After several seasons of criticism, Robyn Dixon was fired from RHOP. She expressed disappointment, but her husband Juan is somewhere celebrating.
The Big Picture
- Robyn was fired from
RHOP
after defending her marriage to Juan against cast accusations and constant backlash. - Juan consistently criticized Robyn, refused to participate in filming, and displayed unsupportive behavior throughout the show.
- Robyn may benefit from the hiatus, find herself, and potentially return to
RHOP
stronger and happier without Juan.
Robyn Dixon looked beautiful at the Real Housewives of Potomac reunion. Her stylish blonde bob was a fan fave and, for once, her reunion fit received nods from the majority of viewers. After a season of inconsistent appearances, constant sarcasm, and awkward face-time calls, Robyn’s husband, Juan, was a no-show at the reunion. To her credit, Robyn rose to the task of defending both her marriage and her husband under a barrage of built-up accusations and shade from the entire cast, including host Andy Cohen. At one point, Andy inquired about Juan’s whereabouts on the reality series, stating, “We know he isn’t at a game.” The rest of the cast chuckled, but Robyn doubled down on her support, insisting that Juan was supportive of her despite his physical absence.
Robyn’s bold appearance proved to be her last stand on Potomac, as 24 hours after the final installment of the reunion aired, she announced on her Reasonably Shady podcast, that she was fired from the show. “I will not be returning for season 9 of the Real Housewives of Potomac. It’s reality. The network did not invite me back. I was fired, for lack of better words. And I will not sugarcoat the situation and say, ‘Ooh I am walking away and this is a break’ or anything like that. This was a network decision,” she declared. Robyn’s stance suggests she feels a bit resentful towards Bravo, but her husband Juan is certainly breathing a celebratory sigh of relief after learning he doesn’t have to deal with the inconvenience of the show any longer.
The Real Housewives of Potomac
We follow the lives of 6 women residents of Potomac, Maryland, each in various stages of life and affluence, shaping their community and their lives.
- Release Date
- January 17, 2016
- Cast
- Gizelle Bryant , Karen Huger , Robyn Dixon , Ashley Darby
- Main Genre
- Reality TV
- Seasons
- 8
- Creator(s)
- Scott Dunlop , Tom Ciaccio
Juan Has Shamed Robyn Mercilessly on ‘RHOP’
Over the last two seasons, Juan has shown up constantly in defense mode, visibly irritated by the questions and commentary surrounding his inappropriate marital behavior. Viewers may have shown the couple empathy if there had ever been a time or season that Juan showed up as a loving, supportive partner to his wife. Instead, from the couple’s introduction to the show, Juan has played the role of a resentful husband in an unsatisfying long-term marriage. When introduced to audiences over a decade ago, Juan and Robyn weren’t legally married. The couple decided to continue living under the same roof for the sake of their finances and their children. Robyn was wishing, hoping and praying that Juan would have a change of heart and the two would reconcile and return to happily ever after. Juan was resistant to Robyn’s desires from their first season. He appeared insolent and detached during scenes with the two of them together and rarely participated in scenarios, including the rest of the cast. The other women didn’t have to make assumptions about Juan’s feelings because he was vocal about his unhappiness with his wife.
Nneka Ihim Thinks Firing Robyn Dixon From ‘RHOP’ Is a Mistake
‘The Real Housewives of Potomac’ newbie wants Robyn Dixon on the show.
During their eight season on the show, Juan admitted on camera that he wasn’t attracted to his wife, criticized her work ethic (he called her lazy), resisted signing a prenuptial agreement, and scoffed at Robyn’s success with her Embellish hat line. He resisted being a part of filming on multiple occasions, and committed a laundry list of things off-camera that suggests his relationship with Robyn is not a priority. When Robyn announced they were engaged in season 6, Juan remained tight-lipped about their renewed union. Finally, after being pressed by her cast mates, Robyn revealed the wedding would be for their immediate family only. The decision to oust her bestie, Gizelle Bryant, from her circle of trust was a tell-tale sign that Robyn’s re-marriage to Juan wasn’t the long-awaited fairy tale she wanted the ladies to believe. Juan appeared irritated that Robyn wanted a wedding at all and refused to share their experience with the show.
