The Transformation Of Porsha Williams Is Turning Heads

The Real Housewives of Atlanta fans first met Porsha Williams during Season 5 — back when she still went by Porsha Stewart, the conservative wife of Kordell Stewart, and shared this tagline: "People say I have a picture perfect life, and I do." That seemed to be true, as evidenced by Williams doing whatever she could to be the perfect "black trophy wife," including her refusal to go to a strip club with the rest of the cast, because, "Kordell would not be okay with that." 

After one season, that uptight Porsha was gone: she returned to her maiden name, Williams, once she and Kordell split in 2013, gained some independence, and went through some major changes. In addition to her new marital status, she showed off some new enhancements – personally, stylistically, and physically. Williams' all-around transformation helped her keep her peach, too. During an April 2020 appearance on The Jenny McCarthy Show, executive producer Andy Cohen revealed that Williams' spot on RHOA was in jeopardy until she filmed her first reunion. "She gave like a two-minute soliloquy about who she was and how she was gonna live her life going forward, and this was not gonna define her, and she's stronger than this," Cohen recalled. "And I was like ... I totally underestimated this woman, and look at where she is now on the show." 

Let's find out why the transformation of Porsha Williams is turning heads.

During The Real Housewives of Atlanta's Season 6 reunion in 2014, Andy Cohen commented to Porsha Williams, "Something looks different about you." To which she playfully responded, "Do they look new? Smell 'em." Cohen didn't take her up on that offer, and Williams was kicked out of the taping when her beef with Kenya Moore turned physical, and didn't say much else on the matter. However, she dished on her breast implants in subsequent interviews. 

While speaking with OK! magazine that November, Williams explained, "I have always loved my body and yes at this point being 33 years young. I own who I am and all that it is. I'm a woman with curves and hips that don't lie! So what's wrong with a little more of me to love?" She added, "I finally got my Twins ... I introduce you to Coco & Chanel!" Yes, the Bravo star named her breasts in honor of a luxury fashion brand, which is just such a Porsha Williams thing to do.

Four years after telling Steve Harvey, "I'm enjoying them, probably more than anybody," Williams told Glamour in September 2019, "I've always wanted to get my breasts done just to round me out a bit." She explained, "I always had that athletic build, and I wanted to have a little more feminine touch. It was something I wanted to do for me."

When Porsha Williams first joined The Real Housewives of Atlanta, she dressed more modestly. She was a buttoned-up housewife, literally, and preferred to be covered up. "I'll tell you what," she admitted during a 2013 appearance on The Wendy Williams Show, "if anybody decided ... to be a 1950's wife, it was me." 

Once she became a single lady again, Williams loosened up her outlook and her fashion. Plus, she acquired her "friends," Coco and Chanel, and was naturally going to accentuate her new breast implants with a new wardrobe. During a 2015 RHOA episode, Williams did a bikini photo shoot and famously gave herself the arbitrary title of "The Princess of THOT-land." That was quite the change from someone who used to say she had a "ministry inside" of her — and it was, quite frankly, a lot more entertaining to watch. 

With time, Williams exposed even more of herself on TV, both emotionally and physically. In addition to rocking matching swimsuit coverups with castmate Phaedra Parks — which were all strings and revealed lots of skin — in another 2015 episode, Williams opened up about trying on clothes with RHOA's own NeNe Leakes in her Bravo blog three years later: "I love anything that shows off my booty just as much as I love laughing with her!" A major change, sure, but Williams' fans love her for it.

"People think I've gotten my nose done," Porsha Williams remarked during her 2015 interview with Steve Harvey, before insisting, "I haven't had any other work done except for the new girls." Just a year later, she appeared to change her mind about that — electing to get a non-surgical nose job. But unlike many celebs who get cosmetic procedures on the low, Williams was open about altering her appearance. 

Posting a video of the 15-minute procedure on Instagram in March 2016, the RHOA star gave her doctor a shout out, writing, "Thank you @simonourianmd1 for my beautiful new nose-done in minutes WITHOUT surgery!!!" E! News reports that Dr. Simon Ourian gave Williams injections of hyaluronic acid filler to "enhance the shape of a small bridge of the nose." He also told People, "The goal is not to craft the perfect nose but to a shape a nose that perfectly suits the patient's face." The benefit of going this route instead of a surgical rhinoplasty is that the patient doesn't need general anesthesia. Additionally, the downtime is just a few days, in comparison to the months-long recovery that comes with a full-on nose job.

