‘Married to Medicine’: Dr. Jackie Walters Dishes on ‘Explosive’ Season 11-quang

   

Bravo prescribed you another dose of Married to Medicine. The hit reality series returns for Season 11 with its usual mix of big personalities and high drama. Dr. Jackie Walters, Dr. Simone Whitmore, Dr. Heavenly Kimes,  Toya Bush-Harris, Phaedra Parks, Esq., Quad Webb, and Lateasha “Sweet Tea” Lunceford once again give audiences a glimpse into their professional and personal lives in Atlanta.

They’ll be joined by a familiar friend Dr. Contessa Metcalfe, who stepped away from the show during Season 9, and newcomer Dr. Mimi Sanders, an accomplished psychiatrist who specializes in women’s mental health. Given the recent teaser, things are shaping up to be a powderkeg waiting to explode.

For Walters, it’s something she has come to expect and weather being there since the show started. The respected board-certified obstetrician and gynecologist (OB-GYN) has often found herself between a rock and a hard place when it comes to managing dynamics within the girl group. This year looks no different as Webb looks to mend fences after last year’s banishment from a couples’ trip and Metcalfe at the center of conflict.

Here Walters previews what’s to come including her always eventful Med Gala.

Married to Medicine - Season 11

I know we start things off with Simone and Cecil [Whitmore] hosting a Freaknik-themed party in the premiere. How would you describe the dynamic of the group coming off last season into that event? 

Dr. Jackie Walters: I will tell you the season started the way the reunion ended. It ended explosive and started explosive. We’re navigating through our friendship groups to see who aligns with who this year. You’re going to be surprised in ways you’ve never seen before. It’s a great season. It’s the best we’ve ever had.

It looks like Quad is in the mix a little bit more compared to last season. Now “Sweet Tea” has had a year under her belt. You’ve had a little dust-up with her. Where would you say things stand with those two? 

The last time you saw me and “Sweet Tea” I was being fub. F-U-B, you know what that means? I was being fub. Quad has always been a fun girl to have around. We were both able to have some ownership of what happened with our friendship. We’re trying to get that back going. I can’t say the same for “Sweet Tea” and Quad because you will see something this season you’ve never seen before on reality TV. The exes are back together again.

How hard has it been for you to be pulled in two directions and essentially play Switzerland? 

I call us the Golden Girls. We know how to do it. We know how to make up to break up. When the white coats are on, we know how to be professional. When the white coats are off, we act like frenemies. This year though I think we get to understand each other and accept each other for who we are in ways we’ve never done before. This will be an interesting year for the Golden Girls. It’s going to be a great year for the Golden Girls. Let me put it that way. We’re aging. We’re menopausal!

So which Golden Girl are you? 

I’m probably Dorothy. Or maybe I’m Blanche. Who knows? Maybe a little bit of both.

What was it like having Dr. Contessa back in the mix? How is it having Dr. Mimi coming in? 

Contessa is back. You know her and Heavenly ended in a whirlwind. Well, it started just like that. Nothing has changed there. You’ll see the peaks and valleys between Dr. Heavenly and Dr. Contessa. Contessa looks amazing. She has gone and done the bodybuilding and looking good. She has a lot of energy and is into a lot of things. Dr. Mimi is a psychiatrist. We need a psychiatrist by the end of the season. She is going to use every psychiatric tool she has ever learned.

Last season, we saw you caring for Da Brat as she got ready to have her baby. Are we going to see some famous faces this year?

Who do you think you’re talking to? Absolutely you are, Scott. Yes! I serve a certain clientele along with other people. You are going to see certain people.

Anyone you can tease? 

Let me just say it like this. “You all looking for me. Here I go.”

Last season, you had this great conversation with Vice President Kamala Harris. It really brought maternal health to the forefront. How was it for you to show that to Bravo’s audience? 

I wish I could forget what happened [with the election], but I will move forward. That was a super important conversation. If you keep watching Season 11, the conversation doesn’t stop.

Married to Medicine - Season 10

You’ve been on the show since the start. What have you taken from all that experience? 

I think the beauty of Married to Medicine is we’re all friends. We don’t have to pick up where the season left off and try to catch up. We’re all friends. I’ve always been like this, and it has been a case of using my life as a teaching tool. Some things you may learn not to do from me, but also you may learn to do. I’ve been able to impact women across the world. I used to say the United States, but now we get messages from across the water where people say, “I didn’t know this,” or, “I’m suffering from that.” I’ve been able to use this platform to help other women. That is what I think of every day to do and what I’ve been doing.

What did you think of Phaedra on Dancing With the Stars

Phaedra did really good on Dancing with the Stars. I wish she had won, but Phaedra brought some interesting moments to the show and interesting eyes. We want to say thank you, Phaedra.

What can you tell us about her involvement this season? 

Oh, baby. Wait till we get to the [Florida] Keys. Honey, this will be an interesting couples trip, let me say that.

Yeah, it seems like things get explosive with the husbands, too. 

In ways you’ve never seen.

Would you want to do Dancing With the Stars

I can’t dance. I got in the wrong line when they were giving out dancing skills. So let me just support from behind the scenes.

A highlight each season is the Med Gala. What can you tell us about this one? 

This year I got to be chair of the Med Gala. It is a take on the Met Gala. We had a beautiful theme. We are going to give back in a way that probably has not been done on many shows. We use our skills to give back this year. We just wanted to leave an impact. We raised a lot of money.

The theme this year is Enchanted Gardens. You get a bunch of women with a theme of a garden, you’re going to see a lot of flowers and trees and poison ivy. There is a whole lot of stuff. It will be interesting, but it was beautiful. Any time you come together as a collective group of physicians and give back to something that is so meaningful to that group, it’s always impactful.

How would you describe the season? 

I would say a thriller. A suspense thriller. You will be on the edge of your seat the entire season.

Where do you want to see from the show that hasn’t been done before? 

I want to see us get outside the U.S. a little bit more and do some mission work outside.

Similar to a Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip but in a more meaningful way? 

Absolutely. We want to go over and leave our mark in other countries as ways to give back, especially to women. I am an OB-GYN, so I’m always thinking of ways we can make an impact on the lives of women. We can take it across the waters as well because we need it. I was able to go to Nigeria with one of my foster sons last year. That would be a great place to go to help women.

Married to Medicine Season 11 premiere, November 24, 9/8c, Bravo (Next Day on Peacock)