After making remarks that many deemed colorist on “The Real Housewives of Atlanta” Sunday, Eva Marcille was forced to explain herself.
When the model, Kandi Burruss, Porsha Williams, Nene Leakes and Cynthia Bailey went to “ATL Live On The Park” on the Nov. 18 episode, they took in a performance by Shamari DeVoe and her group Blaque.
After the performance, DeVoe, who goes way back with Burruss, came over and introduced herself.
“You don’t know her yet,” Williams says to Marcille after the newest “RHOA” peach holder walked away.
“I don’t, but Blaque is cute,” Marcille replies. “She’s Black, she’s snatched, she’s married. Shamea’s Black, too. She ain’t Blaque with a ‘q.'”
“You are being shady as f— right now,” Burruss tells the “America’s Next Top Model Winner” of her remark about Shamea Morton.
“What did you mean by ‘Shamea is Black, but not with a ‘q?'” the star explains in a confessional scene. “Like … I’m hoping she did not mean because she’s dark-skinned. I don’t like that. I like you, but I did not like that.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/BqXt3r-h57G/
Online, folks revved up the criticism of Marcille, while others dismissed the idea that skin tone was the issue.
“Eva’s joke was colorist. All the ladies are black so the ‘blaQue’ pun clearly referenced Shamea’s dark skin. #rhoa.”
“Not a fan of the Shamea being Blaque without a Q statement by Eva. It’s 2018 and we’re still stuck on color? #RHOA.”
“I don’t think Eva was shaming Shamea for her skin tone Kandi. She meant that she’s black but not #Blaque because that’s the name of Shamari group. So just stop it. #RHOA.”
“I Think @Kandi Took That ‘Blaque’ Comment Wrong. Eva’s Play On Words Was Accurate. Shamea is Black, Not Blaque Like Shamari #rhoa.”
The blowback led the mother of two to respond on Instagram by Monday.
“Saying she’s not black with the [sic] a Q clearly means she’s not in a singing group,” Marcille wrote in a note. “Never in 1 million years was I talking about skin color and how Kandi got that from what I said I’m still confused.”
She added in the caption, “Colorism is a huge issue in the black community. It is extremely irresponsible to insinuate that what I was saying had anything to do with skin color.”
(@evamarcille/Instagram)
Morton herself took it to be color-based, however. She responded on Nov. 19 by posting a maternity photo and writing in the caption, “My BLACK without the Q is BEAUTIFUL! ❤️ #RHOA #maternitymonday #Melanin #madeinhisimage #keepemtalking #9monthspregnant @princessshya #blackisbeautiful #chocolate #Darkskin.”
(@shameamorton/Instagram)
