"I've never started my business to compete with Happy Eddie": The Real Housewives of Potomac star Stacey talks to Wendy about her new cannabis brand

The Real Housewives of Potomac's latest episode, which premiered on November 16, 2025, on Bravo, saw Stacey unveil her new cannabis gummy brand, Shayo, leading to discussions among the group, especially given its similarities to Wendy and Eddie's brand, Happy Eddie.

In one scene in the episode, Wendy and Stacey were sitting in a restaurant, and Stacey tells her about her Nigerian roots and her brand's name, stating that she wanted to pay homage to her African heritage by choosing her brand name.

As Stacey told Wendy that Shayo means "to be happy," Wendy bluntly pointed out the similarities with her own brand name, Happy Eddie, stating in a confessional that Stacey copied her cannabis brand idea and even named her product "happy."

Stacey assures Wendy that she had no intention of competing with Wendy's brand or copying her brand name, as she says,

I never started my business to compete with Happy Eddie or, in any way, to compete with you.

Stacey claims her cannabis brand has nothing to do with Wendy in The Real Housewives of Potomac season 10

The tension between Stacey Rusch and Wendy Osefo came to a head on The Real Housewives of Potomac's latest episode on Bravo as questions were raised around Stacey’s new cannabis brand, Shayo, sparking accusations of cultural overlapping and aesthetic copying, leaving both women trying to defend their positions.

Stacey insisted from the start that her intentions were pure, especially when it came to the brand’s name. As she clarified in a confessional,

The name of my brand is not ‘Happy Stacey.’ I’m not trying to infringe on his brand in any way. It has nothing to do with Wendy or Eddie.

But Wendy was not so easily convinced after learning that Stacey chose a Yoruba word that means, in simple terms, “to be happy.” She felt Stacey copied everything.

Stacey, however, told producers that she had recently taken a DNA test that revealed a significant amount of heritage that comes from Nigeria, and naming her product Shayo was a way to pay homage to that lineage.

Wendy and Stacey sat down in a restaurant where the topic came up with Stacey reminding Wendy of their earlier bond, saying:

I have an affinity for Nigerians. You know I’m your sister. You said I was your sister.

Wendy admitted the conversation was turning left real quick as Stacey talked about her Nigerian roots and cannabis brand, stating in a confessional, without holding back, bluntly,

It is giving Single Black Female. You have stolen the cannabis idea, my aesthetic a little bit, and now you are naming your product 'happy.' ... People are just copycats. If Stacey goes and gets a PhD or four degrees, I'm losing my s–t.

However, Stacey remained firm, insisting that she had no ulterior motive and no desire to compete with the Osefos. Back at the table, she told Wendy that she never started her business to compete with her or her brand, Happy Eddie.

Stacey later clarified in the after-show that her brand, Shayo, came into existence in a short amount of time after her divorce from Thiemo Rusch was finalized in December 2024, claiming that there was no strategy behind the timing. She further told:

"I wanted to think about how I could build a brand that was a representation of myself and take care of myself and my daughter,” she said, referring to her 9-year-old Arabella. 

On The Real Housewives of Potomac After Show, she addressed Wendy directly, trying to clear the tension that had grown between them, giving a justification for the claims made, saying,

I stand by that. I have offered to show you the text messages, emails. I’ve told the truth. I love you guys. Can’t we all win?”  Wendy also responded with warmth, telling Stacey “1,000 percent.” 

Stay tuned for more updates.