Michael Darby, the star of The Real Housewives of Potomac was charged with sexually assaulting a cameraman on Sept. 1.
The cameraman claimed in the court documents that the team was shooting for the show in Pleasant Hill Drive in Potomac, Maryland when the reality star groped his butt and gave him a flirtatious look after. Due to this, the filming of the show has been suspended.
Sexual Allegations Against Michael Darby
Orville Palmer, the victim, then told Darby to stop and reported the incident to his supervisor. He filed his case in the court three days after. Darby was charged with fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct and second-degree assault. If he will be convicted by the judge, he could possibly pay thousands of dollars in fines and face up to 11 years in prison.
Furthermore, Palmer filed a restraining order against Darby citing the recent incident together with another one which happened at the L2 Lounge, Georgetown in August, where he said that the star kicked him in his butt while they were shooting. However, the request for the restraining order was denied.
Bravo Suspends Filming Of 'RHOP'
Truly Original, and Bravo, the production company, issued a reply to assure people that they are taking cases of sexual harassment and other misconduct seriously. Additionally, the company claimed that they are taking measures to guarantee a safe workplace environment.
"Immediately upon learning of these allegations, we commenced a thorough internal review and, per our protocol, took all appropriate steps to ensure the safe working environment and safe forum for communication for everyone associated with the production," stated Truly Original.
Bravo also mentioned that the company has comprehensive rules for the safety of both their crew and cast. The companies took action and did not push through with Darby's filming.
The 59-year-old celebrity is married to another cast member of the show, Ashley Darby. The famous couple owns an Australian restaurant in Virginia's Clarendon neighborhood.
Notably, this is not the first time that the celebrity faced allegations of sexual misconduct. During the hit show's first season, Gizelle Bryan, another cast member, talked to his Darby's wife about his sexuality after she saw him squeeze the butt of Andrew Martin, another cast member.
Despite the allegation, Darby's wife defended him and said that he meant it as a joke. Darby also said that Martin was not offended by what he did.
"He responded as expected with a laugh and we continued to dance with our lovely ladies," noted Darby.
