By Charreah Jackson
Sheree Whitfield knows all about turning lemons into lemonade. “The Real Housewives of Atlanta” costar and recent divorcee is making a new life for her and her kids. After coining the new confrontational phrase “Who Gon Check Me Boo?” during an argument with a high-strung, party planner it’s obvious that she too is a trendsetter in Bravo’s addictive franchise. Still on a high from her New York Fashion Week debut, Whitfield gave us the scoop on her plans to relocate, why she never got that close to Kim and whether she’d return to the drama for a third season.
ESSENCE.COM: Congrats on your first fashion show in New York. What did you take away from the experience?
SHEREE WHITFIELD: It was amazing. It was my way to test my line in the New York market, the world’s fashion capital. I got a lot of positive feedback and support from the fashion industry. You really have to be hands on. I feel like I need to move to New York to really be there. I tried here in Atlanta and it really did not work and it went well in New York, but I had to go back and forth a lot. I love it in New York and would love to live there and still keep a place in Atlanta when I want to slow down.
ESSENCE.COM: Back in Atlanta you had a little help from Dwight with your other show.
SHEREE WHITFIELD: Working with Dwight was okay, but it came off like he did a lot more than he did. He came in on like the last week and had some great ideas, but I also had some people in from New York working on it already. We pulled it off and it was awesome. I saw what he was saying in the confessional and was like, “Wow, you didn’t do this by yourself honey.”
ESSENCE.COM: During your “Ellen” show appearance you and Kim went at it Any chance you’ll mend your friendship?
WHITFIELD: That piece of trash! Kim loves attention. TV made me and Kim’s relationship seem different than it was. She and I were never friends. I don’t believe in messing with married men. If she can do that to someone else, she’s no one that I would ever really hang out with. She’s on TV and doesn’t feel bad messing with a married man. How dumb can you be? Those vows are sacred. But to each his own.
ESSENCE.COM: Well, this season NeNe and you aren’t fighting. Is the truce still in effect?
WHITFIELD: We’re still cordial. We have mutual respect. I did not read her book, but I did read the chapter on Sheree.
ESSENCE.COM: Everybody is still saying ‘Who Gon Check Me Boo?’ Was that always your phrase?
WHITFIELD: It just came to me in that moment. Now I use it because everybody else is (laughs.) You can get the official ‘Who Gon Check Me Boo?’ shirts on my site.
ESSENCE.COM: So on the show are you still the queen bee of the cast and would you do another season?
WHITFIELD: That’s definitely still my character. However, this season they have honed in on different aspects of my personality, and not just that one. As for another a season, I probably would.
Tune in to Bravo’s “The Real Housewives of Atlanta” on Thursdays at 10 PM ET