Former Miss USA turned reality star, Kenya Moore, is one of the most polarizing Real Housewives in history. Moore exited the franchise after 15 successful seasons as a lead on The Real Housewives of Atlanta for allegedly sharing NSFW photos of newcomer, Brittany Eady.
Fans are split on the network’s severe reaction to Kenya’s latest rouse, but true RHOA fans aren’t surprised. Since her 2012 debut on RHOA, Kenya’s behavior has earned her the reputation of being a beautiful villain viewers love to hate. Her intellectually fueled digs often leave a lasting sting and while her stunts are always “gone with the wind fabulous”, she has never been accused of not making a lasting impression on her rivals. Here are her most iconic moments on the show.
10. The Donkey vs. Stallion Booty Workout Video Scandal
When Fitness Causes Drama
From their introduction, Kenya and Phaedra Parks never gelled as friends on RHOA. They attempted to fake the funk, but that ended in VHS rivalry with two competing workout videos. Initially, Phaedra invited Kenya to be a part of a workout video with the purpose of shaping the derrière into an enviable peach. Although Phaedra claims to be the stereotypical southern belle, her rhetorical choices often contradict the genteel training synonymous with Southern manners. Arguably, Phaedra’s title of “donkey butt” was a bit questionable, but according to Kenya, the terms of the contract were even more distasteful. Instead of working with Phaedra, Kenya decided to do her own booty workout video titled “Stallion Booty,” and after Phaedra discovered the betrayal, the gloves were off.
Phaedra pivoted to include her then-husband, Apollo Nida, who had recently become a certified trainer and Kenya contracted a professional workout coach with television credits under her belt. Besides the tapes premiering simultaneously, Kenya was more than happy to point out the irony of Phaedra doing a workout video despite not having a body worth duplicating. She challenged Phaedra on the show in front of the entire cast, blasting her figure as one that needed work, and then took to Twitter for the fans to chime in. She tweeted, “You can’t photoshop my abs in live video u can c who has the six-pack & who swallowed 1 whole #rhoa I work hard 4 this body can’t fake that.” The ladies went back and forth, but Phaedra didn’t have much of a rebuttal for Kenya’s rationale. Still taking someone’s idea after they attempted to extend an olive branch bringing you into a situation is nasty work.
9. Kenya Moore Wants Her Co-Star’s Man?
Meet: “Kenya Moore-Whore”
Aside from the donkey booty vs. stallion booty debacle, Kenya and Phaedra’s discourse went much deeper than a workout video. A newly married Phaedra was struggling in her marriage. Kenya shamelessly acknowledged she believed Apollo was a very good-looking man, and he was inappropriately attracted to her as well. On several occasions, the two were caught being mildly flirty and, at one point, Apollo picked Kenya up and threw her playfully into a pool. Instead of respecting Phaedra’s marriage and making it clear she had no intention of crossing those boundaries, Kenya remained mum about the situation and even acknowledged being friends with Apollo.
When questioned about the situation, Kenya accused Phaedra of being insecure but would also simultaneously throw digs at Phaedra’s physical appearance. “I wouldn’t trust Phaedra as far as I could throw her and since she weighs 200 lbs, we know that would be about an inch,” Kenya confided during confessional on season 7. The entire situation left a bad taste in the mouths of the remaining RHOA cast members long after Phaedra and Apollo divorced.
8. Kenya Is Upset Over Fake Hair
C U Next Tuesday Enters the Fold
Kenya has a reputation for hazing fresh meat on RHOA and during season 12, newcomer Tanya Sam fell victim to the process. The Canadian-born, Atlanta transplant was severely outmatched during her foray into housewives banter, but she tried to keep up the pace as best she could. At the time, Tanya was engaged to Atlanta tech mogul, Paul Judge, and Kenya was lucky enough to learn that rumors were swirling in the Atlanta streets surrounding Paul’s philandering ways. After hearing the gossip, Kenya made it a point to take the woman to lunch with cameras to embarrass Tanya.
The woman nicknamed, “the cookie lady” by blogs insisted Tanya’s man was up to no good, but Tanya insisted the rumors were unmerited. She claimed her fiancé refused to take the woman’s number and instead was being set up. Incensed by the fact that Kenya tried to humiliate her, Tanya attempted to trade insults with the RHOA veteran. Few people are able to get under Kenya’s skin, but in that regard Tanya was successful. Kenya hurled several distasteful insults back and ultimately called Tanya a c—, for which she later apologized.
7. Kenya Moore Won’t Be Punk’d by Nene Leakes
The Shade Assasians Collide
There was probably not a more formidable verbal opponent for Kenya Moore than Nene Leakes. Bar for bar, the two traded insults and reads over the years for the fans’ entertainment, but often the jabs would go below the belt. By season 12, the two almost ended up in a physical altercation during a couple’s event when Nene called Peter Thomas out for being in women’s business.
Kenya attempted to admonish Nene for calling Peter out and the two ended up shouting in each other’s faces and needing to be pulled apart. Over the years, Kenya threw barbs during confessionals, clowning Nene’s wigs and edges ad nauseum. In Kenya’s defense, Nene threw insults back as well as she received them, but during Kenya’s pregnancy, fans frowned on Nene bodyshaming a very pregnant Kenya referring to her as a buffalo.
6. Kenya Goes To Extreme Lengths to Clown Chateau Sheree
Battle of the Mansions
Sheree Whitfield is no stranger to being exposed for telling untruths over the years. She has been called out for fibbing about her clothing line, unpaid invoices, and even for fake relationships. Perhaps her most memorable faux pas was the multi-million dollar mansion that was five years in the making.
