Real Housewives of Potomac alum Candiace Dillard Bassett attended the 2026 BET Awards in Los Angeles June 28 and exclusively told E! News the secret to her marriage with husband Chris Bassett.
Candiace Dillard Bassett is completely faithful to her relationship.
Indeed, after more than a decade with her husband Chris Bassett, the Traitors star reflected on what makes their romance so successful.
"We were friends first," Candiace told E! News in an exclusive interview at the 2026 BET Awards June 28. "Friendship is gonna trump love all day, every day."
Plus, the 39-year-old added, “We like each other.”
“Even when we're mad, I still want to talk to him, I still want to tell him how my day went, and vice versa,” she continued. “That's always the key, is to find the friendship first.”
And it’s that special bond that Candiace—who tied the knot with the professional chef in 2018—used as inspiration for her upcoming song “Pretty Ain’t Perfect.”
“It's about me and my man,” the Real Housewives of Potomac alum said, noting that a healthy romance is forged by persevering through tough times, too. “When you're in a relationship, you go through trials and tribulations and ups and downs, and it's not always perfect.”
“When you make promises to each other,” she added, “and somehow, some way, you don't keep them, or they get broken, the journey to figuring out your new normal is not always pretty. And the song is about that kind of love and finding the beauty in the mess.”
Of course, Candiace has been building a beautiful life with Chris since they started dating in 2015. And the pair poured their love for each other into their growing family, welcoming their son Jett Maxwell Lee Bassett in October 2024.
"Chris and I couldn't be happier,” the reality TV star told People at the time. “It's so cliché to say, but he's brought such joy to our lives in ways I never would have been able to describe before. It's pure love!"
For more stars who showed up and showed out at the 2026 BET Awards, keep scrolling…
