Porsha Williams is setting the record straight when it comes to her departure from The Real Housewives of Atlanta.
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Porsha told People, “It’s good to be seen again” on the small screen. “It’s been a minute, but it was nice to get a little taste, a little twang, of this world again. Though sometimes it’ll sting you a little bit!”
This is why your mama said to call your new acquaintances “associates.”
It is reported that Falyn and Guobadia were separated before he and Porsha got cozy. Still, fans were unaware and began to drag the mom of one when the new couple went public shortly after season 13 ended. The Twitterverse claimed Porisha stole Pina’s husband, and Williams exiting RHOA only confirmed her guilt.
The public speculated that Porsha didn’t want to be held accountable on cam.
“But that wasn’t the truth at all, ” Porsha said. “I wasn’t running away,” she said. “And I don’t think any of my followers who truly knew me would believe I would run away from the show for that.”
Porsha has experienced her share of turmoil on RHOA, including her contentious marriage to retired NFL star Kordel Stewart which ended after learning he filed for divorce on social media and her relationship with Dennis McKinley falling apart after learning he was unfaithful.
“I’ve dealt with a lot of harsh things on the show,” Williams told PEOPLE. “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.”
Porsha says she decided to conclude her stint on RHOA months earlier.
“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 claims. “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.”
Joining Ultimate Girls Trip felt like the best decision for Porsha, she says. “Honestly, I don’t think I’ve ever been this much of myself on television before,” she revealed. “And that’s really something to say since I’ve been on TV for 10 years!”
After A Decade On TV, Porsha Says Ultimate Girls Trip Was “Like A Fresh Start”
The Atlanta native didn’t escape the vacation without a little palm tree thrown her way. Castmates questioned her relationship with Simon and former “friend,” Falyn.
“I kept it moving,” she says. “Peacock’s whole vision for Ultimate Girls Trip was for us to feel like we were really on a vacation and production really encouraged that. It was, ‘Talk about what you want to talk about, break the fourth wall if you want, discussion something from 10 years ago or yesterday — whatever you want, just have fun.’ And I was having a time with these girls. These girls don’t mind letting their hair down, and when you’re doing something like this, everybody’s got to be about it. When it’s time to wild out, everybody needs to say, ‘Yes.’ If something comes up? ‘Let’s do it.’ And we did both. It was a party like, every other night.”
Porsha continued, “Think about it — I’m the only one on the show who wasn’t currently on a show”.
“It was like a fresh start,” she confessed to PEOPLE. “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.”
Porsha Reflects On Her RHOA Regrets And If She’ll Make A Comeback
Porsha says she may pull her peach out of the bin one day.
“It would be great if we brought back the RHUGT energy to these shows,” Williams says. “The ‘Hey, let’s let all that go. Let’s really get to know each other. Let’s dig in and form real relationships with each other, and really have fun. Stop thinking about the camera. Just enjoy yourself and be yourself.’ And I think if we did that, we’ll end up having more positive, fun seasons.”
The 41-year-old wishes she had addressed past pettiness differently.
“A lot of times, you can get caught up in what somebody’s saying to you. They’re reading you, they’re insulting you or other people, or pushing it on and making it worse,” Williams says. “You have to think about the end goal. How did this relationship start? Where do you want it to end? I wish I would’ve done that in some of my other relationships — shut out the noise, called a girl up and say, ‘Hey, let’s talk about this. Forget about the comments, forget about what Twitter is saying, forget about everything else that’s going on. Let’s talk about this. Are we going to be cool after this? Is that the intention, or do you just want to fight me forever?’”
She admitted, “If I would have shut all that out and just dealt with that person, I think I would see better outcomes with some of this stuff.”
You can catch new episodes every Thursday of Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip streaming now on Peacock.
