Next month, Bravo's 'Real Housewives of Atlanta' will return for a second season with a new housewife in tow.
In its first season, 'The Real Housewives of Atlanta' became Bravo's first reality show to hit more 2 million adult viewers in the 18-49 age range. The reunion special pulled in 3 million viewers.
Now, Sheree Whitfield, NeNe Leakes, Lisa Wu Hartwell and Kim Zolciak are back and ready to balance their hectic careers as mothers, girlfriends and social butterflies on the Atlanta scene.
This time around, however, NBA wife Deshawn Snow is out of the mix and new to the pack is Kandi Burruss, the Grammy award-winning singer-songwriter who was a member of the platinum-selling 1990s R&B group Xscape.
Burruss, a friend of original cast member Hartwell, is planning her dream wedding to her live-in fiancé, A.J., raising her 6-year-old daughter, Riley, and working on a solo album. She should be a great addition to the peachy crew, and it should make for good television to see where the other ladies are now in their respective lives.
Mel B Pictures
In this photo provided by Kraft Foods, Spice Girl "Mel B" poses for a photo wearing a T-shirt she designed based on the classic pink ribbon used for breast cancer awareness, after a fashion show and launch of "Pose for the Cure" web site to help Kraft Foods raise money for the 'Susan G. Komen for the Cure' fight against breast cancer in New York, Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2008. The shirt is for sale on the web site and the net proceeds will benefit the foundation. (AP Photo/Kraft Foods, Ray Stubblebine) **NO SALES**
AP
In this photo provided by Kraft Foods, Spice Girl "Mel B" poses for a photo wearing a T-shirt she designed based on the classic pink ribbon used for breast cancer awareness, after a fashion show and launch of "Pose for the Cure" web site to help Kraft Foods raise money for the 'Susan G. Komen for the Cure' fight against breast cancer in New York, Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2008. The shirt is for sale on the web site and the net proceeds will benefit the foundation. (AP Photo/Kraft Foods, Ray Stubblebine) **NO SALES**
AP
In this undated image released by Oxfam Tuesday Sept. 23, 2008, British singer Mel B participates in the 'In My Name' global campaign calling for action against poverty and demanding world leaders keep their promises on millennium development goals. (AP Photo/Oxfam, HO) ** NO SALES **
AP
In this photo provided by Kraft Foods, Spice Girl Mel B, left, serves as the emcee at a fashion show and launch of "Pose for the Cure" web site to help Kraft Foods raise money for the 'Susan G. Komen for the Cure' fight against breast cancer in New York, Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2008. Mel B wears a T-shirt she designed based on the classic pink ribbon used for breast cancer awareness. The shirt is for sale on the web site and the net proceeds will benefit the foundation. The woman at right is unidentified. (AP Photo/Kraft Foods, Ray Stubblebine) **NO SALES**
AP
NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 09: TV personality and designer Khloe Kardashian and Olympic-level swimmer and model Amanda Beard (R) pose backstage at the Mel B With Ultimo Spring 2009 fashion show during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week at the Metropolitan Pavilion on September 9, 2008 in New York City. (Photo by Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images )
Getty Images
NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 09: Ultimo Scottish designer lingerie brand founder Michelle Mone (L) and pop singer Melanie Brown pose backstage at the Mel B With Ultimo Spring 2009 fashion show during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week at the Metropolitan Pavilion on September 9, 2008 in New York City. (Photo by Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images )
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NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 09: Pop singer Melanie Brown poses backstage at the Mel B With Ultimo Spring 2009 fashion show during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week at the Metropolitan Pavilion on September 9, 2008 in New York City. (Photo by Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images )
Getty Images
NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 09: Pop singer Melanie Brown and Olympic-level swimmer and model Amanda Beard (R) pose backstage at the Mel B With Ultimo Spring 2009 fashion show during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week at the Metropolitan Pavilion on September 9, 2008 in New York City. (Photo by Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images )
Getty Images
NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 09: Pop singer Melanie Brown and singer Aubrey O'Day (R) poses backstage at the Mel B With Ultimo Spring 2009 fashion show during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week at the Metropolitan Pavilion on September 9, 2008 in New York City. (Photo by Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images )
Getty Images
NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 09: Pop singer Melanie Brown, Olympic-level swimmer and model Amanda Beard, singer Aubrey O'Day and TV personality and designer Khloe Kardashian pose backstage at the Mel B With Ultimo Spring 2009 fashion show during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week at the Metropolitan Pavilion on September 9, 2008 in New York City. (Photo by Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images )
Getty Images
First, there's Sheree. This aspiring 'She by Sheree' fashion designer and ex-wife of Atlanta Falcons' Bob Whitfield, was forced to sell her Sandy Springs mansion in May. According to the Atlanta Journal Constitution, her home, which was purchased for $2.4 million in 2000, sold for just over $1 million. In addition, Whitfield is appealing her divorce settlement that left her less than the seven figures she hoped for. Instead, she ended up with a $775,000 lump sum, $113,422 in her ex's retirement funds and $2,142.87 in monthly child support.
