Actress Eva Marcille and Michael T. Sterling are the latest couple to split after reality television following reports “The Real Housewives of Atlanta” alum recently filed for divorce.
There’s a long-running rumor in the entertainment industry that most reality couples don’t last after being under a microscope and exposing their lives on camera.
Millions of viewers around the world are invited to watch the good, the bad, and the ugly of their union, family, and relationships. But only the strong survive, especially cast members from Bravo’s most beloved franchise.
Here’s a running list of 13 “Real Housewives” couples who filed for divorce after reality TV and counting.
Eva Marcille and Michael Sterling (2018-2023)
Marcille is seemingly back on the market after filing for divorce from her husband of five years, Michael Sterling in Fulton County, Georgia.
The former couple, who wed in 2018, share three children, including Marcille’s oldest daughter, whom Sterling adopted. Marcille declared her marriage with the former mayoral candidate as “irretrievably broken” with no possibility of reconciliation in court documents obtained by The Shade Room. She reportedly filed the paperwork early last week on March 23.
Fans got a glimpse of Sterling’s marriage to the season 3 winner of “America’s Next Top Model” on seasons 10-12 of “The Real Housewives of Atlanta.” In 2020, Marcille announced her departure from the Bravo series in order to spend more time with her family and bond with her husband.
At this time it’s unclear what caused their separation.
Drew Sidora and Ralph Pittman (2014-2023)
“RHOA” fans are also not shocked by cast member Drew Sidora and her estranged husband, Ralph Pittman, racing to the courts to file for divorce within one hour of each other on Feb. 27 in Gwinnett County.
They share two children, although fans called out Pittman for neglecting his duties as a stepdad to Sidora’s oldest son.
Pittman has requested part of Sidora’s music income and that she move out of their family home, claiming he “solely satisfied the loan for the marital residence.” Due to his mistreatment of his wife on the show, fans saw a divorce coming a mile away for these two.
The biggest topic of them all was his trip to Tampa, Florida, where he failed to inform his wife of his whereabouts for several days. He was even captured on “RHOA” cameras refusing to answer Sidora’s calls. Pittman claimed that he was alone on the trip during season 13’s reunion episode, but fans were not buying it.
Not to mention Pittman’s infamous text exchange, where he offered his assistant a massage. The woman was later terminated and Sidora admitted to packing up the couple’s children and going home to Chicago for a period of time.
The “White Chicks” actress accused her estranged husband of cheating and abuse. She described him as a “serial cheater and adulterer” who had affairs with women that “have rubbed it in her face” by sending Sidora screenshots of their explicit messages with Pittman.
Ashley Darby and Michael Darby (2014-2022)
Ashley Darby from “The Real Housewives of Potomac” entered the series with her husband, Michael Darby. The two share two sons, Dean, 4, and Dylan, 2, and spent “almost eight magical years” together as husband and wife before she filed for divorce in April 2022.
Unfortunately, the status of her divorce from Michael is still pending, and she will not get any alimony, according to the prenuptial agreement they both signed.
Since then Ashley has been living her best life, dancing in videos on TikTok and Instagram. She is currently dating and has fallen for “Winter House” star Luke Gulbranson.
Cynthia Bailey and Peter Thomas (2010-2017), Mike Hill (2020-2022)
Cynthia Bailey is the only housewife who has been married in the series not once but twice. She first wed businessman Peter Thomas in 2010 during season 3 of “RHOA.” Fans recall Bailey’s sister, Malorie, attempted to hide the couple’s marriage license on their wedding day. After seven years of matrimony, they finalized their divorce in 2017. She sued Thomas for $170,000, which she invested in a club he planned to open. The case was later dismissed.
Two years later, she found love again with sportscaster Mike Hill. After two years of dating, they wed in a lavish ceremony in October 2020, which was documented in season 13. Bailey filed for divorce in November 2022, claiming there was no possibility of reconciliation. Their divorce was finalized this year in February.
Phaedra Parks and Apollo Nida (2009-2017)
Parks entered the “RHOA” scene while pregnant and married with her first child to husband Apollo Nida in season 3 in 2010. Fans and her cast mates often questioned the timeline of how they met and when she got pregnant. They welcomed their second son in May 2013.
The Atlanta attorney filed for divorce in October 2014 — a month after Nida began his eight-year sentence in federal prison after he pleaded guilty to bank, mail, and wire fraud following his being listed as the main culprit behind an identity theft scheme in May 2014.
Nida claimed that Parks left him to “rot” and “die” when she decided to file and didn’t allow him to see their two sons. The divorce was finalized in 2016, and Nida was released in 2019 after five years in prison.
DeShawn and Eric Snow (1998-2010)
One-season wonder DeShawn Snow was married to former NBA player Eric Snow when she was introduced on the first season of “RHOA.” The former college sweethearts were married for 12 years and raised three sons in Georgia together before DeShawn filed for divorce in 2010. Eric, at the time, was a point guard for the Cleveland Cavaliers, and DeShawn was an Atlanta socialite running a nonprofit for teenage girls. Fans recall her attempt to raise $1 million for the DeShawn Snow Foundation fundraiser she threw at their home.
