EXCLUSIVE: Cynthia Bailey Talks Upcoming Divorce, Her Acting Career and the Gizelle and Peter Thomas Rumors

We had the pleasure of talking with the always beautiful, booked, and busy Cynthia Bailey! 

Cynthia made it clear that this next chapter in her life is the final chapter, so she is doing many things to make sure this final chapter is closed right! BravoCon was just a few weeks ago and Cynthia mentions that BravoCon came at such a wonderful time. Cynthia says, “First of all, the timing of it was just perfect for me. I was able to have a fun, healthy, amazing, loving distraction from my personal life right now.” 

When asked were there any Bravolebs that she met for the first time at BravoCon, Cynthia stated, “You know I’ve met so many of them because I was on RHOA for so many years, but I had never actually met Robyn from RHOP in person, even though we follow each other on Instagram. I got to meet some of the newer RHOM girls, and it was just so good to see everyone. I was really excited that I could be included in BravoCon as a legacy housewife. 

Welington validated how much the Bravo community love and adore Cynthia and he could attest to that love being shown at BravoCon. Welington says, “I was there to witness how people cheered for you and how people clapped for you whenever you were introduced on other shows and panels.” He asked Cynthia, “It’s been almost two years since you were on RHOA, how does it feel to still be one of the fan favorites? Cynthia responded, “You know, it feels really good. It was important to me that when I transitioned out to maintain an important relationship with the network, stay connected with my fans. For 11 years, housewives were my life. Although moving into being an actress now, my heart will always be with housewives. That platform has always been amazing for me, and I will always want to be included with the Bravo family because they really did change my life.”

The discussion took a bit of a somber tone when Cynthia was asked about her recent joint announcement of her divorce from her husband Mike Hill. Cynthia states, “I’m doing fine, and Mike is doing fine. This was not an overnight decision and we have been thinking about this for a while now. It actually feels good to go ahead and put it out there and just to move forward. I believe friendship is the nucleus of any marriage. Mike and I were friends before we got married and I’m really glad that we’re able to be friends as we go our separate ways. When asked if she plans to stay in Los Angeles or return to Lake Bailey (Atlanta), Cynthia responded that Lake Bailey will be active and that it has always been active but that she did spend more time in LA to be with her husband but she expects to visit LA often for her acting career and her daughter that lives in LA. Cynthia says that she will remain bi-coastal because she goes where her work takes her.

Cynthia’s acting career is excelling and she remembers how much she enjoyed watching lifetime network with her mother and credits her first leading role in a lifetime film to being as exciting as when she first graced the cover of Essence magazine. Cynthia says she loves comedy and would love to do something in that genre. She feels like she’s learning and growing as an actress and she’s very excited that it feels like she’s on the right path! Cynthia says, “I really want this to be my last chapter. You guys have had some Cynthia Bailey the model, Cynthia Bailey the reality star and now I want to humbly give you guys’ Cynthia Bailey the actress.”

Although Cynthia admits being at BravoCon plus many fans asking her return to RHOA made her miss the show, Cynthia really wants this next chapter to be focused on her acting career that she is working really hard at and taking very seriously. 

As for what’s to come, Cynthia says that she is excited that she has two films that will premiere on BET in 2023! She also mentions that she’s excited that her mother’s battle with breast cancer is coming to an end and that her mother is going to be okay. She credits her mother’s recovery to having caught the cancer early. Cynthia says, “To all the queens out there. Do not play around with mammograms. I’m getting mine on Nov. 1 st in Atlanta. I’m looking forward to my mother’s recovery because mentally this really took a toll on her, and it really scared her. She’s an older lady and she has other underlying health issues but I’m glad that I went to Atlanta to go through this journey and process with her.” 

When asked how she feels about the cameos that her ex-husband Peter Thomas has been making on RHOP and other shows, Cynthia credits Peter for being able to take the heat that comes with being on reality television. She credits him as being amongst the first of “house-husbands” to get involved with the other women on the show Cynthia said, “If he’s going to be on tv, he’s going to be on tv. I applaud him for that. There are a lot of great seasons that we’ve done together even though he kept me in trouble quite a bit. You can’t take away what he’s brought to the show.” She goes on to mention that her and Peter keep in touch and that he did reach out to her when she announced her upcoming divorce. Cynthia says, “We don’t talk often but we talk when we need to talk. It’s always love and positive.” 

