One of the stars of Real Housewives of Potomac is in serious trouble.
According to reports, Michael Darby has been charged with sexual assault for alleged groping a cameraman for the hit Bravo series. Best known for constantly fighting with his wife, Ashley Darby on the show, the restauranteur has landed himself back in hot water and faces up to 11 years in prison if he’s found guilty.
‘Housewives of Potomac’ star Karen Huger reveals she was sexually assaulted
Orville Palmer is the cameraman who claims Michael Darby grabbed his butt and gave him a “flirtatious look” while he was filming scenes for Real Housewives of Potomac on September 1, according to TMZ.
Palmer reportedly told Darby to stop his behavior and rerouted the incident to his supervisor. He has been charged with felony assault as well as misdemeanor improper sexual contact.
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Darby has not been well-liked by fans of the show and several other cast members have questioned his integrity and his sexuality throughout the series.
So far, none of the Real Housewives of Potomac cast members have weighed in on the allegations but this isn’t the first time the issue of sexual assault has been raised by the show. Last year, Karen Huger revealed that she had been sexually assaulted.
Now 54, Huger describes what happened as “a typical date that went totally off the rails,” though she is not naming her attacker except to say that he is dead now but was once a public figure.
“If he were alive today it might be a different story,” she said. “I’d like to have it out with him. But I forgave him a long time ago, that is why I lead I life I do today, forgiveness is a part of it.”
She told her story on Sunday’s episode of RHOP and spoke about her work with the non-profit organization Promoting Awareness Victim Empowerment (PAVE).
“We were having our differences as we normally do but at this moment we stood to honor, to respect and unify and I am eternally grateful,” she said of her “very supportive” cast members. “They opened their wallets and that’s a beautiful thing.”
In all, Huger hopes to help survivors see that they still have control of their lives and their destinies despite what has happened to them.
“I have had a full life now [and] I did it victoriously, that’s the message I want: there are choices we can make – I chose empowerment. It wasn’t easy but I choose to be among the empowered,” she said.