'Real Housewives of Atlanta': What Sanya Richards-Ross Told Us About Season 15 (Exclusive)

Season 15 of The Real Housewives of Atlanta will premiere on Bravo on May 7 and fans are anticipating a drama-filled season. Returning full-time cast members are Kandi Burruss, Kenya Moore, Drew Sidora, Sheree Whitfield, Sanya Richards Ross, and Marlo Hampton. Cynthia Bailey is returning as a friend of the show after a one-season hiatus and after her divorce from Mike Hill was finalized. And OGs Kim Zolciak-Biermann, Lisa Wu, and DeShaun Snow make a surprise appearance. Richards-Ross, a five-time Olympic gold-medalist, made her debut last season. Fans' reactions were mixed. But she says she's much more settled this time around.

"I feel like season 15 felt like we did two seasons in one. Not just because we came back up twice, but because it was that good. I think that Season 14 felt like a rebuild, especially for me coming on for the first time," she told us at the 2023 Disney Dreamers Academy, where she served as a mentor to the class. "So this season, I felt like I really got to know the ladies. I feel like I'm in the thick of it and I got to show up, I feel like, even more authentically as myself, getting to really build friendships. So I'm excited for the audience to see that." 

She also dished on what to expect from her own storyline, hinting that there's some shock in store. The trailer shows her in tears after her husband, NFL Super Bowl champion Aaron Ross, notes that her family needs to move out of their home. They currently share a mansion with the sprinter's parents, sister, brother-in-law, and two nephews.

"As far as my personal story, it gets a little bit unpredictable. There's some stuff I can't share, because it happens toward the end of the season. My husband and I are really open and really just want to show our love and our family, and just all the things we're doing. So you're going to get to see some good stuff and also some challenging stuff with me and my husband this season," she added.

Last season, she started out as a friend to Drew Sidora. By mid-season, things soured. And they were tense at the reunion. It doesn't appear to get any better, with her telling us, "Y'all going to have to wait and see. It is Drew Sidora, honey. It's going to be a ride, so we'll see."

Ahead of the trailer's release, Sidora and her husband Ralph filed for divorce. Their road to the courthouse will be chronicled in the coming season. Richards-Ross is empathetic. "Oh, that came as a huge shock to me. Huge shock. I actually was at Ralph's 40th birthday party two weeks prior to the news breaking out," she said. "So I was really, really sad for them because they have children, and I think that's the toughest part. I know that they've had some issues in their marriage, but it was my hope that they would figure it out for their kids. So it's still a lot unfolding, but I think all of us, we were really... Well, I will speak for myself. I was shocked. I speak for myself. I was shocked."

A big storyline this season is Whitfield's new man, Love & Marriage: Huntsville star, Martell Holt, who is infamous for being a philanderer. Her former flame, prison bae, Tyrone Gilliams, practically played her on television. Richards-Ross has her concerns about Holt.

"So I honestly didn't really watch Love & Marriage: Huntsville. I have recently caught up since. So before, I was happy for her, and I still want to give Martell the benefit of the doubt. When I'm with them, I love them together. They seem really into each other. So I'm just kind of sitting back, but Sheree sure knows how to pick them," she said.