‘Real Housewives Of Potomac’ Star Dr. Wendy Osefo Is Booked, Blessed And Unbothered: “I Am Good Where I Am”

With her four degrees, Real Housewives Of Potomac star/author Dr. Wendy Osefo is one of the most accomplished housewives in the Bravo universe. She’s also booked and very, very blessed. In addition to her professorship (she’s teaching 3 classes this semester) and political commentary career, Dr. Wendy is running a successful business (Onyi Home Essentials) and has started her own YouTube show, aptly named The Dr. Wendy Show, in hopes of attracting interest from major networks. When asked about the impetus behind her latest creative endeavor, Dr. Wendy explained: “I want[ed] to create my own space where I could talk about topics that I’m passionate about.”

Despite all of her professional accomplishments, Dr. Wendy would tell you that her greatest triumph is her family. In addition to being happily married to attorney and entrepreneur Eddie Osefo for the past 12 years, Dr. Wendy has three beautiful children and a wonderful relationship with her mother, Iyom Susan Okuzu. While Dr. Wendy noted “this show has the tendency to drive people apart from each other,” RHOP has only brought her family closer together. “We have each other’s backs,” said Dr. Wendy proudly.

It’s a good thing Dr. Wendy and her family bond so tightly because new housewife and fellow Nigerian Nneka Ihim has made some surprising allegations against Dr. Wendy’s mother, accusing her of submitting names to evil shrines. “I feel for the audience because a lot of you are not privy to the cultural nuances that are going on,” Dr. Wendy explained. “I’ve noticed a lot of African and Nigerian viewers are up in arms because this is not right,” she added. “This is beyond disrespect.”

Dr. Wendy paid a visit to the Decider offices to shed some light on Ihim’s false allegations against her mother, give her take on Robyn Dixon‘s marital troubles, reveal where she stands with the ladies, and much more.

DECIDER: In addition to starring on the Real Housewives, having multiple businesses, starting a YouTube show and running a household, you’re teaching three college courses. How do you balance it all?

DR. WENDY OSEFO: I don’t, and that is an issue [laughs]. I want to look at it through a positive lens. The blessing is that I have so many things which I’m doing. I’m still doing my professorship. I started The Dr. Wendy Show. I am still a mom of three young kids and a wife. It’s a balancing act. I find myself often juggling things and try to be great at one thing at a time. It’s very hard to do all of those things at the same level of “greatness.”

But somehow you manage! What do you hope to accomplish with The Dr. Wendy Show?

Well, The Dr. Wendy Show is really a labor of love. When I came onto RHOP, I was introduced as a political commentator. I’ve been on all of the major networks. While I love doing that, I also want to create my own space where I can talk about topics that I’m passionate about and things that I love in an unfiltered way. In just 5 episodes, we have over 150K views, which is insane to me because I’m doing this all on my own. My hope is for The Dr. Wendy Show to ultimately be on a major platform or picked up by a network. That is my goal.

I think it’s a very achievable goal. I know earlier in your time on RHOP, your mother wasn’t initially thrilled that you wanted to expand your career outside academia. Where does she stand now?

She is a thousand percent behind me and my new endeavors. Every day that I talk to her, she says something like “have you pitched your show to so-and-so network” or “I watched this show and I think you should do this similar on your show.” I love that because even though I’m an adult and I have my own life, it’s a blessing to really have the backing, so to speak. It’s very satisfying for your mother to say, “You know what? I am proud of you and I know that you’re going to be successful in this new journey.”

You wrote an entire book about your mother. Did your work impact or change your relationship at all?

It hasn’t really changed. I think when she read the book, she was taken aback by the ways in which I viewed elements of my childhood. Now that I’m a mother too, I totally get that. My mom has done nothing but show me love and do the best that she could do. With that in mind, I know that there was no intent for negativity from her.

