By RODNEY HO/rho@ajc.com, filed Monday, February 9, 2015
There's a reason why Claudia Jordan was given full cast member status on "Real Housewives of Atlanta."
She is willing to run toward the drama, not away from it. Demoted Porsha? Not so much.
Claudia was upset in Puerto Rico that Porsha Williams was laughing along with NeNe Leakes when NeNe mocked Claudia over her lack of a man, her clothing, her supposed past history of sleeping around. So she went straight at Porsha, accusing her of sleeping with a married African man, who was funding her luxurious lifestyle.
Porsha kinda sorta denied it but not really.
The two both work for Rickey Smiley in downtown Atlanta every morning. Claudia does the early shift on the radio. Porsha joins in right afterwards for "Dish Nation."
They are not friends so that must be an uncomfortable hallway crossing every morning.
When "Dish Nation" held a party last summer welcoming Porsha into the fold, Claudia had no compunction but to show up since she is part of the Smiley world.
Porsha deems it "tacky" for Claudia to show up at all and chooses to ignore and avoid Claudia.
Claudia, knowing instinctively that avoidance is no way to facilitate a quality reality TV show, sits Porsha down against her will to insist the two of them just try to get along given their circumstances.
"You do a great job on the show," Claudia says as earnestly as she could muster.
But Porsha would probably like to hear an apology that isn't going to come for what Claudia had said on the trip. She isn't articulate enough to ask for it. Instead, she becomes "big word" Porsha, noting that she has "the gift of discernment" and senses negativity from Claudia. The result: she wants to keep it away from her.
"I'm not trying to be your best friend," Claudia says. "A cordial work environment is all I want."
Then Porsha gets totally insincere by claiming their work environment is "not uncomfortable. It just confirmed things I already felt."
She calls Claudia's words in Puerto Rico toward her "unforgivable."
So much for seeking an apology then, right?
Porsha says the whole situation feels "hostile."
Claudia, insulted, gets hostile and says she won't apologize for mocking Porsha's "African boyfriend" she won't officially acknowledge.
"I don't care," Porsha says. "There's no reason to let you into my world." Then she walks away.
***
Almost over. In the meantime, the big climactic confrontation between Phaedra Parks and her soon-to-be-imprisoned hubby Apollo Nida is approaching. This week is all about set up.
We see Phaedra meet up with (cross promotion alert!) "Married to Medicine" hubby Gregory Lunceford to get advice. Should she let her children see Apollo in prison? She seems to be leaning against it.
Gregory says it would be better if she took them to see Apollo and not block him out entirely.
She is squeamish about prison, period, not wanting her children seeing murderers and rapists.
"I'm going to do what's best for these children," she says.
She has apparently told Apollo she isn't sure she wants him to see the kids. This has caused him to become angry and agitated. "He's become threatening," she says. "I've become concerned about the children's safety." She said he's "unraveling." She says he's threatening to burn down the house.
"He's just slamming doors, punching through the walls," she says. "I wonder if he's suicidal himself. He seems psychotic almost."
Her mother recommends Phaedra move the kids out of the house until he is in Kentucky.
Naively, Phaedra actually didn't think Apollo would have it in him to do anything that would send him back to prison. "Never in a million years," she said.
In the interim, Apollo meets with "Real Housewives" divorce attorney Randy Kessler. He is worried Phaedra will file for divorce sooner rather than later. And he wants to see his kids, naturally, while locked up.
"Hopefully she won't keep your kids from you to punish you," Kessler says.
Five months later, I have not heard any word that Phaedra has filed. She has plenty of time. There is no theoretical rush unless she had plans to marry someone else.
***
Bitch session: Porsha and NeNe meet to complain about the other women. Porsha says Peter Thomas uses Cynthia Bailey for her money. Porsha then says Claudia and Kenya "open their legs wide" to get their work done and have nothing ot show for it. NeNe says they are both women in their 40s who have never been married, as if that makes them less than. "Karma's going to bite you and now I have to come after you," Porsha says, of Claudia.
Tour de force? Nope. Kandi Burruss watches her "A Mother's Love" tour go down in flames because the promoter failed to sell enough tickets or capitalize himself well enough upfront to keep it going after a week. Kandi likes to have control and when she relinquished control, she got burned. Todd, her husband and partner in the project, didn't feel they did proper due diligence with this promoter. "They got in over their heads," Kandi says, of the promoter. She feels she's going to take the brunt of the blame and understandably cries.
As the twirl turns. Kenya Moore wants to cobble a sitcom together. She tries to entice local producer Roger Bobb with her story ideas, one which includes thinly veiled "mean girls" who sound an awful lot like NeNe, Cynthia and Phaedra. He doesn't seem all that interested and more or less begs off. Kenya decides to go on her own. She dumps the parody idea, though.
NEXT WEEK
Phaedra is still considering leaving the house to protect the kids. Apollo accuses her of cheating on him and has texts to "prove" it. Claudia is crying about the pettiness. Apollo goes a little nutty at the house.
RATINGS
The 12th episode two weeks ago drew 3.43 million overnight viewers, above average for the season. The comparable episode last year drew 3.7 million viewers and a 1.6 18-49 ratings. That 18-49 rating matched a year ago. The show is averaging 3.1 million viewers, about the same as season five but down from last year, when the average viewership was closer to 3.7 million.
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