In the biggest cast shakeup in “Real Housewives of Atlanta” history, the show brought in four new full-time women for season 16 debuting Sunday, March 9 on Bravo.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution was able to speak to all four women. Here are capsule summaries of each newbie:
Credit: RODN
Credit: RODN
Shamea Morton
Age: 42
Hometown: Decatur
Residence: Buckhead
Jobs: actor, singer, dancer, former V-103 host
Married? Yes. Gerald Mwangi, a wealthy Kenyan-born entrepreneur who has a large company that installs HVAC systems, since 2017. They have two daughters.
Past “Housewives” tie: She’s been a long-time “friend” of the show as a childhood bestie to Porsha Williams, popping in on occasion for many years.
Breaking him down: Her husband resisted her desire to be a full-time Housewife for years, but she finally got her way. “I’m thrilled to finally share my entire story,” she said.
On her multi-million dollar Buckhead mansion: “It has great bones. I just like the energy in the house. My husband wanted another house. I had to go behind his back and sabotage the other sale to get the house I wanted. He ended up falling in love with it, too. Happy wife, happy life!”
Helping Porsha through her divorce: “It breaks my heart. She loves love. I work hard to cheer her up. I take her to a shoe model show. I take her to a strip club. This is Atlanta and it’s okay for women to do that. We eat and hang out. We can be real and not get harassed.”
On Brit Eady: “She’s like a Playboy bunny. She gives you that vibe. She used to be a video vixen.”
On Angela Oakley: “She won’t let you in quickly but once you break through, it’s worth it. She’s a really great woman.”
On Kelli Ferrell: “She’s pure joy. She’s the best friend you never realized you needed. She’s a fashionista, a great mom and cooks her ass off.”
On Kenya Moore’s departure: “It’s a little sad. She’s a mom and a friend. You never want to see your friends go out like that.”
On Phaedra Park’s return: “I was there at the reunion of Phaedra’s final season when things went crazy. Just to see her back, I’m shocked.”
Why people should watch: “I feel like our viewers will find someone on the cast they can identify with. We cover it all! Our new showrunner also did a good job keeping stories going and keeping the ladies aligned. At times during the past, I’d witness housewives get upset and walk off the set. We didn’t do that. People still get upset but they stick around and talk and don’t leave fans hanging. We get closure and some full circle moments.”
Credit: Derek White/Bravo
Credit: Derek White/Bravo
Kelli Ferrell
Age: 39
Hometown: Randallstown, Maryland, outside of Baltimore
Residence: Atlanta
Job: restaurateur, owner of Nana’s Chicken and Waffles in McDonough
Married? No. Recently divorced from Chuvalo Mark Ferrell after 11 years. They share three kids.
Why join the show now? “This is a new chapter in my life. Hopefully, I can inspire women in a similar position to show them there is life after divorce. You see me interacting with my kids. You see me building my waffle empire one waffle at a time.”
Post-divorce life: “I feel like a weight was lifted. It was so long and so dreadful. What looks like an ending is a beautiful beginning.”
Favorite past Housewives: “I loved everyone on season one. NeNe and Shereé and Lisa Wu. Those women were fabulous. They paved the way for us.”
Credit: Derek White/Bravo
Credit: Derek White/Bravo
Brit Eady
Age: 37
Hometown and current residence: Roswell
Job history: former model, owned an insurance agency, now consults
Married? Yes, to Michael Cunningham, an entrepreneur who owns a trucking company, since 2021. They have one daughter.
How she got into insurance: Her father died suddenly at age 55 in 2015 and she said his family was unable to cash a $2 million insurance policy because he was between jobs at the time of his death. After working in entertainment including music videos, she said his death led her to get serious and start an insurance agency. “I killed it,” she said. “I did extremely well. I sold it. I now have a consulting business to teach people in the business how to scale and market their business.”
Why “Housewives”? “I’m a socialite in Atlanta. I’m a business owner. My name would come up all the time. I’ve been married and I feel it’s the perfect time for me to do this.”
Why she loves her husband: “He doesn’t dim my light. He lets me be me. We can party and do business. We can hang out. He gives me space when I need it. He’s my best friend.”
Having Kenya Moore show nude photos of her at a party: “I don’t think any first season housewife should have to go through what I experienced. It’s just unfortunate. I feel it’s important to discuss what took place and see it play out. I hope people can hear my story and hear what really happened and not jump to conclusions.”
On fellow newcomer Angela Oakley: “She’s a sweet woman but I don’t feel like I truly got to know her. She was closed off. I’m very transparent. I felt like she was a little too reserved for me.”
On Kelli: “She makes a great housewife. She’s funny. She’s outgoing. I would say we were friends.”
On the revamp: “I’d be lying if I didn’t say there wasn’t a little pressure. It’s a new era. Haters aren’t going to hate the change but we’re about to blow this out. It’s going to be a great season.”
Credit: Wilford Harewood/Bravo
Credit: Wilford Harewood/Bravo
Angela Oakley
Age: 43
Hometown: Harvey, Illinois
Residence: Smyrna
Job: Owner of a tax preparation agency
Married? Yes. Former NBA star Charles Oakley since 2016. She has three kids.
Why she joined “Housewives”: “I just felt like now was a good time to introduce myself to the world. My husband is public-facing. I felt like we could take over the world combining together like this.”
Difficulties opening up: “I’m naturally a private person. So sharing all these intimate details of my life is foreign. You want to be open and transparent but you also want to protect some of your privacy. The line gets erased.”
Holding a vow renewal on the show: “I never had the wedding I wanted so we decided on a destination vow renewal.”
On doing couples therapy: “I wanted to be as vulnerable as can be. Therapy was the way to do it. I felt like it would be good for me.”
Her show connection: “I knew Drew Sidora. We both came from Chicago. We share mutual glam artists.”
On Brit: “We were very close. She’s a fun girl. Very spunky. Says what she feels and I admire that.”
Getting glammed up: “I’m someone who is in a baseball cap running into the store and back home in my joggers. I wasn’t used to dressing up this much.”
Winging it: “I heard rumors it’s scripted. It’s not. Nobody is telling me what to say. You get immersed in it. After awhile, you forget the cameras are there.”
Changes: “I was a big fan of ‘Power’ on Starz. I wasn’t sure if I could keep watching without Omari Hardwick when he left. But once the second version came out, I was glued. This is not to disrespect the last cast. We are just taking the baton. I don’t feel the pressure. The stories are similar. You just have to learn new names.”
IF YOU WATCH
“The Real Housewives of Atlanta”
8 p.m. Sundays on Bravo, available the next day on Peacock
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