The Real Housewives of Potomac: Gizelle Bryant opens up about her father’s passing

The Real Housewives of Potomac (RHOP) season 8 continued with its reunion special on Sunday, April 7, 2024, with part 2 of the segment, during which Gizelle Bryant opened up about a recent loss.

Bryant's father, Curtis Graves, passed away on July 26, 2023, at the age of 84. During the reunion special, she opened up about the loss after she confronted co-star Wendy Osafo about the comments the former allegedly made about Wendy's mother.

Andy Cohen expressed sadness about Gizelle's loss and told her that it was cool to be able to watch him on screen alongside the reality star. He further asked her about Curtis' celebration of life.

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Gizelle Bryant gets emotional during The Real Housewives of Potomac season 8 reunion part 2

In The Real Housewives of Potomac season 8 reunion part 2, Gizelle Bryant opened up about her late father's celebration of life. When she started speaking, the reality star got emotional, prompting Andy Cohen to pass her tissues.

Gizelle said that when she got the offer to be on the Bravo show, everyone but her father told her not to do it. She recalled how, at the time, he told her that she was amazing and that everyone needed to see that:

"He loved being able to take us to New Orleans and do all that and just support me in any way possible."

The cast member continued by saying that her father always wanted a celebration of life, instead of a funeral. The Real Housewives of Potomac star said that her father wanted a party and she threw him a big party in New Orleans.

"He lived an amazing life, and I was there with him when he took his last breath," she added.

The cast member noted that Karen Huger was also there. Gizelle further said that she "lucked up" when it came to a father and got "the best of the best."

The Real Housewives of Potomac star said that she truly appreciated the co-stars who rallied around her during that difficult time and noted that Karen Huger wanted to come to her house and feed Gizelle's children to help out.

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Who was Gizelle's father, Curtis Graves?

Gizelle Bryant's father, Curtis Graves, was a Civil Rights leader who served as a member of the Texas House of Representatives from 1967 to 1973. After working in politics, the reality star's father worked for NASA for over three decades as part of its Academic Affairs Division, before becoming the Director of Civil Affairs.

After he retired in 2003, Curtis Graves served as one of the board members of the La Creole and the Whitney Plantation. In 2015, he was honored for his work in public service by Congress.

The following year, The Real Housewives of Potomac season 8 star took to social media to share a picture of her father with Dr. Martin Luther King. Jr.

On July 10, 2023, Gizelle's father was diagnosed with brain cancer and had to undergo surgery. Less than two weeks after the surgery, he passed away. The Real Housewives of Potomac cast member took to social media to announce her father's demise.

"Thank you for being the best Dad that a little girl could ever want or need. I will miss you every day of my life," she wrote.

Episodes of The Real Housewives of Potomac are available to stream on Peacock.