Just when viewers of the popular “The Real Housewives of Atlanta” franchise thought they’d seen the last of Cynthia Bailey, the model and actress is back after teasing her return to the Bravo reality series, not as a prominent cast member but as a “friend” of the show.
It’s not clear how much of Cynthia fans will get to see; however, regarding the upcoming season 15, the star told Jay’s Reality Blog, “I can say that I am going to play with the girls a little bit this season, maybe some future seasons,” before clarifying, “but only as a friend.”
The 55-year-old admitted that “I do miss hanging out with the ladies a little,” adding, “I had some really great friendships with some of the girls.” Cynthia also shared that because she’s been back in Atlanta and spending more time at Lake Bailey, she has had more time to film with her former co-stars and friends. When asked to confirm if viewers would see her appear throughout season 15, the reality star said, “It’s looking that way.”
She later spilled some details about the new installment, revealing that the ladies–Marlo Hampton, Sheree Whitfield, Kenya Moore, Drew Sidora, Sanya Richards-Ross, and Kandi Burruss–had “a few more weeks of filming” left, and since she’s in Atlanta, “I keep getting invited to some of their events.” She said that’s despite her adamantly saying, “I’m not filming. I’m not on the show anymore.”
Still. she admitted, “I think I’m ready to get back on camera with some of the ladies.” Previously, Cynthia revealed in an Instagram post that she was leaving the series in September 2021 after 11 seasons on the show, writing, “After much thought and consideration, I have made the very difficult and heartfelt decision not to return for the next season of Real Housewives of Atlanta.”
However, a later interview showed that her exit appeared to be triggered by her marriage to journalist and now ex-husband Mike Hill. She told reporters, “After going through my divorce with my ex [Peter Thomas], I’m very protective of my second marriage because, you know, I really want it to work, and I want to do everything that I can to protect it and to protect Mike.”
Cynthia’s announcement garnered mixed reactions, but the majority appeared pleased about the star’s return, including one user who wrote, “Cynthia said let me tie up those loose ends with Mike and come collect that friend bag. I know that’s right.”
Another person added, “I hope these women stop leaving the show for men. That’s your bread. People loved you on it. You can have a man and a peach.”
