The Reason Charrisse Jackson Jordan Walked Away From RHOP
Charrisse Jackson Jordan, an OG of Bravo's "Real Housewives of Potomac", went from being one of the biggest divas on the hit reality series to essentially vanishing from the spotlight. The former NBA wife was not only known for her philanthropy work and hosting elaborate charity galas (and of course, wow-worthy birthday parties), but also stirring the pot between her fellow cast members.
Right away, she came on strong on the show with her Season 1 tagline, "If I don't know who you are, then you're not worth knowing." It basically told viewers that even though she didn't call herself the Grande Dame (sorry Karen Huger!), that she definitely ran things in Potomac.
However, despite her don't-mess-with-me attitude, "RHOP" fans also got a glimpse of another side of Charrisse throughout the series: a more personal, and vulnerable side, due to her crumbling marriage to former NBA star-turned-college basketball coach Eddie Jordan. But was her divorce the reason Charrisse walked away from reality television?
Charrisse Jackson Jordan's divorce took a toll on the Real Housewife
In the early episodes of "Real Housewives of Potomac," fans were able to witness Charrisse Jackson Jordan's rocky relationship with former NBA star Eddie Jordan — including the two living apart. As viewers saw, Eddie made the decision to live full time in New Jersey after departing his Rutgers University coaching job, while Charrisse stayed in Potomac, where she raised their children, per Bravo.
Eddie was no fan of the show, either. In fact, Charrisse admitted on "Bravo TV's The Daily Dish" in 2017 that he told her a divorce could be on the cards if she signed on the dotted line with Bravo. "Like, I literally gave up my career twice because of his career," she said. "We moved to California, then New Jersey, Maryland, Philly, then back to Maryland, and now I say a few words, and you're going to say to me divorce if I do this? So it kind of put me in a different space of, 'Now I really want to do this.'"
The couple went on to divorce that same year, and Charrisse began appearing on "RHOP" less as a result. "She's really going through a divorce now so she kinda felt like, or everyone felt like, she needed to take a back seat and kinda concentrate on that," Charrisse's co-star Gizelle Bryant explained when asked about her absence on "Breakfast Club Power 105.1 FM."
Charrisse Jackson Jordan didn't always have fun filming RHOP
Charrisse Jackson Jordan also admitted she thought she'd have more fun filming for "Real Housewives of Potomac" than she did, explaining she wasn't happy a lot of her storyline seemed to center around her relationships. "I was looking at the opportunity as a fun time, like, 'This is going to be a good time, I'm going to go and be everyone's pal and make everyone laugh and we're just going to have a good time together.' Day one, the girls were talking to me about my ex, and I was like, 'I don't wanna talk about that,'" she explained to Bravo in November 2021. Charrisse also shared that she felt she was dealing with depression while filming, but didn't even realize it at the time. "I was an emotional mess and I cried so much that season because I'm really going through it in my marriage but I had to deal with it on camera," she said, confessing she felt she was never fully present.
Another reason why she called time on the show? It sounds like it was partly Bravo's decision, too. In 2018, Charrisse responded to a comment on Instagram after a fan asked if she'd be returning, making it clear there were no plans for her to. "No Love. They wanted to go in another direction. I'm at peace with their decision," she wrote. She then added in another commented that she was happily "embracing [her] next chapter."
If you or someone you know needs help with mental health, please contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741, call the National Alliance on Mental Illness helpline at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), or visit the National Institute of Mental Health website.
Charrisse Jackson Jordan made a return to 'RHOP' in Season 7
But don't think Charrisse Jackson Jordan was done with "Real Housewives of Potomac" or even reality TV for good. Oh no. After leaving the series, she went on to appear on "Iyanla, Fix My Life" in 2018, in which she turned to Iyanla Vanzant to help her deal with her tough divorce from Eddie Jordan. Charrisse also made a handful of appearances on the likes of "Watch What Happens Live" and "Great Day Washington" — until she made her triumphant "RHOP" return.
Charrisse's "Real Housewives" comeback came in a friend capacity for Season 7, which debuted in 2022, where she stirred up plenty of drama with her co-star Karen Huger over who is the true "Grande Dame" of the group. Posting about her big return on Instagram in September 2022, Charrisse made it pretty clear she had no bad blood with the franchise and was excited to head back for more, writing, "I'm honored to be asked to rejoin such an amazing cast of women. It's going to be a great season and I am elated to be a part of such a dynamic franchise."