‘RHOA:’ Cynthia Bailey Talks Her Transition From Being Viewed As “Weak” To A Fan Favorite
Cynthia Bailey has been on Real Housewives of Atlanta since season 3. Viewers have watched the former supermodel get married, divorced, experience the highs and lows of friendships and find love again. Bailey has bore it all and is the one cast member on the show who typically steers clear of drama.
Though Bailey’s personality is refreshing for a reality star, fans of RHOA were not initially sold on the peach-holding beauty. Bailey was perceived to be the weaker star out of the bunch because of her co-star’s big personalities. Now, she’s emerged as a viewer favorite and in a new interview, she opened up about her evolution on the show and why she has no regrets.
Cynthia Bailey talks about being viewed as “weak” on ‘RHOA’
Bailey has often been called “weak” or have been accused of not having a backbone. Viewers often felt that she played second fiddle to her former BFF, Nene Leakes – and that she sometimes does not confront Kenya Moore on her behavior on the show. Looking back, Bailey says she understands why she was viewed as such.
“When I first came on the show, we always say it doesn’t come with a manual. I moved to Atlanta from New York City and the only other thing I had ever done really was my modeling career,” she told Baller Alert. “Being in the modeling industry is very different from being on a reality show. Girls can be catty but they’re not just being mean for no reason or just throwing shade for no reason because we are all in it together…it’s a sisterhood.”
Reality television was an adjustment. Furthermore, Bailey always considered herself to be a peacemaker, something that reality show viewers were not used to seeing. “I figured if I was nice to them, they’d be nice to me,” she joked. “I was nice to them and they were a**wholes.”
Cynthia Bailey talks about her transformation on ‘RHOA’
It took Bailey some time to get acclimated to the reality television world, but after a decade on the show, she’s gotten into the groove of things.
“You’ve definitely seen the evolution of Cynthia Bailey as a reality star but I never want to be someone on the show that’s not close to who I am,” she said. “I don’t want to be a monster on the show, I don’t want to be the mean one, I don’t want to be the most ratchet, I don’t want to come at people for no reason. That’s just not who I am.”
Overall, she says staying true to herself has been what eventually made fans love her because she’s been consistent.
Cynthia Bailey says she’s been able to sustain her brand for being “graceful” on ‘RHOA’
Like other housewives, Bailey has been able to start several businesses as a result of the platform the show allows its stars. While others have faced struggles in their businesses or brands due to their behavior on the show, Bailey says her brand has blossomed.
“I think at the end of the day whatever I’ve been through on the show, people are still able to see my integrity,” she said. “I’m not saying I haven’t made mistakes or done things on the show that may have not been the best choice for me but at the end of the day I am the grace on the show, I am a very reasonable and rational person…if I do something wrong, I am not beyond apologizing for anything that I do.”
Bailey says that though it’s difficult being on a reality show and surrounded by drama all the time, it was always her number one priority to not sell her soul, which she says has worked in her favor.
Some of her RHOA stars have not been so lucky and have lost business deals because of drama on the show. Phaedra Parks was famously fired after season 9 of RHOA when it was revealed that she was behind a rumor that Kandi Burruss wanted to drug and rape Porsha Williams.
Leakes has also suffered professional blows due to her “mean girl” persona. Her 2017 role as a host on a tour was canceled after she made an insensitive joke about sexual assault to an audience member.
Bailey believes that the show has afforded her opportunities she would have never had without the platform and she’s proven that playing nice goes a long way.
