The forecast was shady for the final installment of the Real Housewives of Atlanta season 8 reunion on Sunday, April 3. NeNe Leakes returned to give her final thoughts on pretty much every current cast member, while the men (both husbands and boyfriends) also dropped in to settle a few scores. What could go wrong?
Kenya and NeNe Continue to Bicker About Cynthia
It was no secret that Kenya Moore was not happy with NeNe showing up this season, and it didn’t take long for the outspoken alum to come between Kenya and Cynthia Bailey. Revisiting that tense situation, Kenya explained, “What I was hurt about was [Cynthia] saying, ‘We’re still getting to know each other,’ like I was some stray off the street.” She went on to call the comment “the ultimate denial of a relationship.”
Instead of trying to justify what she’d said, Cynthia tried to explain it. “NeNe and I didn’t talk for two years,” she revealed. “It felt good to just be cool again. What I did make the mistake of doing was just not being crystal clear about how I felt about Kenya. We are not besties or BFF, but we are very, very close friends, and I love her.”
Ultimately, NeNe said that she and Kenya were now “in a much better place” than before (when NeNe admitted she “wanted to snatch Kenya’s eyes out of her head”). Then NeNe took aim at Kim Fields. “I feel like she doesn’t want to be friends with anybody,” NeNe said. “I like Kim, but I did not or do not think that Kim is a fit for this group of girls.”
Kenya and Matt Are in Love
While her relationship with NeNe still seemed tenuous at best, other things in Kenya’s life were decidedly on an upswing. Asked by Andy Cohen if he was in love with Kenya, Matt Jordan didn’t flinch. “Yes, I’m in love with Kenya,” he said with a smile. When Andy asked Kenya the same question about Matt, she said the same thing.
“I am — Matt is amazing,” she gushed. “He has been such a friend to me, such a great companion, a great lover — he’s been all of those things.”
NeNe couldn’t help but chime in. “I’m really happy for Kenya,” NeNe offered. “She needs love. I am really happy for her. I want this to really work for her.”
Another much-talked-about couple from the season, Sheree Whitfield and her ex-husband Bob Whitfield, didn’t seem to be as solid in their status, however. After qualifying their budding relationship as a “friendship,” Sheree said, “Honestly, we’re having a really, really good time. I’m enjoying his company.” It wasn’t exactly a denial that there might be some romance, but it was far from a confirmation.
Who Calls Me Chrissy?
Looping back to one of the most dramatic confrontations of the season, Kim’s husband, Christopher Morgan, addressed the comments that had been made about his sexuality. “I am a performer. I am not immune to people talking bad about me, especially when they want what I have. When it comes to who I am as a man, that’s what I know, and that’s what I know my wife knows, so I’m secure in that,” he said.
His wife, who was (understandably) a little less diplomatic about the whole thing, called the comments made by Kenya “disgusting.” But Kenya wasn’t ready to back down or apologize just yet.
“When you say I lied, you’re lying, because I never lied. I didn’t make up the rumor. I brought up the fact that the rumor existed,” Kenya said. She went on to argue that Chris had had some outburst on the bus that wasn’t aired on the show, which others confirmed and which sparked a separate conversation about whether Chris was acting flamboyantly or if he was simply imitating the other women. Finally, Chris snapped at Kenya directly.
“Who calls me Chrissy?” he demanded.
“Google yourself and find out,” Kenya replied. Finally, Andy intervened.
“It seems like you’re all kind of gay-bashy,” the host said. “It was taunting, and it was derogatory.” Kenya continued to argue, and Andy shut it down explaining, “It just was not a pretty look.” Then he basically forced Kenya to apologize.
“If it somehow was offensive to you,” Kenya began before Andy cut her off saying it was a “crappy” apology and she’d have to do better.
“I’m sorry, Christopher,” she finally coughed up. “If he was offended.” No one seemed very impressed with that, but it was time to move on.
Phaedra Denies Calling the Feds on Kandi and Cynthia
Though Phaedra Parks denied calling the feds on Kandi Burruss and Cynthia, it was unclear whether anyone on the stage believed her — until Cynthia’s husband, Peter Thomas, reported that the agent “basically said he saw it on the show,” clarifying he meant the last season’s reunion special. Andy couldn’t help but be a teeny bit delighted that the feds watch his show.
Cynthia reported that having them show up at her house was “scary,” while Todd Tucker took Phaedra head-on. After Phaedra argued that Todd had been running around with Apollo Nida before his arrest, Todd lost it. “You know so much about what Todd is doing, but Apollo was in your house and you didn’t know what the f–k he was doing?” Todd also had a stack of printed emails on hand documenting their unpleasant exchange over money she may or may not have owed him for editing work, but no one seemed to care much about that anymore.
Asked what she thought of the state of their friendship, Kandi seemed pretty distraught. “Coming into today, I felt like we were in much better place, but now, at the end of the day, it’s like it went backwards again,” she lamented.
Porsha Was in Another Fight
In a strange twist, it was revealed that Porsha Williams had been in yet another physical fight during the filming this season — this time at Phaedra’s holiday party — which, for some unexplained reason, hadn’t made it on air (though they aired some select footage during the reunion).
The fight had been with Jami, a former employee and friend, who had (according to Porsha) been showing “a lot of disrespect” until “it just escalated.”
Phaedra jumped in to reveal that Porsha had enrolled in an anger-management class, but NeNe still chimed in with her (once again, unsolicited) opinion, telling Porsha, “You cannot put your hands on anybody else,” arguing it would “tarnish” her brand and hurt her business opportunities.
In an unexpected moment, Kim jumped to Porsha’s defense. “I think we’re also missing the important step of congratulations for doing what you’re doing so far. The fact that you went to counseling and then came here and talked about it, that’s real grown-up,” she said. And with that, the season ended on a (relatively) high note.
Tell Us: Do you think Andy was right to demand Kenya apologize?
The Real Housewives of Atlanta airs on Bravo on Sundays at 8 p.m. ET.
