# Candiace Dillard Bassett

Candiace Dillard Bassett (born December 14, 1986), is an American television personality, singer and actress. She is recognized for winning Miss United States in 2013 and starring in The Real Housewives of Potomac from 2018 to 2024. In 2021, she released her debut album Deep Space.

## Early life and education

Bassett was born on December 14, 1986, in Biloxi, Mississippi. She grew up in Atlanta, Georgia with her parents, both physicians for the Air Force. Bassett has two siblings, Chris and Crystal. In 2009, she graduated from Howard University, an HBCU in Washington, D.C., with a Bachelor of Arts degree in communications and broadcast journalism. She served a tenure in the White House offices of Public Engagement and Intergovernmental Affairs under President Barack Obama and as a staffer for President Obama's 2012 re-election campaign. In December 2020, Dillard Bassett announced she had returned to Howard University to obtain a Masters of Business Administration degree, graduating in May 2022.

## Pageantry

Bassett has competed across many pageant systems, including Sunburst, National American Miss, National Miss American Coed, Georgia Miss American Coed, Miss Maryland USA, Miss District of Columbia USA, and Miss United States. She was crowned Miss United States 2013; during the national pageant she represented the District of Columbia.

## The Real Housewives of Potomac

Initially titled Potomac Ensemble, The Real Housewives of Potomac was announced on November 11, 2015. The series is the network's second attempt to develop a reality series based in the Washington, D.C. area. Bassett joined RHOP as a cast member during the show's third season. The fourth season which began filming in August 2018, premiered on May 5, 2019. The season featured Dillard's wedding to Chris Bassett. In 2019, Bassett and former RHOP co-star Monique Samuels were both charged with second-degree assault of each other from the District Court of Montgomery County in Maryland after an alleged incident between Bassett and Samuels on October 16, 2019. The incident was featured on the show's fifth season.
In March 2024, Bassett announced her departure from the series.
In April 2024, a month after Bassett had announced her departure from RHOP, it was announced that she and her husband were expecting their first child together, due in fall 2024. In September 2024, the couple revealed that they were expecting a boy.In October 2024, Bassett gave birth to a baby boy, Jett Maxwell Lee Bassett.

## Discography
### Studio albums

| Title | Album details |
| Deep Space | Released 24 September 2021 Label: MNRK Music Group Formats: Digital download, streaming |

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role |
| 2018 | Water in a Broken Glass | Nikki |
| 2021 | We Go Deep | Denise |
| 2023 | Cruel Encounters | Destiny |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2013 | Pivot Point | Victoria | 6 episodes |
| 2018 | Curvy Girls Rock | Trinity Dennis | |
| 2018–2024 | The Real Housewives of Potomac | Herself | Series regular |
| 2020 | The Wendy Williams Show | Herself | Guest; Season 13: Episode 6 |
| 2020 | The Christmas Lottery | Tammy | Television film |
| 2021 | Family Reunion | Sunita Chanel | Episode: "Remember When Cocoa Was a Housewife?" |
| 2021 | BET Her Presents: The Waiting Room | Rita | Episode: "It Takes Two" |
| 2021 | The Real | Herself | Guest; Season 8: Episode 28 |
| 2022 | Dads Do It Too | Janet Walker | |
| 2022–present | Hush | Syleena | Series regular |
| 2023 | The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip | Herself | 7 episodes; Season 3 |
| 2023 | The Real Housewives of Atlanta | Herself | Episode: "A Star is Reborn" |
| 2023 | Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta | Herself | Episode: "Tropic Thunderdome" |
| 2023 | Sherri | Herself | Guest; Season 2: Episode 47 |