For Williams specifically, the change to her nose was pretty subtle. If she wasn't so open about getting the procedure, it would be logical to assume that her makeup artist is just an expert at contouring. 

During her first season on The Real Housewives of Atlanta, Porsha Williams' hair always looked great, but it was pretty much the same style from one scene to the next. Since then, she's taken to switching up her look, proving that she can pull off almost every hairstyle and color imaginable. Williams has even parlayed her love of all things hair into a successful business venture called Go Naked Hair — her own line of hair extensions, wigs, and related hair products. 

In a September 2019 interview with Glamour, the Bravo starlet opened up about starting her company once she earned enough money from appearing on RHOA. "I had my breasts done. I mean, I had a big check from Bravo," Williams reflected. "It was after my divorce, and that's also along the time when I started my Go Naked Hair company because I realized when I changed my hair it gave me different moods. Short, curly, straight and silky, and sassy."

Williams is so devoted to boasting a variety of hairstyles that she even has a whole room in her home that's solely dedicated to her wigs, which she showcased in a 2018 Allure piece. "When my assistant got hired," she quipped, "he didn't think that half of his job would be maintaining my babies." That maintenance includes photographing and appraising each wig. In addition to wearing her many wigs, Williams proudly rocks her natural hair from time to time. 

Unlike many stars who keep their plastic surgeries to themselves — as if those changes naturally occurred — Porsha Williams is known to share the alterations she's made to her body on social media and Bravo, and clearly has nothing to hide when it comes to cosmetic enhancements. But while she's always been open about what work she's had done, she insists that she's gone through with these procedures solely to please herself ... despite what anyone else may think. 

"If you've had actual work done, surgically or not, it's a lifestyle of living better and being guilt-free," The Real Housewives of Atlanta star told Glamour in 2019, emphasizing, "Whenever I talk about any type of surgery that we do to ourselves, it's important for me to make sure you put out the message, 'Do it for yourself.'" That December, Williams explained to Life & Style that women are often "shamed" for altering their appearance because "people think that women get work done for other people or for a man." She added that she's "able to celebrate" anything she has "fixed or tweaked," saying, "It was just for me to feel better about myself." You do you, Porsha.

Porsha Williams welcomed her daughter, Pilar Jhena McKinley, in March 2019 — and just like most moms, the reality star's body changed significantly throughout her pregnancy and even after she gave birth to baby PJ. But instead of concealing her body during this time, Williams emphasized her features in form-fitting styles. 

In December 2018, for example, she went on a "babymoon" vacation, which included a photo shoot to document her pregnancy body. The following month, Williams revealed on Dish Nation, "I was supposed to be doing a maternity shoot, and I was like, 'You know what, let me do some in [a] bikini ... You know, why not? I'm pregnant, [my] body [is changing], I'll probably never look like this unless I have another child.'" Williams continued to document her pregnancy right up until the end, sharing a video and a few snaps showing off her baby bump during month No. 9. "A few days ago ... Awaiting PJ," she wrote in the caption. "My mommy loves to see how my body has changed. Her baby having a baby awe." 

While some mothers might be excited by the possibility of returning to a pre-baby body, Williams actually missed her baby bump after PJ was born. In June 2019, she shared throwback photos on her Instagram Story (via The Daily Dish), writing, "About 3 months pregnant with my munchkin! I'll have this body back please lol."

Porsha Williams has had no problem opening up about her body fluctuations — especially post-pregnancy — and often shares photos that others might not be as comfortable posting online. 

In September 2019, The Real Housewives of Atlanta star told Glamour, "Being on television, we carry a certain amount of responsibility to our younger fans — and to other women like me, for instance, who have just had children who are looking at a picture of me on Instagram like, 'She is snatched!'" Williams added, "It's important for me to also post a picture with my stomach when it's bloated to let you know that today I'm wearing the shapewear. So they don't have the expectations on themselves and that type of pressure." 

While Williams makes it a point to show her body in its true form, sans editing, this has unfortunately garnered its fair share of criticism. Just the month before this interview, she responded to a so-called fan on Instagram who mocked her post-baby body, clapping back with, "I should cover up at 4 months postpartum at a pool with my baby?? Shame of what... shoot I had a whole baby and love every roll of love, mark of bravery, and miracle stripe on my body!" She went on to encourage other moms to not let anyone "shame" them, writing, "You're awesome just the way you are!" Well said.

