The ladies of the Real Housewives of Atlanta season 14 have been revealed. After cast shake-ups and multiple speculations pertaining to who would be returning and who would be leaving, the final peaches are ready to bring flavor back to Bravo TV. Missing this go-round are quite a few notable cast members, including Cynthia Bailey. Much has changed in her life since the last season, and she’s now explaining why she walked away from the franchise.
The Georgia-based version of the The Real Housewives first premiered in October of 2008. It was the house that personalities like NeNe Leakes, Kim Zolciak, Sheree Whitfield, and Lisa Wu helped to build. Since its debut, the third installment of the franchise went on to become the most popular of all Housewives. In 2014, it became Bravo TV’s highest rated television program.
By the third season, fans of the Atlanta show would welcome a few new cast members. In 2010, actress and model Cynthia Bailey entered the swing of things as a main peach holder. The season chronicled her journey with then-boyfriend, Peter Thomas. They would eventually be married by the end of the season.
Eventually, things within Bailey and Thomas’s marriage began to dissolve over time. Multiple struggles and infractions would play out on the reality television show. In season 6, fans noticed what seemed to be a breaking point for both when Thomas mentioned that they couldn’t continue in the way they were going. “Somebody needs an escape route,” Thomas said to his soon-to-be ex-wife. Soon enough, Cynthia Bailey announced they were seperated.
Cynthia Bailey Confirms She and Peter Thomas Are Separated https://t.co/NKLqezRwWt pic.twitter.com/LG9k5tlekR
— Bravo (@BravoTV) May 31, 2016
During a conversation with Reality Checked with Amy Phillips, Cynthia Bailey stated that she and Thomas were “not in a great place.” She also noted that she felt the show was part of the reason the marriage was unable to thrive. “We’ve never been married outside of the show, and I don’t think that it’s helped us a lot,” Bailey explained. “Maybe if we were married three years before we went on the show, that would have been better. I just have nothing to compare my marriage to outside of the show, and you know, it’s just been difficult.”
Season 9 saw the crumbling of their marriage reach its ultimate demise. On the season premiere, Cynthia Bailey revealed that the pair had been living separately for 5 months. She would later become more transparent about their divorce during an interview on The Real. “To have to go through a divorce on the show is not easy,” the reality star stated. “But I think the only thing more tragic than divorce is being in something that’s not working anymore.”
Throughout her time on the show, Cynthia Bailey also shared her close relationship with former flame Leon Robinson. The two share daughter, Noelle. Soon enough, Cynthia Bailey would meet Mike Hill. The rest, as they say, is history. Cynthia Bailey’s relationship with Mike Hill would also start to play out on The Real Housewives of Atlanta. From their engagement to their wedding, Bailey’s relationship life was once again repeating history. This time, however, she shared intentions on doing things differently.
In a 2020 interview with Showbiz Cheatsheet, Bailey stated that she would absolutely walk away from the show if she realized it had a negative effect on her relationship. “If I felt I was ever at a point where I wasn’t able to balance being on the show with my regular off-show life, if it was causing issues with that, then I would definitely have to re-think being on the show,” Bailey expressed. She added, “At the end of the day, I want a life after the show. I need my family after the show. I want to be with my husband after the show. That’s something that I would never sacrifice for the show if it came down to that.”
This year, it was announced that Cynthia Bailey would not be returning after 11 seasons on the show. Following much speculation, she finally offered why she decided to leave. Her reason had much to do with her earlier statements. Cynthia Bailey’s first marriage to Peter Thomas motivated her to be more protective of her second marriage, as she told Page Six recently. “I really want it to work. And I want to do everything that I can to protect it and to protect Mike.”
