Kenya Moore has been a fan favorite on The Real Housewives Of Atlanta since she showed up with a peach and a twirl in Season 5. The former 1993 Miss USA was built for reality TV and brought the confidence and flair needed to dominate a franchise that represented Atlanta, GA to the fullest. Kenya swooped in fabulously from Los Angeles and re-positioned the Atlanta spotlight on herself. Her formula was of equal parts; beauty, brains, and wit worked in her favor when interacting with her cast mates. The one thing that formula didn’t guarantee was the validation of being a wife, which most of the cast members tend to be when joining the series. Fans recognize the Bravo-produced show’s title “Real Housewives” hasn’t been literal since its inception, but cast members try their best to produce a plus one with the potential of being inducted by a ring. Kenya’s debut season ended with her winning in drama but losing in love, and it didn’t take long for the other women to focus on her sole weakness.
When the romances with entrepreneurial Walter Jackson and the physically fit yet allegedly abusiveMatt Jordan failed before RHOA audiences, Kenya vowed to change her perspective and, most importantly, her storyline on the show. When restaurateur Marc Daly showed up with all the bells and whistles that checked Kenya’s list of great qualities for a potential husband and father for her children things started to change. Marc was good-looking, pseudo-successful, and not from Atlanta – meaning the ladies didn’t have the scoop on his history or background. Kenya immediately zeroed in on the eligible bachelor, and before the seasons could change, it was announced the two would be married in June 2017 on a beach in St. Lucia. For fans of RHOA, the red flags were hiding in plain sight because Kenya isn’t the kind of girl to do anything small or covert. After being single for 46 years, and dating publicly on one of the most popular reality shows on television, it seemed highly unlikely that the former beauty queen would have a small intimate ceremony on an island that was the opposite of Gone with the wind fabulous. The wedding wasn’t televised and, in a shocking turn of events, Kenya was MIA on RHOA. The subtle red flags were now waving in distress and things continued downhill from there, blowing up bigger in Season 12 when it was clear Marc didn’t like nor respect Kenya.
Kenya Hoped Her Marriage Would Have a Fairytale Ending
Rumors were swirling that Kenya’s new beau was an astute NY businessman and wanted no part of her reality TV world. Kenya resurfaces at the tail end of season 10, pregnant, with her reluctant husband nowhere in sight. When she returned with him alongside her the following year, audiences were suspicious of the new couple and their relationship, but admittedly smitten by Marc’s good looks and sophisticated demeanor. The ladies of RHOA threw their usual shade and questioned the validity of Kenya’s marriage because there were few pictures and little to no witnesses. Kenya endured their taunts with her usual dismissive flair, but her fiery comebacks felt watered down, and she seemed far less feisty post-Marc than she was before Mark. Again, red flags billowed in the wind as fans remarked that their beloved Kenya seemed different when Marc was on camera with her. He often read condescending and dismissive toward her and appeared unimpressed with the rest of the cast. The rumor mill accused Marc of being verbally abusive and Kenya’s demure and submissive energy around him fueled fans’ outrage even more.
By the time the couple’s adorable daughter Brooklyn was conceived, audiences had given up on a happily ever after for the Detroit beauty. It was clear Kenya was in the marriage trying to keep up the appearance of having it all when, instead, things were very different.
In all her years on RHOA, Kenya has displayed vulnerability in two situations. The very first proof of her softer side was when she shared the tear-jerking story of her mother’s abandonment, and the second was the dissolution of her marriage. Kenya can remain stone-faced and brutal when attacked by other women on the show.
RHOA ‘s Marlo Hampton antagonized Kenya throughout the marriage, separation, and divorce, taunting her for not having a real relationship and not being able to keep a man. Kenya’s wordplay is vicious and her ability to turn an insult into a moment to praise herself is legendary. Seeing the pain from her mother’s rejection made audiences relate to Kenya in a very different way. Seeing her pain over her marriage falling apart reminded fans that underneath her picture-perfect smile and flawless bone structure was a woman who desperately wanted to be loved despite her tough exterior. It’s not hard to imagine that a woman rejected by her mother would long to create a stable family unit for herself. When Kenya finally admitted the marriage was in trouble, audiences had arrived at that conclusion several episodes prior and were patiently waiting for Kenya to voice the obvious.
Kenya and Marc’s Divorce Dragged on Unnecessarily
Criticized by her cast mates for trying to push a false narrative, Kenya kept her head high but tried to admit the couple were separated. The separation eventually transitioned to filing for divorce, but Kenya avoided sharing the details on camera. As her divorce status became a staple of the series, her colleagues started to question the hold-up. Kenya remained tight-lipped but assured everyone she was hoping to finalize the divorce. Again, there was a contradiction between Kenya’s words and actions as photographers captured the beauty in New York with her daughter and Marc, appearing to try and reconcile their marriage. Even after it was abundantly clear the two weren’t going to rekindle the romance we never saw, the divorce continued dragging on.
Information leaked that Marc was allegedly uncomfortable with his daughter being featured on a reality show. Kenya shot those rumors down as silly and assured her fans that Brooklyn would always be a part of her presence on the show. More rumors surfaced, this time suggesting Marc was preparing to be on a reality show himself. This was strange considering a big part of the couple’s issues were said to stem from Mark not being a fan of the drama of RHOA. If those musings were true, there is no proof and, as to date, Marc hasn’t been announced as a cast member on any official reality shows. Finally, headlines leaked exposing Kenya’s alleged monthly salary of $50,000 pitted against Marc’s alleged salary of $5,000 per month. According to Radar Online, Mark agreed to grant Kenya primary custody, he proposed paying her a modest $521 per month in child support.
Kenya’s Is Trying to Move On With a New Love
After three years of litigation, the divorce was finally granted in December 2023. Surprisingly, the girl who brags about her beauty equaled only by her brains, didn’t have a prenuptial agreement in place, a major contributor to the divorce proceedings taking so long to settle. Kenya finally started dating again within the last year, a clear sign that the divorce would soon be a reality. Ironically, Kenya is dating another restaurateur, but Roi Shlomo appears to be the more successful option when compared to her ex.
Roi is the brains behind the health-conscious café chain Kale Me Crazy, and initially launched the frozen yogurt chain, Yogli Mogli. He also owns Aziza Restaurant & Lounge in Turks & Caicos. Roi seems comfortable with the attention that accompanies dating the seasoned reality star and fans haven’t balked at any blatant signs of distress in the budding relationship.
Kenya claims she is taking things slowly and has no desire to slap labels on their relationship. With her divorce papers now in hand, it will be interesting to see if she continues singing the “no labels” tune or if things change because of her status. For a girl who is a self-proclaimed hopeless romantic and still believes in love, things will likely progress in plain sight of RHOA. Kenya’s fans are hoping Roi will get a much better rating than Marc, who showed up to the party as a pretty face with little else to offer.