Initially, Porsha Williams was all about the post-pregnancy snap back after giving birth to daughter PJ. Even her RHOA frenemy Kandi Burruss posted that Williams' "bounce back game is strong" in May 2019. While no one could ever argue that Williams looked anything other than amazing in those photos, she started to share a more realistic perspective on social media as the time passed. 

That August, the Bravo starlet sent out a distinctly different message to her followers. Alongside a cute snap of the mother-daughter duo in bathing suits, Williams wrote, "The snap back culture has put pressure on most moms so they end up feeling insecure about what their body is naturally doing and looks like." She added, "Call me weird but I actually adore my lil marks and feel like it's a lil badge of honor as all moms should." Even though she's in the public eye, Williams admitted, "I had Pj 4 months ago and I just don't feel ready to workout" — which is very refreshing to hear these days.

Williams proudly displayed her postpartum body on Instagram the following month, writing, "Life is great! No I'm not pregnant just 5 months postpartum... Like it, love it, Fuxx it."

During a 2015 appearance on Watch What Happens Live, Porsha Williams addressed rumors that she'd gotten butt implants when host Andy Cohen brought the speculation up. In actuality, this real housewife had simply gained a few pounds. "I know! I heard Kandi [Burruss] came on the show, and you asked her, and she said she thinks [I did]," Williams replied. "She knows this is cornbread fed. Let me — honey, don't try me, boo boo." Insisting that "this is 100 percent," she even got up from her seat to shake her booty around as evidence to support her claim, and declared, "This is real Georgia meat right here. Don't do it."

However, that was not the only time that the RHOA star was hit with accusations that she got her posterior surgically enhanced. In December 2017, Williams took to Instagram to share a video of herself shaking what she described in a hashtag as "good ol winter weight." Still, Celebrity Insider reports that the clip led to several comments questioning whether she'd had butt implants. "Must be jelly cause the jam don't shake honey. What's that line? Is that her implant?" one person wrote. Luckily, another fan defended Williams, writing, "Guess what? She gained weight ALL OVER, butt included. Like I said. Have you seen her mother? they are just hating. Her body is real."

In July 2017, Porsha Williams watched the documentaries, What the Health and Cowspiracy, on Netflix, and felt compelled to change her lifestyle and go vegan. "I made a promise to myself to treat myself better ... mind body & [soul]," she shared on Instagram, adding, "Anyway I'm now a vegan I'm claiming it for my life. I'm going to try to hold myself accountable by sharing some of the journey with you all." Williams went on to reveal that she'd already "lost most of [her] extra tummy fat in only two days." 

Apart from hoping to get back in the RHOA group's good graces after being linked to rumors Phaedra Parks spread about Kandi Burruss, becoming what Williams described as a "baby vegan" was her other main storyline for Season 10. In one episode, she told Burruss and Kenya Moore that she weighed 175 pounds before making this dietary change, according to BET. However, after dropping some weight, her veganism came to halt when she got pregnant. 

During a November 2018 Watch What Happens Live appearance, Williams told a call-in viewer, "Girl, I am not vegan anymore. I am full-blown pregnant, and one of my cravings is ham." She added, "So no, I haven't [been sticking to a vegan diet], but I am definitely going to be vegan after the baby."

Considering that Porsha Williams got re-engaged to on-and-off fiancé, Dennis McKinley, in late 2019, it's not surprising that she appears to have ditched the vegan life. McKinley happens to be the owner of The Original Hot Dog Factory in Atlanta. In addition to all of that hot dog access, Williams admittedly didn't have a stringent diet during the coronavirus pandemic (um, relatable).

In May 2020, the RHOA star posted side-by-side photos of herself on Instagram from when she wasn't pregnant on the left and when she was on the right. Quipping that they represented, "Before Quarantine Vs Afterrr," she wrote, "I gotta start reeling it in whose with me?! Let's workout! I've gained about 12 pounds ... I still look nice but just wanna be more comfortable and not pass out at the top of the steps lol so ima start with cardio in morning!!!" Later that month, Williams revealed she was back on her grind, sharing that she'd started working out for the first time in a year and a half.

Clearly, Williams puts the "real" in The Real Housewives of Atlanta. Yes, she's altered her appearance over the years — thanks to surgery, injectables, a wardrobe overhaul, dietary changes, a variety of wigs, motherhood, and the natural fluctuations of life — but she's been real about every single part of her stunning transformation along the way.