Kenya Moore has left the building. According to various outlets, The Real Housewives of Atlanta star has officially left the series, leaving in the middle of what is set to be the 16th season of the beloved franchise.
According to People Magazine, the decision “came from the network,” despite TMZ reporting that Moore “mutually agreed” to take a break from the reality show. Moore is also said to be exploring legal options as she is “ not happy with how this whole mess unfolded,” per TMZ.
As The Root previously reported, Moore was suspended from filming indefinitely after filming at the grand opening of her Kenya Moore Hair Spa earlier this month. At the event, Moore allegedly revealed posters of a new castmember, Brittany Eady, performing oral sex, which sources close to People Magazine confirmed.
According to People, what followed was an investigation launched by Bravo, which is what eventually led to Moore’s exit. Sources close to the outlet reported that Moore’s move was retaliation and that the co-star allegedly threatened Moore with a gun. Another source “close to production,” however, told People that, “At no time was Kenya ever threatened with a weapon, nor was there ever a weapon present during the course of production.”
An outpouring of love for Moore flooded social media the second the news of her departure broke, with many fans posting their disappointment in the decision and concern for the already rocky franchise.
Moore posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, as the news went down. She wrote, ““#TEAMTWIRLFOREVER You are the best fans anyone could ever ask for. and I love you all so very much. Always and forever.”
Moore leaves the show as the longest-running current Real Housewife, as she joined the series in season 5, as People points out. She remained a housewife on the series for every season since her debut except for one, season 11, when she was pregnant with her daughter, Brooklyn.
The remaining cast includes returning castmember Porsha Williams, returning peach-holder Drew Sidora, newbies Kelli Ferrell, and Angela Oakley, alongside Eady. Longtime friend of the show Shamea Morton Mwangi also snagged a peach this time around, with Cynthia Bailey returning to the fray as a “Friend Of” the housewives.