Cynthia Bailey’s time on the hit Bravo reality series The Real Housewives of Atlanta has come to an end. In an emotional Instagram post after months of speculation that producers were considering letting Bailey go, Bailey announced her departure. She was a full-time cast member on the show since Season 3.
“I am so grateful to have had this amazing journey, and I am anxiously waiting to embark on new adventures,” she captioned a striking photo of herself in her announcement. “Most importantly, THANK YOU to my fans! I could not have done it without your blessings, love, and support. Without the fans, none of this would be possible. I love and appreciate all of you. It’s time to move on to my next chapter, and I look forward to sharing it with all of you.
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One person who is sad to see Bailey go is her co-star and BFF, Kenya Moore. Moore joined the show in Season 5 and despite getting off to a bumpy start with Bailey, by Season 7, they’d formed a tight bond. Bailey’s longtime on-again-off-again best friend Nene Leakes was in fierce opposition of the Bailey-Moore friendship, but Bailey never bailed on Moore.
“I’m sad to see her go but she was an amazing housewife,” Moore told Access Hollywood in a recent interview. “10 seasons, 11 seasons of being this classy, amazing, beautiful friend to me when I cam on the show. Sad to see her go, but I think she’s going — she’s not going very far.”
Bailey made history as the first housewife to get married on the show. Season 3 chronicled her stressful wedding day to her ex-husband Peter Thomas in the season finale. She and Thomas divorced after nine years of marriage and she’s since found love in sports anchor Mike Hill. Bailey made history again on the show, getting married to Hill in a COVID-safe ceremony in October 2020.
As for what she’s doing next, Bailey’s plate is full. She still owns The Bailey Agency, a modeling and fashion agency in Atlanta. Additionally, she owns several accessories lines, a wine cellar and event space called The Bailey Wine Cellar, and she continues modeling and acting. She will star in the upcoming season of the BET sports drama series Games People Play.
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