Demetria McKinney is best known for her gritty role as drug addict Janine on Tyler Perry's former TBS series "House of Payne." Like almost everyone in Hollywood, she had been approached for reality TV over the years. She had resisted until recently when she thought it might help propel her music career. (The biggest music/reality show success story has arguably been Tamar Braxton.)
"When I've been in the grocery store, people will say, 'That's Janine!' McKinney said in a recent phone interview. "That was great. But when someone says, 'You're Demetria McKinney!' that adds sparkle to my day."
The trade off, she agreed, is the downside exposure from everyone knowing your business. "It's kind of like my first time on a nude beach," she said.
McKinney's first appearance on the show isn't until this Sunday, episode 7.
She came onto "Real Housewives" naively thinking it was would be all "kumbaya," that it would be all about "girl power" and supporting each other's brands.
Some were supportive but others treated her like competition. "That's the sad part," she said. "This was nothing like what I expected it to be. I thought I would come in with some sort of pre-formed alliance. But some feel threatened by you being there."
Although she didn't say who she had problems with, the candidates include Porsha Williams, NeNe Leakes and Phaedra Parks.
Ultimately, she was given "recurring" role status on the show and not full-time status like fellow newcomer Claudia Jordan. But she said she got along well with Claudia because "she's comfortable with who she is. You're my ninja! Let's go! We really hang out."
Less surprisingly, she has nothing but good things to say about Cynthia Bailey, calling her "sensible, classy and able to be very very real if you give her a chance."
And get this: she is okay with Kenya Moore. A decade ago, when she first met Kenya long before "Real Housewives," she thought Kenya had a stuck-up attitude. "I even apologized to her," she said. "I told her I thought I was not going to dig her. Between me, her, Claudia and Cynthia, it's been really good fun."
And she isn't ostensibly bitter she didn't get a peach, as Andy Cohen likes to say. (The peach being what the full-timers hold in the opening credits and before commercial breaks.) "Peach or no peach," she said, "I'm on the show."
Demetria said she can be cool as long as "you don't come for me. I try to keep it cute. I try to keep it classy until they won't let me. I'm not saying I'm a gossiper. I'm a truth teller."
She is dating a man named Roger Bobb, who runs his own production company but was Tyler Perry's No. 2 man when McKinney was on "House of Payne." He appears in the trailers and presumably makes his RHOA debut on Sunday as well.
"We are doing absolutely phenomenal," she said. "He has been my best friend for over 10 years." She said he was reluctant to go in front of the camera. "He's a private person," she said. But he agreed for her sake. "It's a big leap of faith for both of us. I'm glad it's paid off for both of us."
TV preview
"Real Housewives of Atlanta," 8 p.m. Sundays, Bravo
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