Phaedra Parks Called ‘Insensitive’ For Saying Pandemic Has Her Funeral Business ‘Booming’
Phaedra Parks is on the current season of Marriage Boot Camp: Hip Hop Edition, and outside of the show, she is busy with work, her sons, and her boyfriend Medina Islam.
Many fans of the former Real Housewives of Atlanta star are aware that Parks has a successful profession as a mortician. But her recent comments about her profession rubbed some people the wrong way.
Phaedra Parks became a mortician in 2014
Back in season 6 of RHOA, Parks was enrolled in mortuary school and viewers even saw her in an apprenticeship. In 2014, she graduated with a degree in funeral services education while juggling family, a law firm, and other businesses.
During a 2013 interview with The Better Show, Parks said she’d been interested in the field for years and personal loss moved her to begin her studies. She stated it was a calling for her.
“No one’s ever prepared for death and no matter how sick a relative or friend is, you never are totally ready to experience the burial and releasing that person into the afterlife.
And so, when I’m discussing with a family — or helping a family — plan, I feel that it’s so important and it’s such a ministry because you can really touch someone’s lives because it’s not just about the person that’s died, it’s about the living.”
Parks says ‘business is booming’ during pandemic but issues warning
Parks did an interview with the Page Six podcast and spoke about Marriage Boot Camp and her relationship with her boyfriend. But her business ventures also came up in the discussion.
When host Maggie Coughlan asked about her mortuary business, Parks said:
“Oh, my gosh it’s going great. Didn’t you hear about that pandemic, girl? We are booming, unfortunately. We have been jam-packed since the pandemic started.”
Parks added that she tells people who have doubts about the virus that she’s not a doctor but she’s seeing high numbers in her mortuary.
“Normally in the summer months, we’re waiting for a boating accident or a motorcycle crash because otherwise, you know, we’re pretty empty. But we are jam-packed. I mean, we are working like it’s our heaviest season.”
She said she warns those who are not taking the pandemic seriously that she gets more than dozen calls a day, and recently, the majority of services she’s provided are for people under age 59. Parks stated it’s no joke.
Some found Parks’ remarks in poor taste
Some social media users who learned about Parks’ comments found them inappropriate and said she’s being “tone deaf” and “insensitive.” On one Twitter thread, a commenter wrote, “Disgusting! Insensitive! Unprofessional! What a slap in the face to the grieving families.”
Over on Instagram, fans with similar thoughts wrote comments such as: “Umm this is definitely not something to brag about,” “🥴damn that’s a little insensitive to say even if it’s the truth 😬,” and “This is tacky.”
Others came to Parks’ defense and noted she was discussing her business and the gravity of COVID-19. Some fans pointed out that sadly, funeral homes like hers are making adjustments to accommodate an increased number of deceased victims. They don’t believe Parks meant any harm.
