It appears to be the end of an ERA! The LONGEST running RHOA housewife, Kandi Burruss-Tucker is STEPPING away from the franchise after 14 seasons, sources say.
She discussed her decision with editor Marc Malkin for Variety’s On the Carpet, presented by DIRECTV, at the Grammys on Sunday.
“I’m not really keeping up right now,” she said, when asked about the show. “I’m not keeping up. I already said it, so I’ll tell you. I decided I’m not coming back this year. It’s been 14 seasons, and they allowed us to sit around for a little too long, but during that time I had started working on a lot of other things, and I got some nice big projects coming soon, so I’m super excited about those things.
After the largely lifeless Season 15 of “The Real Housewives of Atlanta” concluded in September of last year, Bravo made it known that the cast would be retooled, if not have a top to bottom overhaul — as had happened to “The Real Housewives of New York City” before its 14th season. It’s believed that the network is close to announcing the show’s new cast, and that it won’t be a full reboot: a few key cast members will return.
Burruss, a singer and songwriter, joined “The Real Housewives of Atlanta” during the second season and is the longest-serving cast member. Beyond reality television, she is a founding member of R&B group Xscape, as well as a celebrated songwriter, with co-writing credits on hits such as TLC’s “No Scrubs” and Destiny’s Child’s “Bills, Bills, Bills.
Over the course of her years on the show, she met and married her husband Todd Tucker, an “RHOA” producer, and they’ve had two children together. Burruss has starred in three spinoffs from “RHOA,” including “Kandi’s Wedding,” which revolved around her wedding to Tucker.
She has been known for exploiting the Bravo platform to its fullest, launching several successful Atlanta restaurants, as well as the sex toy company Bedroom Kandi.
It has been NO SECRET that FANS of the show have pegged Kandi as one of the MAIN reasons the show’s RATINGS have plummeted over the past few seasons. Some say she is ‘boring’, and has not ‘PULLED HER WEIGHT’ as the longest-running and HIGHEST EARNING housewife.
Let’s be REAL. I like Kandi. I admire her business acumen and she is a INTRICATE part of the franchise. But over the past few seasons, she has not offered as MUCH to the ensemble as she had in the past. She is often NOT PRESENT, or leaves early from cast events and for lack of a better phrase been ‘phoning it in’ and coasting for much of the past few seasons. So her leaving may open the door for past ‘wives’ to return, or free up salaries for some fresh new blood. Either way, we LOVE Kandi for what she has brough to the franchise and the door is ALWAYS open for her to return, I’m sure!
The Gamutt Blog 