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Cynthia Bailey announced her departure from The Real Housewives of Atlanta after being offered a “friend” role on season 14.
Following the confirmation of her exit at the end of September, Cynthia admitted she’s both “happy” and “sad” that her Bravo run has come to an end before opening up about her demotion and revealing if husband Mike Hill, who she married nearly one year ago, had a hand in her decision.
“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,” Cynthia said on E! News’ Daily Pop on October 1, via Yahoo!. “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 very difficult show to watch sometimes. 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.”
Although Cynthia has fond memories of her time on RHOA, she said she felt “it was time” for her to walk away.
“It was honestly time,” she shared. “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.”
Before deciding against appearing on RHOA season 14, she was offered a “friend contract.”
“Ironically, I actually introduced the friend contract on the show, but that’s neither here nor there,” she explained. “And 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.”
While there have been rumors claiming Cynthia’s husband Mike had something to do with her Bravo exit, Cynthia made it clear that Mike has always been supportive of her career.
“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,” she said. “The reality of the situation is, I’m tired. I want to do something else. There’s so many other things I can do.”
After leaving RHOA to pursue other projects, Cynthia said she will “absolutely be on television” in the future but wouldn’t commit to returning to the Real Housewives franchise.
“Not right now,” Cynthia teased. “I need a year. I need a break. I need a drama break, I do. I just need a minute. I’m not saying never ever ever.”
In recent weeks, there have been a number of rumors regarding cast changes, as well as an exit from Porsha Williams. But, all things considered, Cynthia said she has faith that the show will continue to see success.
“I think that every show has to evolve, and I don’t think that any one person or any two people make the show,” she concluded. “I’m rooting for them. Bravo is great about bringing people back every now and then.”
Following her exit from The Real Housewives of Atlanta, Cynthia will be seen in the series debut of Peacock’s Real Housewives: Ultimate Girls Trip.