Last season, Zolciak, an aspiring country singer, not only broke up with her mysterious "Big Poppa" boyfriend, but she also fell out with both Leakes and Hartwell. She's supposedly still an aspiring country singer on the upcoming season of the show, and according to a show publicist, will launch her own wig line.
Hartwell is also starting her own clothing line, called 'Closet Freak,' and is contemplating having another baby during the the new season.
Then, there's Leakes -- the firecracker of the bunch -- who just penned a tell-all book about how she got out of an abusive relationship. She's a wife and a mother who never holds her tongue when she feels like she's been disrespected.
That is sure to make for more drama this season.
Brace yourselves, 'The Real Housewives of Atlanta' premieres at 10 p.m. on July 30.
Comments: (60)
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By: Keisha on 6/24/2009 11:10AM
I love the show! Finally we get to see some people of ethnicies who live the famous life and live it with some class, rather than throwing their money away on petty items. i will definitely watch and support the show.
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By: AreYouSerious on 6/25/2009 12:57PM
Are you serious? The Atlanta Housewives showed "class" and didn't buy "petty things"? HUH?
You must not have watched the same thing where they did the same sort of shopping as the other Housewives, and bought "jewery". They'd be called "white trash" if they were white.
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By: MS ANJA on 6/24/2009 2:03PM
WHY IS IT CALLLED REAL HOUSEWIFES OF ATLANTA?? WHEN ONLY 2 OF THE 5 ARE MARRIED? AND HOW IS SHEERIE GOING TO HANG WITH NO MONEY??
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By: Sheryl on 6/29/2009 11:56AM
I am glad DeShawn is off of the show, she was way too good for them. The rest of them are self-absorbed and self-centered w/ "NeNe" leading as the most ignorant.
But... hey, where else but in America that we can pay someone to act like a complete idiot on a scripted "reality" show.
Also, as much as I do not like Keith Sweat, I am so glad he did not sign the release to have his sons (W/ Lisa) pranced around all that ignorance, he gets a gold star for that.
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By: The Admiral on 6/25/2009 8:30AM
Only one of them is married just Lisa...NeNe and her husband aren't together....it'll be hard to top NJ but maybe tey'll talk about Kandi's drug dealing/scam artist boyfriend..
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By: Blackrose on 6/25/2009 10:04AM
Wow...what happened to NeNe and her husband..they did seem to be complete opposites, he was too quiet to her abrasiveness...I found the show late in the season, but did enjoy watching it...my only complaint was what was with the white woman??? All the other housewives shows have no women of color in their cast...so what gives with the Atlanta wives??? anybody know????
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By: T.T. on 6/25/2009 11:36AM
I just saw NeNe and Greg in Miami on June 1, and they looked very much together. They were shopping and holding hands on Ocean Dr. So when did they split last week?
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By: Lisa on 6/25/2009 7:54AM
Kim Z. is a compulsive liar and Sheree use to date Charles Barkley after her husband left her NeNe was evicted and her husband hasnt made any money for years and when she ordered the custom made suite for her son she never ordered it she coudnt afford it and she never baught a car for her son and and Kandice Fiance has no job and she is taking care of him, Lisa use to be on drugs and she filled bankruptcy twice and Kim's boyfriend has now left his wife and is living with her. And alot more I could say but I wont go on and on I will stay tuned in to see what new lies they come up with on the show...
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By: k y on 6/26/2009 3:10PM
say whaaaaat???? OMG!!! Well atleast tell us who Kim was dating - "big poppa"......plz
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By: tiffany portis on 8/18/2009 10:59AM
WOW,,someone did their homework,,lol,,,say word these chicks is fraudulent? LMAO,,,Oh that was brutal, just brutal,,I guess they do need to be on this show,,sounds like everyone needs bread these days!
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