Posted Monday, January 29, 2018 by RODNEY HO/rho@ajc.com on his AJC Radio & TV Talk blog
A new guest has shown up on "Real Housewives of Atlanta": Eva Marcille.
It's been a long time coming.
We've known since the start of the season that Eva was joining the cast as a recurring character. But it took a long time for her to appear. The season is now past its halfway point and the former "America's Next Top Model" victor finally arrives partway through last night's episode.
Meeting with her friend NeNe Leakes, Eva explains how she's dating attorney Michael Sterling, who ran for Atlanta mayor. She basically moved to Atlanta for him and has since gotten engaged and pregnant.
NeNe brings Eva along to Kandi Burruss' Essence magazine launch party.
Among the guests: Derek J (fashion queen), Derek Blanks (celebrity photographer), Toya Harris ("Married to Medicine"), LaTavia Roberson (Destiny's Child), Jazzy Pha (music producer) and Dr. Heavenly ("Married to Medicine). And surprise! Peter Thomas, Cynthia's ex pops in, too, though he leaves without apparently meeting Cynthia's dude Will Jones. ("I don't know who Will is. He's a vanilla-looking dude, ain't he?")
Kandi invited Porsha Williams, who greets Kandi with as much enthusiasm as she could muster. Kandi keeps her distance. Porsha feels alone and sits by herself for a good period of time.
When NeNe tells Eva about Cynthia Bailey's date Will, she says she saw him a couple months earlier with his self-proclaimed "girlfriend." Earlier in the night, he is telling Cynthia he is single and pressures her to just date him. She resists, saying she had set up a year to just date after her divorce. Smart move if Eva is right. Is this man a player?
Several of the ladies talk about the situation behind Cynthia first. Kandi, who was suspicious of Will from the start, isn't surprised. Kenya decides to tell Cynthia the news privately. NeNe decides to go out there, too, worried Kenya will convey the information incorrectly. Eva and Marlo and others soon join in. Eva tells Cynthia she only saw Will and this woman once in passing.
Then it's time to confront Will. Who plays the heavy? Kenya. (Where's Sheree, the tea spiller? She is later upset she missed all the fun!) He claims this happened seven months ago. Eva says it was two months, about the time he began dating Cynthia.
Cynthia says she knows they are not exclusive but she doesn't want to date him if he has an actual "girlfriend."
He says he doesn't like being "ambushed." He brings Eva over. She is upset that he said on Instagram that he campaigned for Sterling when she doesn't think he did anything. He never denies having a woman with her. "I am no longer dating that woman," he says.
Will is defensive to say the least, as NeNe observed.
"I'm confused and overwhelmed," Cynthia says later to the cameras. "I just don't want to be played."
***
There was only one other brief story line this hour:
Kenya Moore wants a child and notes how her (off-camera) husband Marc Daly is an alpha male and that much of the burden of caring for the child will fall on her.
Next time on the "Real Housewives" in two weeks (next week is the Super Bowl):
Will Kim go on a big trip with the other ladies? What will Porsha spill about Will to Cynthia?
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