Originally posted Sunday, March 31, 2019 by RODNEY HO/rho@ajc.com on his AJC Radio & TV Talk blog
Love or hate Kenya Moore, she always made for interesting TV while she was on "Real Housewives of Atlanta."
After holding a wedding outside of Bravo’s purview, then hiding her hubby from the cameras, she couldn’t come to an agreement with the Powers That Be and was off the show season 11. But the producers clearly saw what they were missing this past year and Kenya surely was missing the paycheck. Odds are she’ll be back when production ramps up for season 12 in June.
Partway through this season finale, a very pregnant Kenya shows up at a Cynthia Bailey Peach Bellini drink launch event.
Earlier, Kenya had complained on social media about NeNe not “believing” her pregnancy. She even unfriended NeNe, which ended up in the gossip pages.
“This is a fake beef to get attention,” NeNe said.
When NeNe sees Kenya, she says: “I think a monster’s here.”
She is peeved because Cynthia didn’t give her prior warning “the monster” was coming.
Cynthia welcomes Kenya, who thanked her for the invite but Cynthia says to her she didn’t know she was coming. Hmm....
Kenya is super chummy with Cynthia and even congratulates her in front of the crowd for her launch (while NeNe sits back with a sour look on her face.)
When Cynthia calls for Gregg to come to the mic, NeNe holds him back, making for a super awkward moment.
"You need to put that b**** to the side and curse her out," says flamethrower Marlo Hampton, clearly goading NeNe on.
Then Cynthia is caught whispering to boyfriend Mike Hill to say that she was “pretending” not to know Kenya was coming. Uh oh. Shady behavior!
“Whenever Kenya is around, Cynthia is a different person,” NeNe says.
Cynthia says she believes this isn’t high school and she can be friends with both.
NeNe sees Kenya and pretends to be polite but then says, “She’s having a buffalo!” Kandi tries to mollify NeNe but NeNe tears up.
Later, at a pizza place, NeNe gathers Cynthia, with Kandi and Tanya Sam, to talk about her fraying friendship with Cynthia. “You have not been the same friend to me as you have been to others,” she tells Cynthia. She asked why Cynthia didn’t defend NeNe over Kenya’s social media negativity.
Cynthia tells the Bravo cameras she didn’t want to get in the middle of things. NeNe asks her to be neutral and Cynthia sees herself that way but NeNe feels Cynthia is favoring Kenya.
With the “cover up” that Cynthia claims she didn’t know Kenya was coming, NeNe will watch this episode and blow up even more for sure.(It apparently comes up during the reunion show.) Why didn’t Cynthia give Nene a head’s up?
Kandi later says Kenya told her not to tell anybody she was coming but Cynthia did want her there.
Cynthia says this kerfuffle is not that big of a deal, not nearly as bad as what happened four years earlier. (I remember the rift, not the details.)
“I need my friends to be here for me,” NeNe says.
Outside the restaurant, Cynthia tells her how much she loves her. NeNe can’t look her in the eye. “I don’t want to feel like I’m losing a friend,” NeNe says tearfully. Though there was a reconciliation, we know it won’t last.
***
Other storylines:
- Gregg Leakes is now seriously considering chemo to better ensure his cancer doesn’t return after focusing on “holistic” options.
- Porsha’s gender reveal party isn’t quite ready when several of the housewives show up. The planners couldn’t get the tent up and things did not appear to be ready. Porsha starts crying. But it all works out and she finds out she’s having a girl, who came out nine days before this episode.
Some final screen updates:
- Shamari and Ronnie are having a marriage seminar in April and Shamari is fine with her drinking.
- Eva fends off her “financial ruin’ rumors and will sub in for Porsha on “Dish Nation” while she’s on maternity leave.
- Porsha plans to get married to Dennis New Year’s Eve.
- Cynthia’s Wine Cellar is going to open. No word on Mike Hill and a proposal.
- Gregg is feeling better and NeNe is not opening her closet to anybody.
