Cynthia Bailey Reveals Bravo Offered Her A ‘Friend Contract’ But She Decided Against It: Cut The Cord + Talks Reuniting W/ Nene Leakes: It Was Awkward At First

October 4, 2021 by C.J. in Reality TV with 0 Comments

Cynthia Bailey Reveals Bravo Offered Her A ‘Friend Contract’ But She Decided Against It: Cut The Cord + Talks Reuniting W/ Nene Leakes: It Was Awkward At First

Former RHOA star Cynthia Bailey is making it clear she’s finished with the series, even after the network offered her a part-time role.

Cynthia Bailey surprised lots of fans when she confirmed reports she was leaving the popular Bravo reality show after 11 seasons.

She said of her departure recently,

“It’s been an incredible journey and I have to be honest you guys, I’m happy but I’m also sad at the same time. It’s almost like ‘what in the world, how did I do this for 11 years?’ When I look back, even looking at the intro, I want to go back and watch all the seasons with me on it. Because when you live it, when you’re a part of it, it’s actually a very difficult show to watch sometimes.”

She spoke on the transitions fans have seen her experience and added,

“It’s a hard show to do. I feel like I did it, I did it my way and I made it out alive, with a brand and a whole husband.”

As for what made her ultimately leave, she said:

“It was time, it was honestly time.”

When asked if it was her decision, Bravo’s, or one that was mutual, she said,

“I had been thinking about it for a while, just the whole transition. I knew it wasn’t going to last forever. I knew I didn’t want to do it forever. Ten years is a good run, but that said, with me just thinking about it, then the whole thing happened with us going on hiatus so it gave me more time to think about it and then I got really used to not going back.”

She continued and said,

“When they did come back, and once they figured out what they wanted to do, they actually offered me a friend contract.”

She joked that she was the first to introduce the “friend contract” on RHOA, referencing a moment when she and Nene Leakes solidified their friendship in season three.

Cynthia Bailey added that she considered it at first, before deciding to walk away for good.

“I thought, ‘You know what? That may be a perfect way for me to transition. I don’t have to commit completely fully to being a ‘Housewife’, and I can be a friend and kind of phase myself off the show.’ And then I decided, you know what, cut the cord.”

Mike Hill, Cynthia Bailey

She ended by denying her husband of almost one year, Mike Hill, influenced her decision, as he lives in Los Angeles.

“Listen, let me correct the streets. Mike has always been super supportive of me, for sure. At the end of the day, he wants me to do what is going to be best for me and what’s happy for me.”

While she said she “needs a break” and isn’t open to doing another franchise in L.A., she said she could return to the small screen soon.

She went on to address fans’ concerns about the future of RHOA amid her departure, as well as Porsha Williams’, who announced she was leaving as well. Nene Leakes also exited the series ahead of its previous 13th season.

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Cynthia Bailey said,

“Every show has to evolve. I don’t think any one person or two people make the show, I’m rooting for them… Bravo is great about just bringing people back every now and then.”

She also said “it’s time without question” for Marlo Hampton, who has been a friend of the show since season four, to get her peach as a full-time cast member.

Marlo Hampton

She later opened up about reuniting with Nene Leakes for the first time in years. While their friendship has had its ups and downs, they reunited following the passing of Nene Leakes’ husband, Gregg Leakes.

Cynthia said,

“I was devastated for Nene when Gregg passed. I was there – I was a very good friend of hers when she found out he had cancer. So I’ve kind of been along this journey with her the entire time… Unfortunately, my husband and I were not able to make it to the celebration. So it was just weighing on me because I wanted that moment but I didn’t know what that moment would feel like with her because we weren’t friends anymore. How do you go to your friend that’s not your friend anymore and say ‘Hey, I just wanna come and sit with you. I wanna come and hug you.'”

Nene Leakes, Cynthia Bailey

She said she was “scared to death” and decided to call Marlo Hampton, one of Nene’s closest friends.

“I was like ‘Marlo… you’re taking me to see Nene. I’m back in Atlanta and I need to see her. When they were having their issues I helped pull them back together so she owes me. I was really nervous.”

Marlo Hampton suggested surprising Nene Leakes at her restaurant, Linnethia Lounge in Atlanta, but Cynthia said she was unsure of how she would react.

“It could go either way.”

She added,

“By the time I saw her, it was a moment. It was a little awkward at first. But after about 10 minutes we were fine. We pretty much helped close up the Linnethia Lounge.”