Porsha Williams is denying that she quit RHOA in order to avoid dealing with the drama surrounding her relationship with now-husband Simon Guobadia on camera, according to a fresh interview.
“I wasn’t running away,” she told PEOPLE in a new interview about her exit from RHOA and re-introduction via The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip. “And I don’t think any of my followers who truly knew me would believe that I would run away from the show for that.”
“I’ve dealt with a lot of harsh things on the show,” she continued, referencing her messy splits with Kordell Stewart and Dennis McKinley. “And I’ve been there at the beginning of every season to film, with the camera on. So no, this had nothing to do with that.”
Some fans believe Porsha was actually with Simon prior to the end of his marriage to Falynn — who was introduced as a friend of Porsha’s on Season 13 of RHOA —but according to the longtime reality star, she had already decided to exit The Real Housewives of Atlanta before the relationship drama became public.
“I had already decided that it was time for me to step away at least six months before I told any of the executives what I was going to do — and long before I even met my now-husband,” she explained of her decision to walk away from RHOA. “I was turning 40, I was hitting my 10-year mark on the show, and I really just had to reassess where I was and what I wanted totally out of my life. So that’s where that decision came from.”
Porsha’s family infamously had an all-out brawl on her spinoff Porsha’s Family Matters and while it was highly-rated for Bravo, the drama surely also played into her decision. Now, she seems happy to be re-introducing herself to viewers via the Thailand-set third season of RHUGT. “Honestly, I don’t think I’ve ever been this much of myself on television before,” she said. “And that’s really something to say since I’ve been on TV for 10 years!”
“It was like a fresh start,” she added, referencing the fact that she is the only RHUGT cast member who is not currently on a Real Housewives show. “I wasn’t connected to any of their current drama, so there was no baggage for me. It was really free and refreshing. I really just enjoyed introducing myself to these girls and having some authentic moments with them. They were able to get to know me and I was able to get to know them without having to dig into some old messes.”
With social media loving Porsha’s appearance on RHUGT, there is a slight possibility she could return to RHOA in the future. It will have to be after Season 15, however, as that season has wrapped and is currently in post-production with a rumoured Summer 2023 launch date.
New episodes of The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip drop Thursdays on Peacock.
