‘Real Housewives of Atlanta’ Brings Back a Fan-Favorite for Rebooted Season 16

Porsha Williams Guobadia, formerly Porsha Williams, is back. After weeks of rumors, she took to Instagram to confirm her return to The Real Housewives of Atlanta after a two-season hiatus. Williams Guobadia starred on the show for a decade, joining in Season 5 until her exit after the Season 12 reunion. Her exit came amid her widely reported engagement to Atlanta businessman, Simon Guobadia, who at the time was still legally married to her co-star, Falynn Pina. Pina joined the show as a friend to Williams for one season and claimed she was blindsided by the relationship. Williams Guobadia and her now-husband instated their romance began after he filed for divorce from Pina, with Williams Guobadia sliding into his DMs on Instagram to wish him well when news broke about the split. 

“I’m incredibly thankful for the vision and faith NBCUniversal has put in me to be a larger part of their family,” Williams Guobadia said in a statement, per Deadline. “I’m looking forward to being back on The Real Housewives of Atlanta, and showing the world my new world!” She’s kept fans updated on her lavish lifestyle via Instagram, and briefly on a shortlived spinoff, Porsha’s Family Matters, and on The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip 4. Her return to the Bravo reality series isn’t her only big news. She also inked an overall scripted deal with NBCUniversal “for scripted project opportunities across the company’s broadcast and streaming properties,” the report notes.

“Porsha Williams Guobadia is a multi-hyphenate and we are fortunate to collaborate and tap into her creativity and passion through this partnership,” Rachel Smith, Executive Vice President of Unscripted Content, Lifestyle and Documentaries, NBCUniversal Entertainment, said in a statement. “Our audience has supported and admired Porsha as she so authentically, hilariously and vulnerably shared her life over the years and we couldn’t be more excited to welcome her back to the NBCU family.”

Kandi Burruss recently announced her exit from the series after 14 seasons, making her the longest-tenured Housewife of any franchise on the network. Phaedra Parks, who was fired from the show after season 9 for spreading a vicious rumor involving both Burruss and Williams Guobadia, confirmed she’s also in talks to return.