RHOA Reunion: So About That Bravo Brawl…
- belle
- 1 year ago
- featured-post, Newest
- 7 Comments
Hand me a late pass. I finally watched a clip of The Real Housewives of Atlanta reunion episode. (Sorry, since starring on reality TV, I stopped watching it.) Yes, the one where cast member Porsha Williams hit her co-star Kenya Moore over the head and dragged her across the floor by her hair like the wife of some cartoon caveman.
It—along with Williams’ post-fight reaction—was worse than any of the preshow rumors or even anything described on social media. Black women in ball gowns brawling—again. A similar scene played out in season 1 of Bravo’s Married to Medicine—it was beyond disturbing (as was Williams’ post-fight tantrum).
Civil rights group ColorOfChange.org thought so, too. According to the Hollywood Reporter, the organization released a statement calling on Bravo’s parent company, NBC Universal, to address the “troubling pattern of violent, stereotypical portrayals of black people across Bravo’s black reality franchises.”
As someone who’s been on reality TV and subjected to its editing—and who’s also been the target of an attempted attack by a cast mate—portrayals of black women and, more personally important to me, the safety of the cast are great concerns as I consider whether to participate in another season of reality TV. (In my case, a co-star tried to break down a door to assault me and another woman. We ran to avoid fighting on TV.)
But back to that RHOA fight that everybody’s still talking about, and the vigorous debate about whether Williams was wrong or Moore had it coming. There’s really no way around it: Williams was dead wrong for putting her hands on Moore in any way. And Moore was dead wrong on that stage, too, for antagonizing Williams.
Since joining the RHOA cast in the fifth season, Moore has based her entire character around menacing her cast mates, particularly Williams. She talks a lot of crap. But hitting, dragging or otherwise laying angry hands on someone who antagonizes you is one of those things that even the most upstanding folks daydream about—or so I heard. Everyone on that reunion stage, except maybe host Andy Cohen, had fantasized about dragging Moore at some point, but no one lost control enough to do it, except Williams.
As wrong as Williams was, she is a victim, too. The reunion set was what ColorOfChange.org called a “staged hostile environment.” Moore repeatedly flicked a scepter in Williams’ face and called her a “dumb ho” on a bullhorn while she sat just a few feet away. (To be fair, Williams also throws her fair share of jabs at Moore—Moore just knows how to take deeper digs.) The bullhorn set off Williams, who admittedly behaved out of character when she confronted Moore and assaulted her.
Read more at The Root.
About Author
Affectionately known as "Belle”, Demetria L. Lucas is the author of two books— A Belle in Brooklyn and Don't Waste Your Pretty; the creator of the award-winning personal blog ABelleInBrooklyn.com; and the founder of Coached By Belle, a boutique life-coaching service, where Demetria helps clients solve their dating dilemmas and build healthy relationships. Demetria is also a contributing editor for The Root, where she pens two weekly columns, and is a contributing writer for the websites of The Grio, XO Jane, Essence, Clutch, Vibe Vixen and Uptown. She was also the star of Bravo TV's docu-drama series, "Blood Sweat & Heels"
I saw the reunion when it aired and although I myself haven’t been a fist fight in a LONG time, I absolutely understand Williams’ post-brawl reaction. Everyone is wrong in this situation but I think majority of the blame should go to the network for allowing Moore, the ONLY cast member who apparently needs props, to antagonize Williams and letting the situation get to that point, and to Moore, who as self declared grown woman, should absolutely know better. It’s shocking that the network came out saying they do not condone violence. In that case they should give anyone the boot who also PROVOKES & INSINUATES violence, as well.
You know Belle, I have watched this show from the very beginning to now and what started out as something of an entertainment of sisters have now turned to nothing more than trash tv hosted by a person Mr. Andy who is interested in nothing more than ratings and money at the cost of these grown ass women with children who portray themselves as nothing more than high school girls looking for click to be a part of. I am so tired of watching our people display themselves on reality television as trash. These reunion shows disgust me both as a women and a mother. Yes, we do watch for entertainment but the violence is uncalled for.
Honestly I watched the entire scene with tears streaming. The whole situation was heart breaking to me. It was disappointing to me as a woman, as a person of color and as a human being in general. Porsha was wrong, Kenya was wrong and Bravo/NBC was super wrong for setting the whole thing in motion. Bravo/NBC basically left unruly children, matches, paper and lighter fluid laying around and now wants to act shocked that there was a fire.
This fight was very sad in many ways and I believe both parties were wrong, but Im still tripping off that fact that you “Belle” really thought your fellow cast member was about to assault you. I watched this episode that you are referring to and I didn’t that impression. I thought that Micah was out of line for her behavior, but that is a pretty strong accusation, Im just saying….
You saw an edited version of that scene.
But even in the version you saw, I’m unclear what you thought my castmate was going to to do once she succeeded in entering the house. It wasn’t to offer milk & cookies.
Just for the record, Belle, I thought Ms. Micah was wrong from jump street for even showing up at someone elses’ home drunk and talking loud; thinking that you guys should’ve understood her behavior because her father has just died, which was weird because she supposedly wasn’t even on speaking terms with the man. There was not even a hint of respect for the home, residence of the home or the neighbors who most likely wouldn’t have appreciated all the unruly noise.
Meanwhile, I agree that Kenya was over the top but, as she herself said on the show, nobody has the right to lay hands on anybody else in that way. Afterall, it is a show and, from what the ladies were saying while Porsha was on the floor kicking her feet and acting a blame fool, they had already spoken about their behavior on camera. Porsha went on to blame the situation on how hard is has been for her the whole season because of her divorce, but how long are you gonna let Kordell dictate your psychological well-being to you?
Oh, Im sure it wasn’t to offer milk and cookies, but it appeared that she was going to address you and your other fellow cast member. Dont get me wrong, she was all the way out of line for behaving that way. I just think that stating that her intent was to assault you is a rather large accusation.