‘RHOA’ Alum Phaedra Parks Signs With Major Modeling Agency

Former Real Housewives of Atlanta cast member Phaedra Parks is taking her talents from reality TV to the runway.

The entrepreneur signed last week with Wilhelmina Models, which also manages rapper Nicki Minaj and singer Nick Jonas among many other famous faces.

While Parks isn’t your traditional mode, measuring only 5-foot-1, she told Us Weekly she’s proud to represent a “yes you can” mentality and represent a diverse group of women in the modeling industry.

“I’m a small town girl who has followed her dreams. Yes, you can be a mom, yes, you can be a lawyer and yes, you can be a model. When the opportunity presented itself some people asked me ‘Why?’ and I said ‘Why not?’ A supermodel started this company and she wanted to give power back to the women and I think I stand for the same things. I have the opportunity to show people that beauty can come in every size, shade, color and age,” she said.

In July, Parks and her husband Apollo Nida finalized their divorce after a rough three-year process. When asked if this struggle motivated her to get her “revenge body,” the RHOA alum said the stress may have played a part in her new outlook on life, but that she’s happier than ever.

One part of modeling the 44-year-old has no problem with is showing some skin.

“I love nudity! I’ve brought a lot of exotic entertainers on the show, so I love my body and I’ve got curves. I’m a mother of two children, so I’m not perfect, but I have no problem getting naked,” she said.

She revealed that her dream campaign would be for a skin care brand so that she could give women a less distorted view of beauty standards.

“I have great skin, I love makeup, but I love to be able to take off the makeup and have beautiful skin,” she said. “I also think a lot of girls are looking on Instagram for an idealized standard of beauty that requires a lot of makeup. Those are not the faces of what real women look like.”