Credit: Dave Starbuck/Future Image/Cover Images, Xavier Collin/Image Press Agency/Abaca Press/INSTARimages
Real Housewives of Atlanta star Kelli Potter was feeling herself in a recent interview, insisting that she “set the standard” for a lot of the women on the show.
While the franchise has had many style icons along the way, including Marlo Hampton, Sheree Whitfield, and more, Kelli clearly feels she’s in a league of her own.
“I came in my first season and really set the standard for a lot of these ladies,” she told Carlos King on his Reality with The King podcast.
When he asked her “in what way,” Kelli, 41, insisted it was when it came to “fashion” and “content.”
“They weren’t doing content on Season 16. Nobody had their own videographer and photographer,” she said.
“When it came to events, I always did events,” she continued. “You can look back on my page. I didn’t get on – I didn’t host an event at Williams-Sonoma because of being on this show. No, I’ve hosted several events with Williams-Sonoma prior to being on the show. When it comes to Balmain, I hosted a birthday party in Balmain. Shut down the store. These women couldn’t do that because they really don’t shop in the stores.”
When Carlos asked her where the RHOA women shop, she continued to shade them.
“You’ve got to ask them. You know, wherever they can return,” she said.
“Police escorts – when it came to police escorts. I’ve always had a police escort,” she continued to explain about how she felt she elevated the show. “Like security – I mean, these things for me, it’s just like, this is a joke for me. I just feel like, maybe they don’t want to give me my flowers, but I set a lot of standards for these ladies… They’re using the stylist now, which is all — I mean, it’s all good, you know? Like, they’re all using the stylist. They all look like his protégé.”
“It’s cute! It’s cute,” she added. “They needed it! Did they not? They needed it! And you know that they did. And I love that for them. They should — you should be spending the money. Y’all making enough! You should be — you should be reinvesting in yourself and your careers… I just got here! I’m not making nowhere near what y’all making, but been doing this.”
When Carlos explained the women had done events before she came on the show, including Marlo shutting down Phipps Plaza in season four, Kelli admitted that made sense.
She also shared she loves Marlo and would like for her to return to the show. Following some backlash to her comments, Kelli doubled down in the comments section of Carlos’ Instagram post.
“One thing I loved about this interview is that I was finally able to speak MY truth. I was also able to give flowers where flowers are due and pay homage to some of the INCREDIBLE women who helped shape the #rhoa franchise,” wrote Kelli.
She continued, “When I talked about ‘setting a standard’ I meant exactly that. As a NEW Housewife, to come in during Season 16 and accomplish what I did wasn’t the norm for a new comer. I hosted unforgettable events with amazing brands..created conversations, shifted perspectives, and had the ladies looking at fashion from a different POV…(these stores don’t let you host because you’re on a TV show) if you know you KNOW.”
“Love me or disagree with me, I showed up authentically and I did it my way,” Kelli concluded.
In response to Kelli’s interview, her co-star Drew Sidora took to Instagram to respond in the comments.
“A true fashion girl never has to announce it,” she wrote. “The outfits speak for themselves.”
Drew Sidora threw some shade at her RHOA costar Kelli on Instagram.