The third installment of The Real Housewives franchise, The Real Housewives Of Atlanta began airing in 2008, as the first in the franchise to have a majority Black cast. The show is the highest-rated and most-watched Real Housewives franchise, according to Cheat Sheet. It has produced unforgettable scandals and feuds and produced and reinvigorated the careers of many stars, like NeNe Leakes, Kenya Moore, and Eva Marcille.
The show has also had a few Housewives come and go, while some have stayed for longer durations. In recent years, it has lost a few big-name Housewives, after they either quit or were fired, but regardless of who’s on the main cast, RHOA has had some likable (and unlikable) cast members.
Updated on November 17th, 2022, by Lynn Gibbs: Now that season 14 of The Real Housewives of Atlanta has come to a close, Bravo fans can look forward to a new season with Marlo Hampton and Sanya Richards-Ross as hopeful members of the lineup. As of this article’s publishing, RHOA has had 17 Housewives on the main roster — not including those who have been friends or guests of the series. Some Housewives hold their own and have been a part of the show for years, while others didn’t fair as long. Regardless of how long they were on the show, the series has had some incredibly likable Housewives.
Kim Zolciak-Biermann
Seasons 1-5
An original cast member of RHOA, Kim left the series to star in her reality show, Don’t Be Tardy. The Housewife was accused of multiple indiscretions among the cast, making her unlikable by fans in the end (although she had a strong and comedic beginning).
She was, at times, friends with NeNe Leakes and Sheree Whitfield, but these friendships did not last. Once Kim left the series, she came back as a friend and a guest in seasons 9 and 10 before stepping away for good. Because of the accusations made against her by NeNe and some of the other Housewives, Kim is one of the most unlikable Housewives (although she was an entertaining former Housewife).
Kim Fields
Season 8
An actress famous for her roles as Tootie on The Facts Of Life and Regine on Living Single, Fields appeared on the show for only one season. She had noticeable trouble on camera fitting in with the other Housewives, and viewers found her boring because she didn’t offer much to the show.
Regarding the show, she told Wendy Williams “I wasn’t there to fit in, probably one and done,’ because I had other s*** that I had to do, and you know, to keep it pushing.” Although Kim had a legendary name, she was not one of the best one-season Housewives. Because of her lack of drama, she’s not the most liked Housewife.
DeShawn Snow
Season 1
DeShawn Snow, like Fields, appeared in only one season. She was one of the better OG Housewives from season 1, but didn’t come back as a guest until season 14. DeShawn was a calm presence on the show, staying out of the drama and fights characteristically of the Real Housewives franchise.
She is not well remembered, having appeared on the show in 2008. According to Nicki Swift, she was fired after season 1 for not bringing enough drama to the show. DeShawn told Bravo that the producers fired her for being “too human for a circus show.” It’s not that DeShawn wasn’t a likable cast member, it’s that she didn’t fit in with the genre of the show.
Shamari DeVoe
Season 11
Shamari DeVoe was another one-seasoner, who appeared in season 11 of RHOA. She is a former member of the girl group, Blaque, and is married to Ronnie DeVoe of New Edition and Bell Biv DeVoe fame. According to Bravo, she tweeted in 2019 “I chose not to return due to personal reasons. The sun sets and rises when it’s ready.”
Shamari brought drama to the group dynamic but was not memorable because she left too soon. She was also overshadowed by the return of Kenya Moore in season 12. Similar to DeShawn Snow, it wasn’t that Shamari was an unlikable Housewife, but she was forgettable compared to others on this list.
Phaedra Parks
Seasons 3-9
Unfortunately, Phaedra Parks went too far with her drama in her final season on RHOA. She was a Housewife for some of the best seasons of the series, including season 6, which is known as one of The Real Housewives of Atlanta’s best seasons.
Although Phaedra is a smart and educated woman, she made a grave mistake in spreading a nasty rumor during her last season. The rumor could have tarnished Kandi Burruss and Porsha Williams’ careers, which is why she was not asked back for season 10. Recently, she was a part of season 2 of The Real Housewives Ultimate Girl Trip, which made fans miss her on their TVs.
Lisa Wu
Seasons 1-2
Lisa Wu was one of the original starting members of The Real Housewives franchise, but she left to join Hollywood Divas. Speaking to The Jasmine Brand about her reason for leaving Wu stated:
“My thing is because I write movies, I produce, I don’t feel the need to perform and if you’re telling me what I should be doing and what my storyline should be then it sounds scripted to me. If it’s scripted, let me do d*** scripted. If it’s reality, let it be reality.”
Lisa Wu did not mesh with the rest of the Housewives, but it’s what made her a likable cast member. She came back as a guest for seasons 9, 10, and 14.
Sanya Richards-Ross
Season 14
Sanya Richards-Ross joined Marlo Hampton in season 14 as a new Housewife. Sanya was most known for her time as an Olympic athlete and star in the track-and-field world. But on RHOA, her athleticism couldn’t save her from the dramatic women.
Sanya did a great job of holding her own against the Housewives in her first season, but at the same time, she was still finding herself in this new group of friends (while being filmed for TV). Her biggest points of contention revolved around the issues she had with Drew Sidora. As a new Housewife, fans liked her enough to want her back for season 15.