When it came to the once circulating rumor of Gizelle from RHOP and Peter possibly being an item Cynthia had this to say. “Out of respect, Gizelle called me to tell me the rumors are not true. It’s nice that Gizelle came to me as “woman to woman” and even if she were dating him, I thought her calling me spoke volumes on how much she respects me and her character.” 

We wanted to get Cynthia’s opinion on why the recent RHOA season has been downhill in terms of ratings. Welington asks, “You were on RHOA for years and you were a part of the highest rated seasons. When you and Porsha walked away, what do you think may have been the reason why fans were not tuning into RHOA? Cynthia replies, “I honestly don’t really know. I would see clips on my Instagram feed, and it definitely seemed like there was much drama. I think the housewives’ fans get invested into the OGs and women that have been on the show consistently. Bravo fans love keeping up with our lives even after the show. So, I think there is something to be said about keeping “staple girls” around. It just takes the fans a little time to adjust to the new ladies.” Cynthia also says if RHOA was getting a legacy show like RHONY she would be honored to be invited. 

Cynthia wraps our talk by giving us insight into her Seagram’s Escape Spooky Sangria which is an easy cocktail to make! The recipe can be found on their site and Cynthia says, “The best thing about recipes is that they are customizable. The start of this cocktail is the Seagram’s Escape Strawberry Daiquiri. The fruit that I added was oranges, blueberries, blackberries, and strawberries. You can add almost any fruit you want but just make sure not to leave out Seagram’s Escapes Strawberry Daiquiri. It really tastes like a Sangria but with a more strawberry flavor. This is just a wonderful drink for Halloween and super easy!” For the recipes go to seagramsescapes.com

As always, The Reality Rundown enjoyed talking with Cynthia Bailey and will be on the lookout for what’s to come!

Jacqueline Blake Talks Joining The Cast Of The Real Housewives Of Potomac

I had the opportunity to attend a private viewing party hosted by Jacqueline Blake while Season 7 of The Real Housewives of Potomac was airing, and this newbie had a lot to say about what happened this season, and where her friendships stand today.

 

She opened up about joining the show as a friend-of through full-time Housewife Mia Thornton, and says “I would say that season 7 had its ups and downs, everybody brought it, and it was a true testimony of who had my corner and who did not.” I obviously wanted to know more and I asked who exactly she was talking about that didn’t have her back. Blake said “I think everybody knows that Mia is not in my corner right now.” This comes after Blake and Thornton went blow for blow on Instagram which led fans know the two “best friends ”were officially done for. Blake wrote on her Instagram “this season was a eyeopener and true testimony of who had my best interest at heart.” she continued “through every step of this process i prayed for God to use me and allow me to use this platform to uplift, help, and empower.” 

Thornton did not like what she was seeing and decided to comment back “She loves men with wives, while trying too hard to be a ‘Housewife’ yet is only qualified to be a ‘friend’, if she would focus on herself maybe someone would want to wife her wanna be disloyal a[ss].” 

As season 7 of RHOP continues to air at its very early stages, the “best friend” due is still going strong, however after this social media dispute and the constant back and forth in the press, fans are in for even more drama as the season progresses. 

Is She By Sheree Really Going To Launch After Over 10 Years Of Waiting?

The Real Housewives of Atlanta are all about business. While Kenya looks for a local distributor for her hair care line, Sheree is working with her designer to bring She by Sheree to fruition. Sanya landed a campaign deal with iFit, not to be confused with “Drop it with Drew. Kandi is starring in a new TV series and Marlo is realizing that being a parent is a full-time job.

We finally meet Marlo’s sister Crystal, who is taking in their nephews while Marlo tries to get her mind right. Crystal supports Marlo’s decision to take a break from the boys, but she does caution Marlo to think about how she speaks to them, because they have feelings as well. Marlo is holding a peach for the first time, and although we know a little about her upbringing she’s sharing more this season. She isn’t shy about her time in foster care.

It’s touching to hear that Marlo was a full-time guardian to her sister Crystal at one point. “When Crystal was around 14 or 15 (2005) I found out Crystal was in foster care; I did whatever I had to do to get her, I moved her to Atlanta with me.”