Kenya bought a home in the same neighborhood as Sheree and took every opportunity to question Sheree about her progress on camera. When Sheree attempted to call Kenya’s home, ‘needs more work manor’, Kenya pointed out that her home may need more work, but surely Sheree’s home should be intact as it had been a five year journey. She also referred to Sheree’s home as “Château she ain’t done yet” and revealed that the property was in Sheree’s mother’s name and not her own.
5. Kenya Accuses Kim Zolciak of Pimping Out Her Daughter
Why Is John Legend Involved?
Kim Zolciak has endured a toxic relationship with the majority of the cast on RHOA, although she is one of the franchise’s original members. After returning in season 10, Kim seemed to have it out for Kenya because of her loyalty to Sheree Whitfield. Kim poked fun at Kenya’s single status and questioned the validity of her relationship with then-boyfriend, Marc Daly. Kenya clapped back, suggesting Kim was obsessed with her. If she’s so happy with her 10 kids and her husband and all of that, why is she so focused on me?” she laughed.
The insults continued, eventually coming to a head after Kim tweeted a particularly low-brow tweet in frustration of being unable to secure John Legend concert tickets for her family. “Worry about your life and the daughter you pimp out for John Legend tickets,” Moore said. “See if who’s d— she’ll suck for John Legend tickets, bitch. Worry about pimping your daughter out bitch.” Kenya’s words struck a nerve and Kim lunged at her, attempting to grab her hair before production held her back. As usual, Kenya was unbothered after inciting yet another RHOA cast member to violence.
4. Kenya Publicly Berates a Model During an Audition at the Bailey Agency
Poor Cynthia
During season 5, Kenya was just getting acclimated to RHOA, and it made sense that she would have an authentic connection with Cynthia Bailey. Both women modeled at one time and had successful careers before joining the show. Although Kenya made several tongue-in-cheek comments about Cynthia’s age, the former supermodel put pettiness aside and invited the former Miss USA to be a judge at a modeling call for The Bailey Agency.
In one of the most unforgettable Kenya Moore scenes to date, Kenya became vocally disgusted when a young model exposed a bit too much of herself during the audition. Kenya left no stone unturned, berating the young model and repeating that she was showing “coochie crack” at the audition. She blamed Cynthia for advertising on Craigslist and getting randoms for her model call, which she believed put them all in danger.
3. Kenya Moore Almost Ruins Cynthia Bailey’s Proposal
Always a Bridesmaid, Never a Bride
In 2019, Cynthia Bailey was crazy in love with sportscaster, Mike Hill. Cynthia and Kenya had become close friends and, surprisingly Mike was liked by most of the women on the show. The ladies were gathered at a typical housewives outing and Mike confided in them that he was going to propose. Kenya took it upon herself to pull Cynthia to the side and whisper, “I think he’s going to propose tonight.”
Cynthia was taken aback and later, when Mike proposed, she was disappointed that her friend had somewhat ruined the surprise. Mike himself was upset, suggesting Kenya could’ve been jealous of Cynthia and wanted to spoil the surprise. Kenya apologized claiming she never would’ve intentionally sabotaged the proposal, but later on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen she admitted regretting tipping Cynthia off.
2. Kenya Moore Pushes Porsha Williams to a Breaking Point
The Hair-Pull Seen Around the World
Season 6 was full of cast dissension, specifically between Porsha Williams and Kenya. Both ladies came to the reunion with something to prove after watching the season and seeing some of the charged confessional conversations. Kenya brought several props to the reunion, determined to leave an impression. She brought a large dramatic handheld fan and an actual scepter.
When Porsha attempted to offer a rebuttal to anything she said, Kenya would use her fan and or her scepter to point. Kenya’s scepter spent the majority of the reunion in Porsha’s face. Eventually, Porsha couldn’t take being goaded and erupted, on Kenya attacking her, physically by pulling her hair. Although it was clear that Porsha was wrong for taking things to the next leve, Kenya received backlash for pushing her to the limit.
1. Kenya Moore Crashes Marlo’s Wig Launch
“Kenya Moore Hair Care”
In season 12, episode 6, Kenya gathers every bit of tenacity she owned and uses it to disrespect Marlo Hampton in her most outrageous stunt on RHOA. After being insulted for her inability to prove a legitimate income, Marlo attempts to launch a wig line. While the rest of the cast is unsure what to expect from Marlo’s product, Kenya takes it as a personal insult that Marlo would be moving into the beauty/haircare industry.
Earlier in the season, Marlo threw shade at Kenya’s haircare event and Kenya saw an opportunity to return the favor. Just as the ladies are looking at Marlo’s wigs, Kenya enters the launch with an entire marching band chanting, ‘Kenya Moore haircare’. Marlo and the rest of the cast stare in disbelief while Kenya twirls around with the band and sucks up every bit of attention from anyone within a five-mile radius of Marlo’s event. Later, when questioned about her actions, Kenya unapologetically explains that Marlo is known for being bald and for not having edges, she definitely isn’t known for wigs.
Kandi Burruss recently came to Kenya’s defense, saying she didn’t understand why Kenya was suspended this season when the Housewives culture has been trading insults and creating dramatic incidents for years. Bravo has not released an official statement on Kenya’s current situation, but it’s clear from her outrageous moments throughout the years that Kenya Moore knows exactly how to get her point across and to get under another woman’s skin.
