Marlo Hampton Says RHOA “Got Dark”, Wants to Return as a “Friend”

Marlo Hampton is an icon in her own right. But, her real claim to fame came when she joined RHOA over a decade ago. Since then, she’s become a ‘Munty’ to her two nephews, and now runs a fashion showroom, Le’Archive.

Marlo is all about couture, but The Real Housewives of Atlanta alum explains how she wasn’t always living a glam life filled with designer labels and extravagant parties. Her childhood involved “living in five different foster homes,” and “living on the streets.” She says how “tough” it was appearing on the Across Generations podcast this January.

Marlo Hampton reveals whether she’d return to RHOA

Speaking on the Across Generations podcast this January, Marlo explains how she was already thriving as a “fabulous” boutique owner before being asked to join RHOA as a ‘friend’.

She hopped aboard the cast for season 4 in 2011 and finally got a peach on the show in season 14 – 12 years later.

Marlo isn’t set to appear in season 16 which airs in 2025. But, she addresses what capacity she would come back in if she did in the future.

She tells host Tiffany Cross how her “larger than life Aquarius personality” had people saying “hey, we’ve gotta keep this girl around” as she appeared on the show initially as Nene Leakes’ friend.

Marlo explained how she pretty much appeared on the show in a full Housewife capacity but “didn’t have the title” and “didn’t get the pay” of a Real Housewife.

The reality TV star explains that she appeared on the show at first “for free” but adds: “It wasn’t free for me because I got a lot of perks, a lot of gigs, appearances, at the time I wasn’t worried about the money, I was dating a billionaire at that time.”

Marlo doesn’t really care for a peach

Telling her story on Across Generations, Marlo explains how two years ago, she finally got her peach status.

She said “the world was happy about me getting a peach,” adding: “For true fans… it was a big deal.”

But, she explains how she wasn’t actually “happy about it” herself.

“I love being a friend, I felt the show was in a bad place and don’t think I can just come and save the show. I came on with the originals, it was a different type of show, it was a different day and age and I feel the show just got dark all of a sudden.”

She explains how “a lot of the girls never respected her” and that the cast “went below the belt,” “including her.”

But, she doesn’t rule out returning to RHOA. Marlo says she would appear on the show again in a ‘friend’ capacity.

“I want a soft life, now,” she explains, before adding: “I would want the money, but I’m not big on a title… I don’t know if that’s because of my upbringing. I’m big on getting a job done and doing the best at my job and getting paid. The title could be a janitor, as long as I’m getting paid the money that I want and that I need.”