Get To Know Monique From 'RHOP'

It's a season of premieres on Bravo right now, and I'm particularly excited to see what's been happening to the ladies of Real Housewives of Potomac since they last fought over rules of all types, from dancing at parties to the best way to raise mixed-race children. And, probably because all but one of the previous cast members decided to return, there will only be one new Housewife when Season 2 premieres on Apr. 2. Who is Monique Samuels, the newest Real Housewives of Potmac cast member? According to her Bravo bio, Monique is actually a Potomac outsider: "Monique grew up in Pleasantville, NJ surrounded by her loving family," her bio reads. "Monique’s close-knit family has helped her remain the down-to-earth Jersey girl that she is today."

Now, as a Jersey native myself, I know there are plenty of areas that can rival Potomac, MD for affluence and opulence... but the ladies of RHOP probably won't be expecting someone from the state where Snookie and Teresa Giudice became famous to have the same level of poise as they do. Hopefully, though, first impressions won't stop Monique from fitting in with the crew. Because according to both the rest of her Bravo bio and the everything else about her, she would be a natural fit with the rest of the women.

Music & Fishing Helped Her Fall In Love

According to The Washington Post, Monique actually met her husband Chris as a teenager when she "was trying to make it as a hip-hop artist," and Samuels was considering starting a music label. Even when both of those musical dreams fell through, they kept in touch through fishing trips, eventually going from potential work partners, to friends, to husband and wife. It's a pretty cute origin story.

She Works Hard For Her Family

According to Bravo, Monique "manages her husband’s businesses, which include a real estate investment company, a business enterprise, and the Chris Samuels Foundation." In the Season 2 trailer, Giselle accuses Monique of relying too much on her husband's money to support her, but according to The Washington Post, Monique is the one making sure that that money is in the bank, because while the two were still dating, "she helped him organize his finances and put his business affairs in order" after a bad real estate deal, and has been one of his major financial advisors and managers ever since.

She's Already Been On Reality TV

Before her wedding in 2012, Monique appeared on Say Yes to the Dress, where she picked up her beautiful wedding gown just a few weeks before marrying Chris.

She's A Mom

The women on RHOP have fought over their kids before, and soon Monique will be able to add her opinions to the fray. She has two incredibly adorable little kids, son Christopher and daughter Kelani, and she runs a blog, Not for Lazy Moms, that shares her tips and tricks for natural remedies, recipes, and advice about parenthood.

She's Super Smart

According to Monique's Bravo bio, she was "the salutatorian of her high school graduating class," then followed it up by a full scholarship to college. While her career and life went in lots of different directions, she's both practical and book smart, one thing the rest of this cast should be able to respect.

Monique is smart, talented, and very successful — even if she doesn't always get along with her RHOP costars this season, she should be an interesting addition to the cast.