stand corrected. Conversely, I KNOW that I know something Gizelle is not privy to. And Michael’s words inform much of my skepticism. It all just looks and feels wrong.

Furthermore, I am taking it upon myself to address another part of episode seven. My skepticism of Ashley (MY opinion) at the Rainbow Party had nothing to do with her miscarriage. I harbor no ill feelings or disrespect toward women who have experienced miscarriage or fertility issues. I didn’t see Michael crying or hear their conversation at the table until everyone else did during the episode. That said, I maintain that I GENERALLY question the way Ashley communicates. I find her delivery to almost always be contrived and disingenuous. I felt and still feel she was emotionless in her speech and it doesn’t sit well with me. Does everyone grieve differently? Absolutely. Could her expressions of her experience have been genuine? Sure. EYE am saying that for me, it just didn’t translate as such. I can sympathize with her tragedy and be unsure of her reaction to it. Those are mutually exclusive pieces.

Monique Samuels Said What About Katie Rost?!

Bravotv.com: Do you have regrets revealing to Gizelle what Monique said about Katie and her "Amistad" comments?

CD: Gizelle and I had been chatting for a while when I mentioned what Monique said. I had no ill-intent in bringing it up. It was light conversation. We were talking about New Orleans and I happened to remember part of our conversation and the general uncertainty Monique seemed to have about Katie. I clearly didn’t remember the entire conversation (as I repeated it wrong); the Amistad reference just stuck out to me because it’s a snarky reference. I DO regret sharing it with Gizelle. I should have known that because of her general dislike for Monique (and just because it’s Gizelle), she was going to take it to the next plateau and make a bigger deal out of it than was necessary. To say Monique was comparing Katie to a slave is just overkill. I should just refrain from discussing anything concerning Monique with Gizelle. Ever.

Bravotv.com: Do you regret laughing when Monqiue initially made those comments to you about Katie?

CD: I don’t remember laughing. Watching it back, I think I laughed because what Monique said was so ridiculously inappropriate and unnecessary, all I could do was laugh. I don’t regret laughing as much as I regret telling Gizelle. She made it more malicious than it was and turned it into more of an issue than it would have been if I had just not repeated it to Gizelle. I knew Monique’s intentions weren’t to be nasty toward Katie. That, more than anything is the point I want to underscore.  

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