RHOA reunion part 3 bombshell: Porsha reveals the Kandi/Todd date rape rumor came from Phaedra

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Credit: Rodney Ho

Credit: Rodney Ho

This was originally posted on Sunday, April 30, 2017 by Rodney Ho/rho@ajc.com for his AJC Radio & TV Talk blog

There's some irony to all the gossip sites spreading rumors that Phaedra Parks may not be coming back season 10 on "The Real Housewives of Atlanta."

That's because rumors are causing Phaedra major headaches, as evidenced by the third part of four reunion shows that aired Sunday. She's always been passive-aggressively shady off camera, generally avoiding face-to-face confrontations. But when cameras earlier this season captured her spreading rumors about Shamea Morton and Kandi Burruss sleeping together using a rather vulgar finger in a circle motion, that set off Kandi's anger.

Phaedra's lame argument was that she was targeting Shamea more, that Kandi was "collateral damage."  And when confronted why she even spread that rumor, Phaedra just sat silent.

But the big blockbuster revelation was Porsha Williams identifying where she heard that awful rumor that Kandi and Todd Tucker wanted to kidnap and rape her, such an outrageous allegation, it's stupefying. Porsha at the very end of part 3 said it was... Phaedra!

That is a slanderous statement. Where did Phaedra get that from?

Frequently on this show, people hear stuff "on the streets." It's a phrase Porsha uses a lot. What streets are these? Allegation Avenue? BS Boulevard? Rumor Road? Phaedra used that term when she cited where she heard that Shamea and Kandi had done anything physically together. (It's false, both women said.)

Phaedra is oddly nonapologetic about spreading that particular nugget. We'll have to wait for next week to see what she says about the kidnapping allegation.

Rumor mill she heard the "date rape" rumor from RHOA executive producer Carlos King, who worked with Todd on the now canceled TV One reality show "Hollywood Divas" but had a falling out which may have led to this rumor. King is no longer with the show, which may be tied to spreading this rumor in the first place.)

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It's very possible that this revelation may also break apart Frick and Frack, the annoying nickname given to Phaedra and Porsha. The two appear to have become really tight. But without Porsha, Phaedra will have nobody who wants to be her friend. That is a perfectly reasonable reason to drop her from the show. Who would she film with? And she may have taken the shade a shade too far.

And this will give Kandi yet another reason to now hate her former friend Phaedra. (Kandi isn't even sure about the sincerity of the Phaedra/Porsha friendship and called it an "alliance," kind of like something on "Survivor," as Andy Cohen noted.)

Phaedra, as Andy Cohen told me last fall when she "interviewed" Andy at the Marcus Jewish Community Center while he was promoting his latest book, is an oddly private person for a public reality show figure. Since Apollo has been imprisoned, Phaedra has assiduously refused or denied dating anybody. And she hid the supposed closure of her divorce situation from most of the women.

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Credit: Rodney Ho

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This could be the last time we see Peter Thomas as he and Cynthia Bailey are effectively divorced. He has moved to Charlotte. He still loves her but she clearly had trouble with the relationship. "I didn't know how to be married," she said. "I did the best I could."

He said she had been independent for so long, being yoked to him was difficult for her. "I'm good with dealing with s***," he said. "She's not with that."

They have made their breakup as amicable as a reality show breakup can be. So they have that. He said he now keeps in touch more with Cynthia's daughter Noelle (who he is not the dad but former stepdad) than Cynthia.

Although he went on that Maui trip and they seemed to get along, he admitted it was awkward. And no, they did not have a farewell smash. "If I can't have all of her," he said, "I want none of her."

Still, he got emotional over the situation and left a bit early. While he has had his faults, he seemed like a good person but said the TV show did not help the durability of his marriage. ( Check out Peter's interview with Michelle Brown of StraighfromtheA.)

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Bob Whitfield expressed sincere apologies to Sheree Whitfield over his tasteless, insensitive jokes regarding domestic abuse on the Maui trip. Sheree has gotten to a point she could rebuild her friendship with him but romance? Nahh...  "I believe after he's gotten so much negativity and seeing himself on TV," she said. "It is kind of sincere now."

Peter got his three cents in: " He has the craziest sense of humor. If I was his friend, I'd punch him in the face over and over."

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Other notes: The Phaedra/Porsha friendship placed a strain on Porsha's relationship with her older friend Shamea, who clearly dislikes Phaedra for many reasons. Porsha apologized for not defending Shamea enough when Phaedra spread that Kandi/Shamea rumor. She even teared at one point as Phaedra and Shamea argued. Shamea got off a good shady line at one point:

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Shamea prepped well. She also told Porsha to watch her credit cards, alluding to Apollo Nida's prison time for bank and identity fraud. And one more: "Southern belle today, hooker tomorrow."

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And one more time with the "kiss": 

This was territory already covered during the season but Todd and Kandi said three years ago in a club, a drunk Porsha kissed Kandi and propositioned them to a hotel room so she could provide some oral pleasure. (Yes, it was far more vulgar than that.) Porsha still denies the vulgar stuff but did recall kissing her. Kandi also noted how often she partook in ladies but it wasn't more than 10. She also said that was no secret, that she revealed this a few years ago. (And a clip proved it.) There was also some criticism that there were way too many jokes on the show about lesbianism in a way to convey it was aberrant.