Pinky Cole, K. Michelle officially join ‘Real Housewives of Atlanta’
As expected, restaurateur Pinky Cole and R&B singer K. Michelle are joining the cast of “The Real Housewives of Atlanta” for Season 17 this spring.
Cole, the founder of popular Atlanta-based restaurant chainSlutty Vegan, lost the operation for a brief time when it expanded too quickly, but returned last year to run the business. It currently has six locations in five states, including Jonesboro and Edgewood in metro Atlanta.
She’s married to Derrick Hayes, the founder of Big Dave’s Cheesesteaks, another popular Atlanta-based restaurant chain.
K. Michelle was on the cast of “Love & Hip Hop Atlanta” in its earlier years and had feuds with cast members Rasheeda, Mimi Faust and Karli Redd.
She recently married Dr. Kastan Sims, whom she’s known since they were teens.
“The Real Housewives of Atlanta,” which debuted in 2008, returns April 5 on Bravo and the next day on Peacock. It was once the most popular of the “Housewives” franchises, but Salt Lake City and Beverly Hills now get higher ratings.
In fact, “The Real Housewives of Atlanta” fell to new ratings lows for Season 16. Bravo is hoping the two new cast members can provide the show with fresh buzz.
Six of last year’s full-time cast members are coming back: Porsha Williams, Phaedra Parks, Drew Sidora, Shamea Morton Mwangi, Angela Oakley and Kelli Ferrell.
Cynthia Bailey, a former full-time cast member, returns again as a “friend,” which means she provides support but doesn’t really get her own storyline and won’t necessarily appear in every episode.
Kenya Moore was going to be part of the cast last season but was let go after she publicly displayed X-rated images of new cast member Brit Eady.
Eady herself didn’t feel like Bravo protected her in its coverage of the incident and left the show, skipping the reunion episodes. Eady then filed a $20 million lawsuit against Bravo, alleging sexual harassment, defamation and a hostile work environment. The lawsuit is pending.
Bravo provided a teaser summary of what each woman is up to this coming season, which was shot over a span of several months last year.
- Williams steps into a new era of her life; now that her divorce is final, she’s approaching relationships and dating with an open mind. She has two potential love interests she’s ready to introduce to the group.
- Parks returns with her signature wit and razor‑sharp reads. As she steps back into the circle, she’s open to mending fences with Oakley and proving she’s still cool and unbothered by it all while having fun in the dating pool.
- Sidora keeps positive vibes while she keeps her dating roster open. She is understandably guarded on how much she wants to share with the ladies. She finds herself balancing her acting and music career along with being a mom.
- Morton Mwangi is launching her own rum company but finds entrepreneurship more challenging than expected. Lingering tensions with Williams and clashes with Sidora create ongoing drama. Amid it all, her fertility journey continues.
- Oakley speaks her truth and holds the ladies accountable. Coming off last season, she and husband Charles Oakley are stronger than ever as she navigates life and family challenges in the wake of her mother’s death. She’s also still working to repair her fractured friendships from last season and rise above old wounds with Parks.
- Ferrell balances motherhood, her career, dating and Atlanta drama like a pro. With her oldest daughter heading off to college, Ferrell faces a new chapter as she continues to expand her business with the opening of her second restaurant location.
- K. Michelle, the award‑winning, Billboard‑charting artist and newlywed, arrives to build bonds with the ladies. She is working on breaking barriers in country music while balancing a new home, her son and a fresh chapter in love.
- Cole joins the group bringing her signature boldness and business‑savvy energy. The entrepreneur behind the $100 million Slutty Vegan empire faces a new phase after losing her business and having fought to buy it back. As a wife to an equally successful husband, Cole manages life as a mother of five, CEO and her own share of sizzling plant-based beef with the ladies this season.
