Would Cynthia Bailey Rejoin RHOA Post-Divorce?
When Cynthia Bailey announced her departure from "The Real Housewives of Atlanta" after appearing on the show for 11 seasons, she wrote on Instagram, "It's time to move on to my next chapter."
But while she did shift her focus from reality TV to acting in projects including the Lifetime thriller "Cruel Instruction" and the Tubi movie "The Stepmother," Bailey later told Page Six that her career wasn't her only concern. After the breakdown of her marriage to Peter Thomas played out on "RHOA," she reached the realization that the world of reality TV isn't always the healthiest environment for a relationship. "I'm very protective of my second marriage because, you know, I really want it to work, and I want to do everything that I can to protect it," she said of her decision to leave the Bravo series. But this was after Bailey and her second husband, Mike Hill, decided to have their 2020 wedding filmed for the show. As noted by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Bailey even hired her own videographers because Bravo didn't want to potentially expose any of its crew members to COVID-19.
Fast forward to now, and it seems that leaving her life as a Bravo-lebrity behind was no guarantee that the former model would stay happily married. In an October 12 Instagram post, Bailey and Hill announced that they were divorcing after two years of marriage. But fans won't get to watch Bailey look for love on "RHOA" anytime soon.
Cynthia Bailey wants to focus on her acting career
In addition to wanting to keep her marriage intact, Cynthia Bailey told E! News that she decided to depart from "The Real Housewives of Atlanta" after receiving an offer to return as a "friend" instead of a main cast member. And why accept a lesser role when you can be a leading lady?
Ahead of BravoCon, which Bailey is attending, the "Celebrity Big Brother" alum revealed that she is not plotting a return to reality TV now that she's single. "I really am 100% happy and focused on my acting career," she told People. However, she added that she has nothing but love for Bravo and isn't ruling out a return to "RHOA" in the future. "I don't know how I'll feel in a year, you know," she explained. Bailey also assured fans that she's in a good place right now, saying that she and Mike Hill have remained friendly after deciding to part ways. "God willing, I will find love again," she stated.
But don't expect to see Bailey falling in love on-screen in her latest project — the AllBlk anthology series "Terror Lake Drive" is no romantic comedy, but it is suitable viewing for the spooky season. Another project she has in the pipeline is the BET Plus film "Blossom." While chatting about her acting career in July, Bailey told Parlé, "I gotta get me another job now! I gotta replace those Housewives checks!"