It’s interesting when your children tell you what they think of their childhood from their vantage point. Even now, I find myself talking to my older kids and saying, “What do you like most about me as a mom?” And then they’ll give their answer and I’ll say, “What do you like least about me?” Because one day, who knows, my children may write their own narrative, and I don’t want to wait until they’re older to try to correct things that they may not like. I really want to be the best mom I can be for them. Motherhood is not a destination but a journey. I’m on that journey right now.

It’s been wonderful to watch your kids grow up on the show and get to see your wonderful relationship with Eddie. How has your marriage evolved over these past few years?

Well, we just celebrated 12 years of marriage, and it’s been an amazing journey with him. People always say this, but for me, it’s absolutely true: I got to marry my best friend. There’s beauty in that. We’ve managed to grow together while we’ve been in the spotlight. Historically, this show has the tendency to drive people apart or highlight weaknesses . For him and me, it’s just brought us closer. He’s my rock. He’s my safe space. We are really enjoying this new chapter of our lives together.

You two turned the “happy Eddie” moment from last season into a business venture! How is your cannabis brand doing?

Yes. Happy Eddie is Eddie’s cannabis brand. It’s available in Maryland, and I think another state, but it’ll eventually be available wherever cannabis is legal in the United States. It’s just been a testament to who he is as a person. He’s not someone who gets angry or confrontational, but he’s a great businessman. He asked, “How can I turn this into something that benefits me?” Now he even has merchandise. I love his hoodies. It’s been a joy just to see him take a lemon that was thrown at him and turn it into lemonade.

In addition to all your accomplishments, you also have the honor of being the first Nigerian housewife across the entire franchise. You’re a scholar and a champion of inclusivity. So you seemed as surprised as the audience was that there seemed to be a rivalry between you and fellow Nigerian Nneka before your first scene together on the show. Why do you think that was?

Well, I don’t think it’s a rivalry from my end. I’ve always loved being Nigerian and my culture. When I came on the show four seasons ago, I showed you guys my daughter’s sip and let you see where all the women were with their head ties. I talked about the struggles of being a first-generation immigrant. That status is something that I continue to hold near and dear to my heart.

However, it seems as though there are people who come on the show with their own agenda pre-planned and their own targets pre-planned. You guys will see it throughout the course of the season that the only person this woman attacks is me. For anyone who watches Housewives, that’s a red flag. Usually if you’re going to be someone who creates drama, the drama is spread evenly. Right?

Take for example, Ashley Darby.

Hello [laughs]! With Ashley, anyone can get it and that’s fine. Unfortunately, it became very clear and apparent that this person planned to attack me. It’s unfortunate because Nigerians don’t have a lot of representation on major platforms. To have one Nigerian attack another and weaponize xenophobic rhetoric is not t something that I had on my bingo card.

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I think it’s safe to say that nobody with any sense believes any of these allegations against your mother. How is she handing everything?

If I could be honest with you, she’s hurt. She’s hurt because she didn’t sign up for the show. She’s not a cast member. That fact that this woman is using xenophobic tropes is heinous in our culture. I can’t even think of a truly equivalent word or a term in American culture because it’s that bad. She would’ve been better off, excuse my language, calling my mom the B word. That’s how charged the accusations and the language she is using are. I also feel for the audience because a lot of you are not privy to the cultural nuances that are going on. I’ve noticed a lot of African and Nigerian viewers are up in arms because this is not right. This is not how you speak about your elders. We have reverence for them. This is beyond disrespect.

You’re right. Your mother is not a cast member. Heck, Eddie’s not even a cast member. How do you deal with your family being dragged into the drama of the show unfairly?

It’s interesting. If Eddie gets flack, it comes with the husband’s territory on the show. It’s not fair. It’s not good, but he knows what we’ve signed up for. Going after my mother is really out of bounds. However, my family is very loving and respectful of one another. We have each other’s backs.