The Real Housewives of Atlanta are on their way to Georgia’s Blue Ridge mountains for their first cast trip. Since Marlo put the road trip together, they could only travel in style; she’s provided the ladies with a Rolls-Royce Ghost and an Aston Martin DBX.

Kenya’s disdain for Marlo has her debating if she wants to go on the trip. Marlos isn’t quite sure how her and Kenya got to a bad place. Sheree shares some food for thought. “Well when I talked to her she said when you called her a liar that triggered all the things that you have done before.” Marlos says, “Why can’t two black sisters just get along.”

The ladies make it to the “cabin”, but in typical Marlo fashion it’s an Aspen inspired estate. Marlos is nothing if not consistent with the shade, so to distribute the rooms she made candles for each of the ladies, and they had to guess who it belonged to. Devotion & Delusion: Kenya Good vibes & Fresh gossip: Kandi 2022 High hopes & low expectations: Sheree Color Coordinated Workout Gear: Sanya. Repeat Resolutions & Wishful Thinking: Drew

While the ladies head to dinner in the mountains and Kandi gets a text from Kenya that reads:

Kenya: I’m here! Anyone asking about me?

Kandi: Yay! No.

Kenya: Come outside and get me.

Everyone is pleasantly surprised to see Kenya, except Marlo. She says, “I’m kind of hurt, Kandi you knew she was coming. You’re also excited that Kenya’s here, but it’s okay I’m holding my composure you will not get the best of me, bitch, not.”

Kenya mentions her daughter Brooklyn might be joining her the day after, so she’s booked a house close to the ladies, but they seem disappointed she won’t be part of the house gang. Kandi tells Kenya that the house is huge, so there’s enough space for her and Brooklyn, but Kenya reminds them that they made an issue about it last season at Cynthia’s bachelorette weekend, so she didn’t want a repeat of it.

Sanya finally joins the ladies and shares her new business venture with iFit, who will be catering Sanya and her friends to a trip to Jamaica, which will serve as the second cast trip of the season.

But even that couldn’t keep Marlo and Kenya from having a tussle. Marlo insists that Kenya stay with them at the house. “Well I would love for you not to attend unless you’re staying at the house, I really planned a trip for all of us, I would love to have you at the house brooklyn is more than welcome as well, but if you do choose that i don’t want to stay there I don’t like marlo I don’t want you to continue to hangout with us.”

Kenya responds, “Oh I’ll definitely be there to experience all the ladies so thank you so much.” Marlo lets her know that’s not an option if she’s not staying at the house. This was the beginning of a much bigger issue.

Kenya says, “The issue is also Marlo, so you say things like ‘oh you love people and you don’t know why i’m hurt’, but the thing is you seem like you are the hurt one.” Marlo interrupts her and Kenya asks for a minute to explain herself without rebuttals. Marlo agrees but that doesn’t last long as she interrupts to say “wait a second before you continue i’m gonna be quiet but can you promise when I speak back you will stay and listen like i’m gonna be quiet as well? That’s all I ask.”

After Kenya called her hurt, insincere, the worst friend and toxic, Marlo responds.” Am I hurt? You’re damn right I have trust issues and I’m fucked up just ike you. We both have attention issues, we both have insecurities.” Marlo continues, “I’m the one from jail as you say, I’m the one from prostitution as you say. You should lead, I should follow you queen, I look up to you.” To this Kenya just rolls her eyes.

As you can imagine, it’s definitely not good vibes from here on out. Stay tuned as next week the drama continues.

Garcelle Says Erika Jayne Is The Most Scandalous Woman In America Today, S12E12 Recap

Trigger warning: Food sensitive content.

 

Previously on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills…Erika did it again. First she attacked Garcelle’s family and then she attacked Crystal. At Diana’s Christmas party Erika was inquiring a lot about Crystal’s eating disorder. Crystal shared with Erika and Garcelle that sometimes she feels bad after eating to which Erika responds, “Well I always think take laxatives and get rid of it.”

Diana’s Husband, Asher, sings for the group and a drunk Erika couldn’t resist seeking attention. “I think Erika probably misses the spotlight.” Garcelle continues, “She won’t shut up, it’s awkward.”

Kathy walks outside and has the most awkward conversation with Erika. “Kathy I want to say something and I want to get it off my chest. You invited me to a lot of events and the truth is I didn’t want to bring my scorn and my fucking scarlet letter onto your daughters and onto you.” Kathy is so confused at this moment. She walks back inside to tell the ladies that Erika is getting out of control. Kathy says, “You don’t ever want to put yourself in a position of drinking and then losing control and doing something stupid.”

