Charges of second-degree sexual assault and improper sexual contact that were filed against Real Housewives of Potomac star Michael Darby have been dropped, according to court documents obtained by Us Weekly.
“The case was dismissed due to insufficient evidence,” a spokesman for the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office, Ramon Korionoff, told Us. “The complaining witness states there were no witnesses who actually saw the incident.”
Korionoff also said that while the victim provided several contact numbers for supervisors, whom he claimed he informed following the incident. None of them returned phone calls from the attorney’s office.
Darby released a statement via a press release from his company, Monument Realty: “Our good name and reputation have been upheld through the abandonment of this case by the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s office,” he said. It is unfortunate that high profile people are often sought out as targets, and in this situation, someone tried to take advantage of me.”
Darby’s attorney, Mike Rowan, also gave a statement in the press release. “The charges were dropped. They were baseless,” he said. “There were a number of alleged witnesses who said it did not happen. The peace order request by the alleged victim was also denied. There was simply nothing that happened, and nothing here.”
The reality star’s wife, Ashley Darby, shared a link to the news of the dropped charges on Instagram Stories on Saturday, October 6, noting, “Please read.”
Michael, 59, was accused of groping a cameraman’s butt while filming an episode of the Bravo series on September 1. He was subsequently suspended from filming of the show.
The network released a statement to Us at the time of the suspension. “Bravo has comprehensive policies and guidelines relating to the safety of cast and crew which production companies are required to follow, in addition to their own protocols they have in place,” the network said on September 29. “We take all allegations seriously and then proceed accordingly with our producing partners. Bravo and Truly Original, the production company for The Real Housewives of Potomac, have suspended filming with Michael Darby.”
Ashley, 30, spoke out following the allegations with an Instagram Story on September 29. “No charges filed. No arrest made. No Bravo suspension. No worries. We’ll keep you posted.”
She also defended her husband in 2016 when the couple’s castmate Gizelle Bryant previously accused the contractor of touching another man’s butt in an episode of the series: “My man has sex with me, he loves me and he gives it to me good,” Ashley said on the show. “So quite frankly, whatever he does in joking manners is not a reflection of my man’s sexuality.”
Now that the charges have been dropped, Darby will continue filming the Bravo series.
