In this episode of The Real Housewives of Atlanta, Kandi Burruss hits a milestone: a cover of ESSENCE magazine for the very first time!
At the beginning of the episode, Kandi is getting ready to head to New York City with her husband Todd Tucker and manager Don Juan to shoot the cover. “I’ve been wanting this for a very long time because only the A-list of the African American community make it to the cover of that magazine,” says Kandi. “It’s a big deal!”
Kandi, who’s admitted to trying to figure out how to balance time for herself and her family, also shares what the cover means to her. “To be on the cover is extremely important, but I hope Ace understands as he’s growing up that I work a lot because I’m trying to provide him with the best life,” says Kandi. “Yes, I love being successful but what I want the most is to be a great mom to my kids.”
At the shoot, we get a glimpse of the behind-the-scenes magic of the cover shoot as well as see Kandi being photographed in various looks for the October 2017 cover. shoot Todd is also at the shoot to support his wife and looks on in admiration as he says, “That’s my wife!”
ESSENCE’s own Editor-in-Chief Vanessa K. De Luca and Fashion and Beauty Director Julee Wilson also make an appearance in the episode. De Luca stops by the shoot to congratulate Kandi on the cover and reveals that she’ll appear on the “Confidence Issue” because Kandi truly embodies “the confident Black woman.”
“It really makes me feel so good that they decided to make me the cover of the ‘Confidence Issue’ because anything that I do, I’m going to put my best effort into it,” says Kandi. “I want to win and I want to do my best and to know that they see that in me, that’s an amazing feeling to me.”
Meanwhile back in Atlanta, the other ladies are dealing with drama.
NeNe Leake’s husband Gregg returns home from the hospital after a health scare due to a low heartbeat. Shereé Whitfield has a second session with her life coach to help heal from her abusive relationship with her ex-husband. Cynthia Bailey goes on a second date with Will, and Porsha Williams and her sister Lauren mend things after their big argument on last week’s episode. We also learn that NeNe is friends again with Marlo Hampton after the ladies didn’t speak for four years!
On this episode, NeNe hosts a “Girls and Gays Never Forget All-White Party,” which is the ultimate shade at those who have come over her house and pretended they haven’t been there. Considering the ongoing feud between NeNe and Porsha, Porsha doesn’t receive an invite to the party. Although Porsha doesn’t attend, another uninvited guest does show up, and it’s OG Atlanta housewife Kim Zolciak-Biermann!
Shereé brought Kim as her plus one, and while the party starts off smoothly, all hell breaks loose when Kim throws shade at Kenya by saying her husband doesn’t exist. Kim and Kenya start throwing verbal punches back and forth at each other and Kenya even insults Kim’s daughter Brielle. But ee’ll have to tune in next week for a to-be-continued episode to see how everything plays out.
The Real Housewives of Atlanta airs on Bravo on Sundays at 8pm ET.