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Matthew Byars, a talent manager who appeared on Bravo‘s The Real Housewives of Potomac, has died.
Byars is known to RHOP viewers as Karen Huger’s assistant, and she introduced him on the show as part of her management team. He appeared in Huger’s infamous “press conference” in Season 3 of the reality series, during which she attempted to clear up rumors about her financial situation.
Former RHOP star Charrisse Jackson-Jordan paid tribute to Byars by sharing a photo with him and captioning it, “Rest in peace.”
Melissa Gorga of The Real Housewives of New Jersey also paid tribute to Byars in a social media post.
“Matt- Why didn’t you tell me Matt? I’m heartbroken. Your personality was infectious. Your jokes- you always had them. You should have done stand up- I know it was your dream. My heart hurts Matt. Because earlier this week you didn’t tell me. I know life was tough- I know,” Gorga wrote on Instagram.
“Thank you for bringing me my very 1st performance of “ON DISPLAY”- you and I- WE ARE LOYAL.
They don’t make them like us. I wish I could have saved you. Thank you for the memories. Go fly- Go make them laugh.”
In an interview with The Daily Dish from 2019, Huger opened up about how she met Byars.
“I’ve known Matt since he was about 17, 18 years old. I encourage Matt when life is difficult. A lot of people call me ‘Mama Karen’ in Potomac because I love helping young folk,” Huger told the publication. “When life was trying to him, I reached out and told him to go to school, and he did, and now we work together.”
Huger called Byars a “true friend,” adding, “He’s like family. He came to my mother’s funeral. I wasn’t on this show when I met Matt. I was a mother in Potomac, and he needed some advice and I gave it and he never forgot it. And what makes him a true friend is that friendship continued to grow even when I got on this platform.”
In the “press conference” episode of RHOP, Huger brought Byars for support. Huger’s co-stars were confused about who Byars was, with Ashley Darby saying she thought it was her lawyer. Byars would appear in several other episodes throughout the show.
