The news that a cast shake-up will be occurring for Season 16 has Real Housewives of Atlanta fans wondering who exactly will be returning next season. With the news that Kandi Burruss will no longer be filming with the Atlanta ladies, there comes forward a new “longest running” housewife on the franchise. Kenya Moore has confirmed her return to the series for next season, making her the new longest running housewife on the series. Kandi held the title after being on the series from 2009 to 2023, and Kenya will now be the longest running peach still standing.
Joining Kenya will be fan-favorite Porsha Williams, amid her shocking divorce from husband Simon Guobadia. After her departure from Housewives Porsha shared her life with then fiancé Simon on her spin-off series Porsha’s Family Matters. With the confirmed return of Kenya and Porsha, two juggernauts in the housewives franchise, viewers have been curious who else may be returning. Hopeful viewers may wish for the return of fan-favorites from past seasons, like Cynthia Bailey or Eva Marcille. Regardless of who might be returning from seasons past, the fate of the other cast members from Season 15 remains on the chopping block.
Wives Are on the Chopping Block
Radar Online reports that sources have confirmed to them that producers want to bring fresh faces next season, while anchoring the series with a few original cast members. While Marlo Hampton and Sanya Richards-Ross have confirmed they will not be returning, the return of Drew Sidora and OG Sheree Whitfield have yet to be confirmed. It was thought that Drew Sidora may not be returning following her removal of the series title from her Instagram account and skipping Bravocon last year. However, Radar Online has suggested that if everything aligns with the network’s plans, there is still a possibility that Drew will be returning when cameras pick up filming.
That leaves longstanding peach-holder Sheree Whitfield on the chopping block. Sheree recently appeared on Season 2 of the hit Peacock series The Traitors. She went in with the strategy of listening and observing, solidifying her status as the “bone collector” among a new group of “friends.” Sheree first earned the reputation for collecting information, or “bones,” about those in her circle, only to reveal details at a later more convenient time, during her tenure on Real Housewives of Atlanta. However, this reputation for stirring up trouble may have come at a cost. By focusing on everyone else’s business in the group, Sheree has become one of the wives who can be accused of lacking a true story arc for herself each season. The return of her ex-husband Bob Whitfield in Season 15 seems to confirm Sheree relies on gossip surrounding other people to sustain her position on the show. His reveal that he had a “secret daughter” during his marriage to Sheree was a portion of her story line for the season.
Sheree has said that she is “open” to returning for the next season. In a February 2024 interview with Zachary Reality, she thinks it is “just not cool” to keep everyone waiting to hear the announcement for the new cast. She even speaks about how excited she is about the reboot with fresh new faces, and thinks bringing Porsha back is a great idea. She explains that considering Porsha’s large fan base and the fact that she has gone through so many life changes since viewers last saw her on Real Housewives of Atlanta, she expects her return to the franchise is a smart choice for the series. Sheree is keeping the door open and seems to still be waiting for confirmation if she will make the cut.
