“The Real Housewives of Potomac” star Wendy Osefo and her husband Eddie Osefo were indicted on Oct. 9 in Carroll County, Maryland on multiple charges of fraud. Following the news of their arrest, Bravo pushed the series premiere of “Wife Swap: The Real Housewives Edition” to Oct. 21 (it was scheduled for Oct. 14). Each episode showcases a “swap” between a “Real Housewives” cast member and an ordinary civilian, and Osefo and Eddie Osefo were to be featured in the first episode. When it premieres on Oct. 21, “Wife Swap” will feature “Real Housewives of Salt Lake City” star Angie Katsanevas instead of the Osefos, whose episode has been delayed.
A spokesperson for Wendy Osefo emailed a statement to Variety: “Dr. Wendy Osefo and her husband, Edward Osefo, are back home safely with their family and in good spirits. They are grateful for the outpouring of concern and support from friends, fans, and colleagues. The Osefos, alongside their legal team, look forward to their day in court. At this time, they respectfully ask for privacy as they focus on their family and the legal process ahead.”
TMZ was the first to report that the Osefos had been arrested on insurance fraud charges. According to court documents from Carroll County, Maryland obtained by Variety, the charges allege that the Osefos falsely claimed to have been burglarized in April 2024, and that items from their home were stolen (designer bags and jewelry). They then submitted three separate insurance claims estimating that $450,000 worth of goods had been stolen, according to the documents.
They were indicted on slightly different charges. Wendy Osefo was indicted on seven counts of insurance fraud, eight counts of conspiracy insurance fraud, and one count of false statement to a police officer, totally 16 charges. Eddie Osefo was indicted on 18 total counts, with one extra count each on the insurance fraud and the conspiracy insurance fraud charges.
Investigators appear to have been suspicious from the start of the burglary that the Osefos reported on April 7, 2024. The Osefos had been in Jamaica, and claimed to have returned home to find their “bedroom and both closets to be ransacked.” Their ADT alarm hadn’t gone off, and their Ring camera hadn’t detected anything. Later, investigators “determined that numerous items that the Osefos claimed were stolen had been purchased then returned to the store where a full refund was provided prior to the alleged burglary,” and saw that Wendy Osefo posted a photo on April 27, 2024 wearing a ring she’d claimed had been stolen in the robbery.
In a press conference called by the Carroll County sheriff’s office on Friday afternoon, Sheriff James T. DeWees detailed the charges, and then took questions. DeWees was asked whether Osefo’s status as a reality star affected the investigation, and he said: “I don’t care if she’s real housewife, fake housewife, or whatever she is — we would handle it the same way, regardless of who she was.” DeWees said he does not watch the show, and asked a reporter who was there whether he watches it, and when the reporter mumbled something, DeWees said, “You don’t want to admit it? OK.”
State’s Attorney Haven N. Shoemaker Jr. also appeared at the press conference, and said the Osefos are tentatively scheduled to appear in court on the charges on Nov. 7. Most of the felony charges carry a maximum penalty of 15 years.
Wendy Osefo — known as “Dr. Wendy” in the Bravosphere — joined the cast of “The Real Housewives of Potomac” in its fifth season, which premiered in August 2020. At the time, she was an assistant professor at Johns Hopkins and a regular pundit on CNN. Over her years on the show, she has been known to announce a time or two that she has “four degrees.” Bravo even put together a tribute to Dr. Wendy on its Instagram account in anticipation of the show’s 10th season, which began airing on Oct. 5.
The Osefos married in 2011, and have three children: Eddie Osefo, who is an attorney, has been nicknamed “Happy Eddie” by fans. Osefo is scheduled to appear at BravoCon in Las Vegas in mid-November — a spokesperson for the network did not respond to an inquiry about Osefo’s attendance at the fan convention.
Osefo isn’t the first member of the “Potomac” cast to be faced with legal problems. Original cast member Karen Huger was arrested in March 2024 for driving under the influence, which she denied all throughout Season 9 of the show. She was then convicted in December 2024, and sentenced to up to two years in prison — she was released on Sept. 2 after serving a six-month sentence.
Gene Maddaus contributed to this report.