Kyle defends Erika’s behavior and suggests the group cut her some slack because at least she is “loosening up”. Garcelle makes it clear she’s not cutting anyone slack. Kyle is sensitive to labeling anyone an alcoholic after her sister, Kim Richards, battled for her sobriety on the show. Kyle claims Garcelle is baiting her into defining Erika’s behavior as a problem, but Kyle won’t do it.

Erika credits Lisa and her daughters for supporting her through the last year. Erika claims that Lisa’s daughter, Amelia, inspired her to take care of her mental health. “I’m on Lexapro, guess what, now I’m on wellbutrin. And I’m on other things and yes I ‘ve had a few drinks but the truth is I’m okay.”

Garcelle goes over to Erika and Lisa to say goodbye, and Diana uses the moment to apologize for her behavior at Garcelle’s party. “My behavior at your party was inappropriate, it really was.” Diana continues, “Sutton said a few things, she literally pressed every button there was to press.” Diana admits she lashed out at Garcelle. “I do apologize. I see it in your eyes that you like me.” Garcelle accepted her apology.

PK was recently arrested on suspicion of DUI. According to Dorit, “PK went to a work dinner. He was driving home after having a glass of wine, got pulled over and brought to the station.” Dorit found out the day after. According to PK, he blew a 0.81, where the legal limit is allegedly 0.8. “There’s one thing and one thing only that is extremely important to me, as you know, in our marriage. We do not lie to one another. Period.” Dorit continues, “Not a little lie, not a big lie, not a white lie.” PK admits that the only reason he told her was because he needed Dorit to pick up her car.

Lisa pays Erika a visit to discuss the holiday party at Diana’s, but more importantly Erika’s drinking. Lisa lets her know she was slurring her words and out of control. Erika claims that when she got home she blacked out and hit her head. Lisa says, “Mikey is family to Erika and I’m probably the closest to Erika, so Erika’s in a place where she needs to hear what the two of us have to say, period, end of story.”

Lisa attributes the drinking to the trauma Erika has gone through with her husband’s criminal issues. She believes Erika has turned to alcohol because she’s in a lot of pain. Lisa’s sister died of a drug overdose, so she understands why someone may want to numb themselves. Erika admits, “I pushed it too far. I did the wrong thing.” She thanks Lisa for being a real friend.

Covid has changed the way the ladies celebrate the holidays, from large gatherings to intimate ones. I guess you could say Sutton’s was the most intimate, as she spent it alone, while her children traveled to Italy with their father and his new girlfriend. Sutton tested positive right before the holidays so she woke up Christmas morning probably feeling like scrooge. She was so lonely she admitted that she called almost every ex-boyfriend she ever had.

Sutton’s dating qualifications are as follows: someone tall, who has a job and is educated. Deal-breakers would be: an affection towards hoodies, ponytail, a white unmarked van.

Garcelle and Erika meet up for drinks at a rooftop. Immediately Erika tries to play nice by ordering a chamomile tea. She wanted to be on her best behavior with Garcelle, but the server told her that hot drinks are served on the roof, so Erika did what any sensible person would do, change to cognac. Garcelle suggests a Shirley temple.

Erika confesses that the last couple of times they’d seen each other she was blacked out. When Garcelle asked why Erika responded, “Medicine, and thinking I could drink on it.” Erika couldn’t wait to tell Garcelle that her friend Lisa came to the house to let her have it. That moment was so rehearsed.

By doing so I think Erika believed the ladies (Garcelle) would back off if the most Loyal person to Erika, also took issue with her drinking. “I think the first is recognizing that you have a problem, and I think she’s doing that, so I believe her and I’m glad to see that she is owning it and hopefully she will,” says Garcelle.

Erika comes out of left field to say that Sheree is better to have in her corner than Sutton because Sutton is a “liability.” Garcelle doesn’t understand why everyone comes down on her so hard. Erika claimed Sutton is “unpredictable”; strangely Erika and Sutton have been getting along well for all of a sudden Erika to say this. Garcelle says, “The bottom line is Erika is a liability walking around every day. Is there a more scandalous woman in America today than Erika Jayne?”