Stacey Rusch EXPOSES TJ for Lying About Their Relationship Just to Get Camera Time!
Stacey Rusch is shutting down TJ’s shocking claim that he was paid to be her love interest on The Real Housewives of Potomac.
Following TJ’s bombshell revelation during the Real Housewives of Potomac reunion, Stacey, 41, took to Watch What Happens Live to clear her name, insisting that their relationship was real and accusing TJ of lying for attention. Stacey wasted no time addressing the fallout from TJ’s reunion claims, revealing she called him immediately after the episode aired.
“He was very remorseful. He was very emotional, and it was a hard call to have,” Stacey shared.
She made it very clear that she never paid TJ to play a role on the show. “I was in a real relationship with him, and he treated me very poorly,” she explained. “To see him be so disrespectful and definitely un-Christian, to do this to me at the reunion, it was just jarring, quite frankly.”
She then added: “Why would I pay someone to mistreat me? That makes no sense.” According to Stacey, TJ was upset with how production portrayed him on the show and lashed out to save face. “He was very upset about the way that he felt production portrayed him. Those were his worst moments, and those moments were hard to watch,” she said.
She also alleged that TJ lied just to secure camera time.
“I broke up with him. I did not invite him to the reunion,” she claimed. “He had to lie to get on the reunion. That’s what he had to do to even get FaceTime, to tell a lie, because he wasn’t invited.” Adding insult to injury, Stacey said the hardest part was seeing how her castmates reacted.
“I’ve grown to love these women, especially Gizelle Bryant and Ashley Darby,” she said. “We know that they have been betrayed and humiliated by men, so you’d think they’d be compassionate to me—but they weren’t.” Andy Cohen wasted no time asking Stacey if she was worried about TJ providing receipts to back up his claims.
Her response? “Do I look worried?” “I live in my truth, and I didn’t pay him,” she insisted. “I don’t have to pay anybody. I wish you could see my DMs—I’m in a great place. I don’t have to pay anybody.”
She also shut down any notion that she faked the relationship. “Do you think I would take that risk, going through a divorce, going public with someone, unless I was confident in that relationship? I would never do that.”
Looking back, Stacey admitted that she ignored red flags and learned a valuable lesson. “It’s so obvious to me now, and I hate to say this, but the ladies were right,” she admitted. “He’s not the man for me. I was looking for love, and he was in love with being in front of the camera.” Despite the heartbreak, she sees the situation as a blessing in disguise.
“I am a better woman because of this,” she said. “Heaven forbid if I had invited him further into my life. Can you imagine? God is good.” Meanwhile, TJ doesn’t seem done with the drama just yet.
On March 3, he teased that he may be ready to share his side of the story, posting a cryptic message on Instagram: “It might be my turn to share some earth-shattering news.”
For now, he has not elaborated on what exactly that means—or when he plans to speak out.
With RHOP season 10 set to begin filming later this month, this drama is far from over.
Stay Connected With All About The Tea: Twitter Ι Instagram Ι YouTube Ι Facebook Ι Send Us Tips
Avigail is an Entertainment blogger at All About The Tea, who specializes in The Real Housewives of Atlanta and The Real Housewives of Potomac. Avigail has a background in marketing. She’s a Brooklynite living in the Bahamas, with a passion for travel, writing, reality TV watching, pop culture and spoken word.
