The Real Housewives of Atlanta may be filming Season 16, but the whole franchise is on a continued downward spiral. News began swirling on the internet before Season 15 had finished airing that Season 16 could be in for a major casting shakeup, although Bravo didn’t immediately substantiate those reports. After the entire Real Housewives of New York City cast was replaced for their most recent season, some began to wonder if executives could be eyeing other lagging franchises for similar lineup changes. With Season 15 of RHOA getting middling reactions from fans, it seemed plausible that the cast could be on the chopping block.

When Bravo finally announced the Season 16 cast on May 14, 2024, only two of the Season 15 housewives had returned, with several previous housewives returning and new peach-holders in the mix. However, only two months later, one of the two returnees, Kenya Moore exited amid a storm of rumors and controversy regarding on-set chaos. A month after that, seemingly in the middle of production, Phaedra Parks was announced as returning. Truly chaos, but hopefully it will make for good TV.

Here’s everything we know about Season 16 of The Real Housewives of Atlanta so far.

Who is in the RHOA Season 16 cast?

While the cast has continued to shift even amid filming, here’s who’s currently on the Season 16 cast:

Porsha Williams Guobadia

On Feb. 13, 2024 it was announced that longtime RHOA fan favorite Porsha Williams Guobadia would be returning to the franchise as a part of an overall deal with NBCUniversal. Williams Guobadia joined the franchise in Season 5 and stuck around until the end of Season 13 when she departed. She’ll now be returning for Season 16 as a part of a refresh to the franchise.

Phaedra Parks

Fresh off of her electric stint on The Traitors, Phaedra Parks is being called back to help save RHOA. After Kenya Moore’s exit, the franchise, which was already in disarray, seemed on the brink of ruin. However, on July 30, 2024, Parks posted a photo of herself on Instagram holding a peach with the caption, “You called. I answered.” Phaedra exited the show after Season 9, and has been starring on Married to Medicine recently, but Bravo seems to have called in a pinch hitter.

Drew Sidora

While the fate of Drew’s return to RHOA hung in the balance for months, she finally became the second of only two Season 15 returnees alongside Kenya Moore when the full cast was announced. However, after Moore exited, she became the only returnee. Drew joined RHOA for Season 13, with Season 16 marking her fourth on the show, making her the housewife with the second longest tenure on the cast after Williams.

Shamea Morton Mwangi

Former cheerleader and radio personality Shamea Morton Mwangi has finally earned her peach after more than a decade linked to the franchise. Shamea originally appeared as a guest way back in Season 5 and has appeared on every season with the exception of Season 14 since. She even briefly served as a “friend of” back in Season 8. However, now is finally her time to shine.

Brittany Eady

Brit Eady is the first of three new housewives joining RHOA in Season 16. According to her Instagram, Eady is an “insurance expert” and entrepreneur. With photos on private jets and business advice reels, she will certainly be bringing some business acumen to the lineup.

Kelli Ferrell

The RHOA ladies will be eating good in Season 16 thanks to chef and resteraunteur Kelli Ferrell. The owner of Nana’s Chicken-N-Waffles and cookbook writer has previously appeared on Food Network, OWN and Good Morning America, and serves fashion while doing so. Let’s hope she’ll also be able to cook up some drama.

Angela Oakley

The last addition to Season 16 will be Angela Oakley, who describes herself on Instagram as a “finanace & real estate mogul” as well as “mommy.” Of the three new cast members, she’s the one with the smallest digital footprint, so it will be interesting to see what kind of energy she’ll be bringing to the new season.

Who is leaving RHOA Season 16?

Kandi Burruss

After 14 seasons on RHOA, the franchise’s longest running housewife is bowing out. Burruss announced on Feb. 4, 2024 that she would not be returning as she is focusing on other ventures. A producer, songwriter and businesswoman, Burruss certainly has plenty to keep her busy.

Marlo Hampton

Following Burruss’s exit, on-again, off-again cast member Marlo Hampton told Today.com on Feb. 24, 2024, “My contract with Real Housewives of Atlanta ended when season 15 wrapped. This break from RHOA is a fresh start, allowing me the space to participate in new creative entertainment projects focused on my future, and not reliving my past.”

Sanya Richards-Ross

Sanya Richards-Ross will also be exiting the show after only two seasons, Andy Cohen revealed on his Sirius XM show. She and Hampton joined the cast at the same time and haven’t brought the energy that the franchise needed.

Sheree Whitfield

And for the third time, Sheree Whitfield is exiting The Real Housewives of Atlanta. After appearing as one of the original housewives back on Season 1, Sheree left after Season 4 only to return for Seasons 9 and 10. She then departed a second time, returning for Seasons 14 and 15. Now it appears she may be gone for good. Her name did not appear among the new cast listed on Bravo’s press release. She’s yet to make a statement about her departure.

Kenya Moore

While Kenya Moore was originally cast on Season 16, after an altercation during filming, Moore exited the show mid-season. People reported on July 25 that Moore had exited the franchise. According to their sources, this came after Moore allegedly showed explicit photos of Brittany Eady on camera at a group event. Rumors have circulated that this followed Eady allegedly threatening Moore with a gun.

Moore has spoken out on social media stating, “The rumors and narrative about me randomly showing nudes or revenge [porn] is 1000% untrue. I have proof and will share soon.”

In her vacation photo on Instagram she also wrote, “My heart is full and my conscience is clear. My life is blessed. My daughter and I will continue to thrive in a non-toxic environment where we feel appreciated and most importantly, protected.”

Whether any of this will appear in the upcoming season of RHOA and how it will effect filming or the season’s release remains to be seen.

Who are the Friends of the Housewives for RHOA Season 16?

Cynthia Bailey

And just like that, Cynthia Bailey has returned. The longstanding housewife entered the franchise way back in Season 3 alongside Phaedra Parks and stuck around through Season 13. After several years away from the franchise, she’ll now be back in a limited capacity for Season 16.

When does RHOA Season 16 come out?

According to Bravo’s press release on May 14, 2024, Season 16 of the series will begin “this month” with “the premiere set for 2025.” However, with multiple casting shifts mid-filming, it’s possible that the season might not be airing for quite some time.

Where to watch RHOA Season 16

Season 16 will most likely air on Bravo with episodes arriving on Peacock the next day. That’s how all the current Real Housewives franchises air, and it would make sense for RHOA Season 16 to do the same.