Marlo Hampton believes she’s the “hero” of the 14th season of The Real Housewives of Atlanta.
After Kenya Moore suggested Marlo, who was upgraded from a “friend” to a full-time cast member amid production, was the new villain of the series, Marlo clapped back with some claims of her own while also addressing the cast’s questions about her finances and her unexpected feud with Kandi Burruss.
“You know what? It’s my season,” Marlo declared to Entertainment Tonight on April 28. “I came in here as the hero…. I think Kenya’s a little delusional.”
Ahead of Sunday’s premiere, Marlo said she’s excited about her upgraded role, but Kenya is not.
“It’s just sad,” Marlo said. “I deserve this seat at the table.”
And not just that. Marlo claims that after mending things with Kenya amid season 13, she came into season 14 with full intentions of continuing their friendship.
“I came right into this season being an amazing friend: 10 toes down, being a friend, that’s supportive, going above and beyond,” she shared, noting that while she and Kenya recently “unblocked each other,” they have maintained distance.
According to Marlo, she believes Kenya showed her true colors while filming Real Housewives: Ultimate Girls Trip.
“One thing Granny always said, ‘You can’t hide your authentic self,’ the real Kenya is going to shine bright, like a diamond,” she explained. “The same way she poured that drink on [Ramona Singer], the same way she back-stabbed [Cynthia Bailey], who’s so sweet and has rode for Kenya for years? For her to betray Cynthia, I know you’re not the friend for me.”
Marlo was especially put off by the way Kenya and the other ladies of RHOA spotlighted her finances.
“It’s embarrassing,” Marlo said. “I’m getting paid, if they don’t know when I post, I’m getting paid on the platform I’m on, that’s OK. I don’t live above my means. I live in a townhome that’s paid for. Do you think, I’m just broke? Like, I wasn’t smart enough to have investments or properties and different streams of income? It’s insulting.”
Although some have suspected Marlo has a sugar daddy, she pointed out that there are “no pictures, no receipts.”
“It’s been a decade. Where are your receipts?!” she wondered.
“Kenya is rusty, dried up and tired, and a has-been, and I want her to stop worrying about where my money comes from. She needs to worry about making her some money,” Marlo continued.
While Marlo’s friendship with NeNe Leakes was featured on the show for years, she said she hasn’t heard from the ex-cast member since gaining peach-holder status.
“It’s OK,” Marlo said of their estrangement. “My immediate circle of people, who really are genuinely happy for me, supports me. So that’s all that matters.”
Throughout production on season 14, Marlo was able to take the cameras into her life at home with her nephews, Michael and William, who she said “did good” with filming.
“We talk about their mom,” Marlo noted. “She’s going through some things right now, and I’m just trying to pray and hope that she just gets herself together.. She needs to just work on her right now.”
Marlo also highlighted her relationship with her own mom.
“We hadn’t seen each other in a while and it was time,” she said of an on-camera reunion. “It was definitely some emotional moments.”
Regarding her drama with Kandi, Marlo said she “said some awful things” amid the season and admitted to having regrets about her encounter with the longtime castmate.
“I do go below the belt,” Marlo shared. “It was bad and I do regret it. I’ve known [Kandi] longer than any of the girls in the group, I dated her godbrother… So Kandi, I just see that’s my sister. So with Kandi, we had a little disagreement and it was bad. But guess what? I got us some chicken wings from KFC and she was all right.”
“We made up,” she confirmed.
And although she didn’t immediately take to newbie Sanya Richards-Ross, saying she was thrown off by her immediate closeness with Drew Sidora, she said she’s the “secret sauce” of the new season.
“Once I got to know her, good lordy! She’s amazing. She tries to keep us all together. She’s a major part of our glue. She really is. To be new, that little thing comes in, fiery and spicy… She’s definitely a bundle of joy.”
Real Housewives of Atlanta Live Viewing – This is also the live viewing thread for tonight’s RHOA season 14 premiere episode, which airs on Bravo at 8/7c. As the episode airs, please share your comments in our chat below.
