Source: Brian Stukes / Getty
Ashley Darby Defends Michael Darby Over Alleged Cameraman Assault
A “Real Housewives of Potomac” star is defending her man. Ashley Darby’s speaking out in her husband Michael Darby’s defense after a shocking episode of “The Real Housewives of Potomac” seemingly showed the moments after an alleged sexual assault.
As previously reported Michael was criminally charged with sexual assault for allegedly grabbing the butt of a crew member named Orville Palmer. Palmer alleged that Michael groped him last September gave him a flirtatious look.” That lead to Michael being charged with felony assault as well as misdemeanor improper sexual contact, those charges were dropped due to insufficient evidence.
On Sunday however, Bravo aired the aftermath of the alleged incident that took place at Monique Samuels’ rainbow shower. While there was no footage of physical contact, the clip seemingly showed a cameraman’s response to Michael.
Michael: “Hey bud, you alright?”
Man: “Please don’t do that!”
Michael: “Okay.”
Man: Please don’t do that.”
Michael: “Okay.”
In another clip, a man confronts Michael seemingly to discuss the incident.
Man: “Hey, Mike…Hold on. Mike, Mike, hold on. Hold on!”
Michael: “I didn’t touch your butt. I didn’t touch your butt! Come on, I’ll get a beer.”
Wow; WATCH THE CLIP HERE.
According to Ashley, things are not what they seem. She’s adamant that the production company put together TWO different instances, one where he accidentally made contact with the “very big cameraman” and another where he was joking with a friend. She’s also reaffirming that her hubby’s been exonerated.
“This video shows what my husband said happened. There is nothing new or revealing,” wrote Ashley in an IG comments section. “Michael accidentally made contact with the very big camera man when trying to get past him in a narrow doorway. Nothing about that interaction was salacious.”
“Secondly, that audio at the end was taken out of context and the person speaking isn’t even named, when it was actually a cousin of one of the cast members,” she continued. “He has made an ongoing joke to Michael about season 1 that was referenced in that scene. Please use logic – why would Michael offer to get a beer for someone supposedly working and holding the camera?”
“Anyway, this was addressed in the real court of law by qualified prosecutors and Michael was exonerated.”
Earlier this season the ladies of RHOP said they heard Michael make an inappropriate comment about wanting to give oral sex to one of their husbands.
This season of The Real Housewives of Potomac is messy, messy, messy—are YOU watching???
Source: Bravo / Getty
Michael himself has released a statement on the unseen footage and he’s agreeing with Ashley that production spliced clips together to tell a story.
He tells PEOPLE;
“On one hand, I was amused by the production company’s amateurish attempt to affect the viewers opinion by first showing video that clearly does not show any improper action by me and then try to couple that with another video which was taken 4 hours later by a different cameraman of a conversation with a cousin of a cast member — not the cameraman — who whenever I see him refers to a well-documented, harmless event that occurred in season one,” Michael said. “On the other hand it shows the level people will stoop to in order to get ratings.”
“This was a serious situation where an employee of the production company tried to take advantage of my wife and I by making up a story to try to profit from it,” Michael added. “The fact that the production company appears to endorse his actions by splicing together disconnected and unrelated events in order to also profit is really scary for people in my position.”
In case you’re curious about the season one “butt-grab joke” he’s referring to, cast member Katie Rost’s then-fiance claimed that Michael groped him at a party.
What do YOU think about this RHOP Michael Darby controversy???
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