Cynthia Bailey, the consummate best friend on Real Housewives of Atlanta, has been perceived as “too loyal” a friend to Nene Leakes. But this season might end differently. Through much of it, Nene has struggled to find serenity with her castmates while dealing with her husband Gregg’s cancer treatments. The season ended with Cynthia’s launch party, which led to what seemed like a misunderstanding disguised as betrayal, according to Nene; the finale of RHOA’s three-part reunion special—through which Nene has given everyone a shoulder that’s beyond icy—airs this Sunday.

“A lot of times people are like, ‘Oh, she’s really nice, but she’s boring,’” Bailey tells Jezebel. “Boring to me is like code for, okay, she’s classy, and there’s just certain things that she won’t do. I’ll take boring over hideous any day.”


Cynthia sat with Jezebel to talk about using Housewives as a platform for big ideas and ventures like the Seagram’s drink she’s promoting, as well as the precarious state of her friendship with Nene.

“A lot of my friends and family and fans and viewers definitely feel like I am too loyal to Nene. And I have to say it’s very hurtful when people refer to me as her lapdog,” says Bailey. “What really kills me about that is people can see so clearly how much love I have for her, and how much loyalty I have for her. But l don’t hear a lot of conversation about how hard she goes for me. That goes back to reciprocity.”


Credits: Senior Producer: Jennifer Perry, Creative Producer: Marvin Van Buren