Not only did Phaedra Parks confirm her return to The Real Housewives of Atlanta (RHOA) for season 16 with a bold Instagram statement—”You called, I answered”—but she’s also begun sharing behind-the-scenes glimpses of filming.
Bravo began gutting the controversial RHOA cast after season 15 concluded on DATE. By the end of July, only one housewife, Drew Sidora, confirmed her return. See the season 16 housewives as Parks and her friends film a scene for the beloved Bravo series.
Phaedra Parks, Drew Sidora, and new cast members film together in Atlanta
Phaedra Parks took to her Instagram stories to share several pics of filming in Atlanta on August 6. The photos showed Parks, Sidora, and two new cast members, Kelli Ferrell and Angela Oakley, in summery outfits, smiling. Additional media images confirmed the cast’s presence at Williams-Sonoma Ponce City Market. While taping, the four ladies participated in Ferrell’s Live Cooking Demo & Pop-Up Shop.
Ferrell, one of three new cast members, owns the No. 1-rated brunch in Georgia, Nana’s Chicken-N-Waffles. She’s also a cookbook writer who’s appeared on OWN, Good Morning America, and Food Network. In true housewife fashion, the mother of five balances her marriage, parenting, and successful career.
Parks’ social media shares made the foursome look like a tight-knit group of friends. Although it’s unclear if other cast members participated in Ferrell’s cooking demo, Sidora looked happy to have cleared the Bravo cuts. The X-year-old wore a white blazer, matching trousers, and a cropped tube top.
Season 16 will feature a new ‘RHOA’ dynamic for a fresh cast
Given the timeline of the past two RHOA seasons, we expect filming to conclude by early 2025. Season 16 will likely premiere around May of 2025. A spring premiere date aligns with the women’s outfits. In addition to Sidora, Ferrell wore a lacy minidress with shoulder cutouts and a springy white bow atop her head. Oakley wore a striped form-fitting jumpsuit. The wife of NBA icon Charles Oakley is a finance and real estate executive and mom to her and Charles’ three kids.
Paras Griffin/Getty ImagesParks, for her part, seems thrilled to return to RHOA. The now-50-year-old’s controversial departure in season 9 left a sour taste in viewers’ mouths. Since then, the reality TV star has appeared on Married to Medicine and The Traitors. But fans always suspected Bravo would bring her back. At the cooking demo, Parks wore white trousers and a pale pink button-up with poufy, patterned sleeves.
We anticipate many wild fashion statements and divisive feuds on the next season of The Real Housewives of Atlanta. In addition to Parks, Sidora, Oakley, and Ferrell, fans can expect full-time cast members in Porsha Williams and newbies Brittany Eady and Shamea Morton Mwangi, reports Parade. Cynthia Bailey will appear as a “friend of.”