Drew Sidora
Seasons 13-14
Drew Sidora started on season 13 and was a well-known side actress who has appeared on That’s So Raven, Girlfriends, Step Up, and White Chicks. Now that Drew completed her second season, fans have grown to love her (unlike her husband Ralph Pittman).
Sadly, Drew’s husband was not one of the best on The Real Housewives, and he was the source of most of her drama. However, fans appreciated her authenticity, honesty, and refusal to back down. Because of her backbone with the other women, she’s one of the most liked Housewives.
Claudia Jordan
Season 7
Claudia Jordan was another Housewife who only lasted one season on RHOA before coming back as a guest on seasons 8 and 13.
She was Miss Rhode Island Teen USA in 1990 and Miss Rhode Island USA in 1997. She is best remembered for her notorious feud with NeNe, and she never backed down from the longtime Housewife. Audiences were happy to find a Housewife who could take down NeNe, which is why she was so likable as a one-time Housewife.
Marlo Hampton
Season 14
Marlo Hampton is one of the more unique Housewives because she was a friend and a guest of the series since season 4. Since season 8, Marlo has been a part of the franchise consecutively but didn’t hold a peach until season 14.
Marlo has been friends and enemies with most of the Housewives over the years. Because of her relationships with the women and knowledge of Atlanta, she’s one of the more entertaining Housewives that’s been on RHOA. However, the drama she’s had with Housewives like NeNe, Kandi, and Kenya don’t help her character. Nevertheless, fans can’t deny how much they love having her on their screens.
Eva Marcille
Seasons 11-12
After two seasons on the show, Eva Marcille announced that she was leaving. It was heavily debated whether she was fired or if she quit of her own accord. As with Jordan, NeNe called for Eva to be fired (noted by Heavy). “I don’t feel like Eva brings that much to the cast. I’m just being honest,” Leakes said.
Eva eventually announced that she left because “What I hope to accomplish for the culture and community will be better served by focusing on other opportunities.” On top of lasting two seasons, Eva was also a guest and a friend in seasons 9 and 13. For season 2 of The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip, fans were happy to see Eva and Phaedra Parks back on Bravo.
NeNe Leakes
Seasons 1-7 And 10-12
NeNe Leakes had some of the best quotes on RHOA as one of the more iconic Housewives on the show, NeNe is also the most controversial, which means, as a Housewife, she is loved. She has had a feud with everyone on the show and got along less and less with the cast as the seasons went on. In September 2020, she left the show to focus on her other commitments, according to Hollywood Life.
Although NeNe had a fall from grace from Bravo in recent years, she’s still a beloved Housewife who is one of the most liked. However, her time came to an end and it was best to part ways.
Shereé Whitfield
Seasons 1-4, 9-10, And 14
One of the original Housewives, Shereé caused big drama when she appeared in the early seasons. Her amazing comebacks and “reads” were what made Shereé so likable.
She also won hearts by standing up to her ex-husband on the show, which was hard to watch for fans because they loved Shereé as a person. Shereé has been on and off the series for quite some time, but she came back as a Housewife in season 14. Shereé has had some of the best quotes on RHOA and continues to serve as a likable Housewife.
Cynthia Bailey
Seasons 3-13
Cynthia Bailey was not much of a drama starter, but she held her own in arguments against the women. Cynthia was known for “doing the work” and talking things through calmly. Her friendships with NeNe Leakes and Kenya Moore were shown heavily, as were her relationships with Peter Thomas and Mike Hill.
Despite this, Cynthia was not very good at handling drama and tried being the mediator. Cynthia quickly became one of the best Housewives in season 4 because of her honesty about her financial issues and desire for new businesses.
Kenya Moore
Seasons 5-10 And 12-14
Kenya Moore is one of the most dramatic Housewives, making her one of the most liked because of all the juice she’s brought to each season. She divided viewers, some who liked her, and some who didn’t, and caused tension among the Housewives too. She has been accused of different lies and not-so-great behaviors during her time on the show, from hiring men to act as her partner to flirting with Phaedra’s husband.
Despite this, Kenya is a huge part of the RHOA franchise’s success. Audiences love her, because she intimidates the other Housewives, and brings the energy of a strong woman to the show. Kenya has also had some of the best quotes on RHOA and is the face of countless GIFs and memes.
Porsha Williams
Seasons 5-6 And 8-13
Porsha had a huge transformation over the years on RHOA. She joined the series newly married and was happy with being a trophy wife without much to her own name. But the closer she became with the other women, she realized she wanted more.
Since her first season, Porsha found herself and became a Housewife fans adored. And while she had a hard season 7 as a friend of the series, she regained fans’ trust and was bubbly while also being a truth-teller.
Kandi Burruss
Seasons 2-14
The “most entrepreneurial person on Bravo”, according to Andy Cohen, Kandi started her career as a singer and songwriter, writing the lyrics to many popular songs, such as TLC’s “No Scrubs.”
Kandi often takes a backseat when drama is happening, as she prefers to focus on her businesses. Because of this, she is often accused of having a boring personality, but she is one of the most likable overall because she acts as the viewer in most perspectives. Kandi had great storylines and is genuinely fun to watch. Because of her tenure on the show and her dedication to Bravo, Kandi is one of the best Housewives.
