In the early 2000s, Phaedra Parks was a lawyer making her name in the legal field. Nearly a decade prior to the show, Phaedra was exposed to the cameras and flashing lights of fame when she joined the legal team of the singer and husband of Whitney Houston, Bobby Brown. Bobby had a host of legal problems and was in and out of court and jail for years. During this time frame, Bobby was also filming his own reality show on Bravo, Being Bobby Brown, which focused on his personal life, from his family to his legal issues. And Bobby had a lot of legal issues. Phaedra reflects on the time fondly, as she once shared, “I always loved Whitney, I’ll always credit her and Bobby for a very important part of my career and for my notoriety. Because a lot of the time when people hear Phaedra Parks, the first thing they say is Bobby and Whitney, that’s the Bobby and Whitney attorney.” Her desire for fame was noticeable even then, as Bobby shared in recent years that he could tell how much she loved being in front of the camera. He said in his memoir Every Little Step: “My lawyer at the time was a black woman named Phaedra Parks, who went on to become a reality television star on The Real Housewives of Atlanta. Her later television stardom didn’t surprise me because she always seemed like she was craving attention and publicity.”
When Phaedra Parks first joined the cast of The Real Housewives of Atlanta, she asserted herself as a force on the show immediately. Her outlandishly theatrical personality led to some iconic moments in the series, but it also led to her downfall. Phaedra’s habit of lying was easy to ignore when had minimal effects on the livelihoods of her cast. However, it was allegations she made against Kandi Burruss and Todd Tucker that ended her time on the series. After an explosive season 9 reunion, Phaedra was fired from the show for accusing Kandi and Todd of wanting to drug and sexually assault Porsha Williams, something that she claims was told to her by a third party. Since then, she has made her Bravo return courtesy of Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip: Ex-Wives Club. It was an excellent opportunity to see Phaedra back in her element, and viewer response proved that her presence was well-missed in the Housewives franchise.
Kandi promised she’d never film with Phaedra again. Now that Kandi has announced her exit, it’s a perfect opportunity for Phaedra to return and help revitalize the franchise. With a major recast underway, an OG like Phaedra would be a great addition.
Phaedra Parks Doesn’t Fit on ‘Married to Medicine’
Married to Medicine began airing in 2014. The series follows a group of women made up of medical professionals and those who are married to medical professionals. The series grew in popularity because of the genuine nature of the drama within the group. Real Housewives viewers appreciated it for the way it felt less produced in comparison to the Housewives franchise. For the past 10 years, the series has grown immensely in popularity.
After testing the waters with Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip , the network decided it was time to bring Phaedra back into Bravo-verse full-time. The network was aware that Phaedra was dating a doctor at the time, so they had her join the cast of Married to Medicine. Was she married to medicine? Absolutely not – but she is Phaedra, and RHOA fans were excited to see her join the cast. The problem, however, is that when she joined the cast, she brought her Housewives shenanigans with her.
This would be fine on any other Bravo show, but they feel a little out of place for the Married to Medicine crew. Quad Webb’s “Resurrection Ceremony” was over the top at minimum, and while it was hilarious to watch, it was very clear that the OG cast members were perplexed by her theatrics. Her attempts to create drama by including Quad in Lateasha Lunceford’s bachelorette party were not well received by anyone in the cast, and she’s beginning to feel like a fish out of water. With the season coming to a close, does it really make sense to have her back next year? Phaedra has already ended her relationship with the mysterious doctor, so having her back next season doesn’t make sense. But there is a much better option.
Phaedra Parks Is Exactly What ‘RHOA’ Needs Right Now
Where Phaedra is floundering on Married to Medicine , she is thriving on The Traitors. The Traitors is a murder mystery game that relies on lies, deceit, and good detective skills to make it to the end to get a cash prize. Phaedra was chosen as one of the Traitors and has been a standout among fans since. The Bravo fans knew she’d be great, but she is outperforming even those expectations. The show is currently the No. 1 ranked streaming unscripted show, and Phaedra is a huge part of that draw. Viewers who are Housewives loyalists are reveling in seeing how much better the Housewives are playing the game in comparison to the actual gamers in the castle from series like Survivor, The Challenge, and Big Brother. Her penchant for theatrics and masking the truth has served her well, and even though a wrench was thrown by recently banished Traitor Dan Gheesling, her game is still strong.
The excitement surrounding her performance on The Traitors is indicative of fans’ desire and delight at seeing her back in her element. When she said, “Don’t mess with the housewives,” at the roundtable, she meant it. Phaedra Parks is a housewife through and through. Her presence has been missing from RHOA, especially after such a lackluster season. Her theatrics and penchant for stirring the pot don’t work so well on Married to Medicine, but it is exactly what Real Housewives of Atlanta needs right now. With Kandi’s recent announcement about leaving the show, the major reason for her not getting her peach back has disappeared. The smartest move Bravo could possibly make right now is to give Phaedra her peach in season 16.
