Cynthia Bailey and NeNe Leakes’ relationship seemed to sink to new lows in the Real Housewives of Atlanta season 11 finale when Leakes’ rival Kenya Moore unexpectedly showed up at Bailey’s Seagram’s launch event. After the episode aired, Bailey, 52, exclusively told Us Weekly she thinks her costar was immature for getting so upset and “bashing” her on social media.
“I think it’s very childish,” she said. “You know, I don’t think you should have to choose what friends to invite to your event if your friends are really your friends. It’s not like I want Kenya and NeNe to hang out every single day. But if I had something as big as my big Seagram’s launch, then support me and lift me up in a blaze of glory. That’s what I do for them. … Anything that [NeNe] does, I’m always there to support her if I can, and I just wanted that same respect.”
Bailey also sounded off on the 51-year-old revealing that she sees Bailey in a “dim light” now. “Well, I could say the feeling’s mutual,” the model said. “If that’s the case, I see her in a dim light as well.”
She added: “Because here’s the thing: When you’re friends with someone, OK, you’re going to go through ups and downs, you may have misunderstandings or whatever, or you may just fall out. But if you’re really friends with someone, there’s no reason why you won’t sit down and talk to that person and have a discussion about them and figure it out. You know, give me a chance to apologize. All this stuff comes up at the reunion. And I feel like, with her, as soon as she saw it, she already had it her mind, ‘Oh, Cynthia’s a bad friend.’”
Amid all the drama, Bailey said she’s sad her relationship with the Glee alum is so fraught now. “I really did consider her one of my closest friends — we’d talk all the time,” she told Us. “I mean, it sucks. But I’m not going to force anyone to be friends with me. And I feel like one of the things you do see this season — and the seasons before — [is that] I’ve always been a good, loyal friend to her. And you know, where’s the reciprocity? If you can’t reciprocate that, then I’m better off in a coworker relationship with you.”
And because the reality star was once so tight with Leakes, she “wasn’t surprised” by the latter’s recent mass unfollowing of her RHOA costars. “You gotta remember, this is someone I talked to all the time,” she explained. “I was just on the other end this time, but I’ve seen her do it many times before.”
Watch the video above to hear Bailey’s thoughts on her post-friendship relationship with NeNe and how the upcoming RHOA season 11 reunion stacks up against the reunions of past seasons.
The Real Housewives of Atlanta airs on Bravo Sundays at 8 p.m. ET.