The breakup inspired her to lose weight, get in shape and write her children’s book series. During a 2020 interview with Essence magazine, Snow revealed that she wasn’t invited back for season 2 because she didn’t “pump up the drama” during the show or the reunion special, even when she found out cast members were talking about her.
Nene and Gregg Leakes (1997-2021)
“RHOA” OG’s Nene and Gregg Leakes have been married, divorced, and remarried all over again. The pair met in 1996 at a strip club where Nene worked as an exotic dancer, where the businessman persuaded her to leave her job. They first wed in 1997, and filed for divorce in 2011, with Gregg suggesting that newfound fame had gone to Nene’s head. They remarried in 2013 in a beautiful ceremony that aired on the seven-episode special, “I Dream of NeNe: The Wedding.”
The intensity of their reunion heightened after Gregg was diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer in 2018, which he beat in 2019. Unfortunately, Gregg succumbed to his lengthy battle in September 2021 at the age of 66. His cancer had returned months earlier in June.
On the show, Gregg and Nene lived in the house with their son, Brentt, and Nene’s older son from a previous relationship, Bryson Bryant. This year would have been their 26th wedding anniversary.
Charrisse and Eddie Jordan (1997-2019)
“RHOP” star Charrisse Jordan revealed she wasn’t going back to the show due to her husband anticipating a divorce. She decided to return to the show anyway, and the former couple filed for divorce in 2017, ending their 20-year marriage. During the season 1 reunion, Charrisse revealed that she had not spoken to her husband since the show aired.
Fans watched the two live separately after Eddie returned to New Jersey while she stayed in Potomac raising their two boys. After two seasons, she stepped down from a full-time cast member to a friend of the cast in season 3.
In a December 2021 episode of Life After Bravo, Charrisse revealed that she and Eddie still don’t talk. “I don’t think he likes me very much,” she said.
Falynn Guobadia and Simon Guobadia (2019-2021)
Viewers were introduced to Faylynn Guobadia as a friend of Porsha Williams in season 13. She and Simon were together for five years before getting married in 2019. Simon accused the “RHOA” star of cheating on him and filed for divorce twice. Their divorce was finalized in July 2021, two months after Simon got engaged to former “RHOA” star Porsha Williams.
Williams claimed she and Faylnn were not friends despite appearing as friends on the show and Williams visiting her home.
Faylnn is a mother of four after welcoming her fourth child, a daughter with ex-fiancé Jaylnn Banks. They announced their engagement a month before she gave birth in November 2021 and broke up earlier this year in February.
Porsha Williams and Kordell Stewart (2009-2013)
When Porsha Wiliams joined “RHOA,” she was married to former NFL quarterback Kordell Stewart. She talked about their relationship in detail in her memoir “The Pursuit of Porsha: How I Grew Into My Power and Purpose.” They dated for years and married in 2011.
Stewart, who is nearly 10 years older than Williams, was often criticized for his traditional gender roles and values. He took issue with her hanging out with friends, wanting her to be a stay-at-home mom. However, Williams was more interested in asserting her independence, while some of her cast mates viewed Stewart as controlling. She was blindsided when he filed for divorce days before the finale part of season 5’s reunion in 2013.
Years later, the Georgia native went on to have a daughter, Pilar, with her ex-fiancé Dennis McKinley. They broke up in 2019 after finding out he cheated during her pregnancy.
In November 2022, Williams tied the knot after being engaged for one year to Simon Guobadia, who was previously married to former “RHOA” star Falynn Guobadia.
Lisa Wu and Ed Hartwell (2006-2011)
Fans loved Lisa “firecracker” Wu and her NFL husband Ed Hartwell, but they only stayed on the show for two seasons. The pair married in 2005 and share a son, Ed Jr., who was born in 2007. She revealed the separation had nothing to do with money despite reports their home was sold in foreclosure. Their divorce was finalized in 2012.
Wu returned in season 14 to attend dinner with the ladies, where she got into a verbal tussle with Olympic gold medalist Sanya Richards-Ross.
Shereé and Bob Whitfield (2002-2007)
Shereé was introduced on “RHOA” as a loving fitness-driven super mom of three while battling a messy divorce from former NFL player Bob Whitfield in 2008. They were together for 14 years and married from 2002 to 2007. She had accused him of being abusive during their marriage and failing to pay child support for their two children. The couple attempted to rekindle their relationship on the show but were unsuccessful. Their divorce and custody battle were broadcast on the show, which birthed one of her most memorable scenes on the series.
In season 2, while meeting with her event planner Anthony to plan her “Independence Party,” Shereé had tons of questions about the party’s details. The two got into a verbal altercation which led to both parties being separated by employees, and in the midst, Shereé responded with her now iconic phrase, “Who gon’ check me, Boo?” The famous line has also been added to Urbandictionary.com.
Following that, the “She by Shereé” founder was dating Tyrone Gilliams, an ex who was serving time in prison for wire fraud. Their relationship was documented in season 12.