A New Marriage Wasn’t Enough to Keep Juan Interested in Robyn
Immediately after the hush nuptials, blogs reported that Juan was seen out with a younger woman, and text messages between him and a woman surfaced on social media. Proof of him paying for a hotel room for a woman convinced the cast and fans that Juan was up to his old ways, while Robyn clung to the fantasy of her marriage. Juan was spotted around the DMV area with several women, one of whom he worked with, but after every revelation, Robyn doubled down in support of her husband. After making the conscious decision not to share her marital drama with RHOP last season, Robyn faced backlash from fans and producers. Juan left Robyn to deal with the backlash he created alone, consistently belligerent through forced scenes with Robyn calling him on speakerphone to discuss their marital issues.
It was painfully clear to both viewers and producers of RHOP that Juan had checked out of his commitment to RHOP and quite possibly his commitment to his wife. Robyn’s seemingly blind support of her non-committed husband only worked to further alienate her from her friends and ultimately from him. This season, the majority of Robyn’s storyline was spent angrily defending her support of her husband and unsuccessfully attempting to explain his inappropriate behavior to her cast mates. In one scene this season, she stood up, raised her hands, and invited the ladies to verbally beat her down with their assumptions about her marriage. The overly dramatic reach was too little, too late. Viewers had little empathy for Robyn’s woes and had labeled her inauthentic and strategically dishonest.
There’s a Reason Robyn Dixon’s Tearful Fit Doesn’t Evoke Sympathy From ‘RHOP’ Viewers
Robyn cries and accuses her co-stars of attacking her. But don’t forget she showed little empathy for Candiace last season.
While Robyn struggled visibly with the backlash from the ladies, Juan used their squabbles to his advantage. He was able to manipulate Robyn into believing the show wasn’t supportive of their marriage, instead of acknowledging his part in the scandal. When Gizelle carefully questioned Robyn on the realization that Juan had left her to clean up his mess, Robyn refused to acknowledge the truth and insisted Juan had her back. With Robyn in such strong denial and Juan unwilling to participate or bring clarity to the situation, it’s no surprise that producers decided to release Robyn and her family from the show.
Juan Is Seemingly Happy Robyn Was Fired From ‘RHOP’
Without the intense scrutiny of reality television, Robyn may have the opportunity to find herself outside of her toxic marriage. For Juan, it’s an opportunity to possibly be honest about his dissatisfaction with his marriage and resolve it without publicly embarrassing the woman he has been in a relationship with for over two decades. Robyn has never visualized her life without her college sweetheart and facing that possibility without the accusatory eye of a camera crew, RHOP audience, and even her cast mates could give her the ability to come into her own and realize she doesn’t need a man that refuses to prioritize her needs. Best case scenario, Robyn will take this time to re-evaluate her marriage, release the unwanted baggage and boss up for herself and her sons.
Juanwas probably overjoyed at being released from his obligation to the show, which could inevitably mean his obligation to Robyn. Although it was painfully clear that he didn’t feel the same way about his wife as she did him, he more than likely felt obligated to show up in some form or fashion because of their two sons, extensive history, and television cameras. With the cameras gone, there is the opportunity to do what’s best for him without worrying about the online backlash.
Judging by her outburst on Reasonably Shady, Robyn is probably licking her wounds about being fired from the show. Being on RHOP was more than likely a huge part of her ability to provide for her family and offered extended opportunities for sales with her other endeavors. Although there were numerous perks from being a part of the cast, Robyn was unable to realize the toll it was taking on her sanity. To spend most of the season defending a man who doesn’t value or cherish you has to be an extremely difficult pill to swallow. If Robyn can take this time off to find herself and do some much-needed internal healing, she will benefit far more than Juan from this hiatus.
Audiences love an underdog story and Bravo has a pattern of firing housewives and bringing them back after a few seasons away. It’s quite possible that Robyn could take this time off, get herself together, and come back to Potomac stronger than ever. While Juan may seem to have the last laugh right now, if Robyn comes to her senses and realizes who she is and what she shouldn’t put up with in a man, it’s quite plausible that she could end up back on Potomac happily single and ready to mingle enjoying the last laugh.
The Real Housewives of Potomac can be streamed on Peacock.
This article was originally published on collider.com