Another comfort is that the Nigerian community knows who she is. Someone sent me a TikTok of a 60-year-old Nigerian auntie who signed up for TikTok just to defend my mom because she knows her. She’s like, “She’s the nicest person ever in our community. She has the highest respect. How dare anyone come in and say this?” So, it’s been nice to see people rallying around her.

In the season trailer, we also see Nneka making a play for the Grande Dame title. Why are these women always coming after Karen Huger‘s crown?

I don’t know, but if you’re going to go against the Grande Dame, at least be comparable. That is apples to oranges. She comes nowhere close to what Karen represents, what Karen stands for, who Karen is. There’s only one Grande Dame of Potomac, and that is Karen Huger.

There is also only one Candiace Dillard Bassett! I love your and Candiace’s friendship. What is the best part about being Candiace’s ride or die?

The best part is that our friendship just comes so naturally. Sometimes, you have friendships that you have to work at. Candiace and I often find ourselves standing on the same side of certain topics, and so it’s a natural fit. I never feel like I necessarily have to conform my thinking around her. No, how I feel is usually how she feels. Our connection is very organic.

You and Candiace had a lot of questions for Robyn regarding Juan and these allegations against him. Do you feel like she has been giving honest answers?

Once I heard the phone call between her and Juan and his reaction to her, it seems as though there’s no room for her to say how she feels. Viewers are seeing that she’s emotionally stifled. She feels like she has to be detached. That’s clear as day.

You had the best reaction when the women were discussing Juan’s alleged extracurricular activities—

I don’t give a damn [laughs]. I don’t care if he cheats in Canada or if he goes to Nigeria. I don’t care.

I think you’ve healthily separated yourself from Robyn and Gizelle Bryant this season. Where do you stand with them today?

I stand proudly as team Wendy. I stand as myself and I am at the place in my life where I am not begging anyone to come together. I am good where I am. And if they are good where they are, then we can stay there forever.

There are fractures among the cast of RHOP, but unlike other Real Housewives shows, you ladies can still coexist and hang out. Why is that?

We do a good job of coexisting, absolutely. Like Candiace and Ashley, they’re not best friends at all. It would be easy to spark that relationship and have them be dynamite. I know for me, speaking only for myself, I’m good at coexisting because I’m an adult. I am a professional. I am a mom. I’m a wife. I know that I can control only myself and that’s it. People who want to be friends with me, I welcome and I encourage it. I’m okay with that.

I was at BravoCon and was surprised, like others, that you were seated next to Mia Thronton. While I know the seats were assigned, would I be right in thinking that you two might be working towards a friendship?

There is hope. We’re not a hundred percent there. I still think she’s slow [laughs], but there is hope. After everything that happened in Miami where she disrespected me, I have to decide if I move forward with that. The reason I’m bringing that up is just to juxtapose that with what’s happened this year to my mother. If you attack me, okay, let’s talk about it and maybe there’s a path forward. If you attack my family, that’s another story. All that is to say, there is hope with me and Mia. We had some good times.

While you’ve posted some necessary receipts, you said on Episode 4 of The Dr. Wendy Show that you won’t be addressing the show until the season is over. Why is it important for you to let the fans experience the show for themselves?

At the end of the day, this is a show. This show comes on once a year. Some people wait all year to watch this. I am not going to ruin this for you. I’m not going to be the person in the movie that says, “At the end, they die.” I don’t want to be the person that says, “Yeah, they make up at the end.” I want you guys to enjoy the highs, the lows. I want you guys to hold my feet to the fire. I want you guys to hold everyone’s feet to the fire. I want you guys to watch it organically because that’s what we love our fans for. I feel like that gives you guys a real insight into who we are as people. It’s not for me to spoil at all. I would never do that. I do believe that there are some people who may try to control the narrative, but that’s not me.

So, with that in mind, what can you tease about the rest of this season?

We do have fun, but as with anything, there’s going to be more drama. You met my friend Keiarna briefly, but she comes back with a bang in the second half of the season. That’s exciting. As an outsider to the group, she has some questions for the ladies that I think many viewers have as well.