Yahoo Lifestyle 'RHOA's Shamea Morton Shades Brit Eady in Ongoing Feud With Kenya Moore (Exclusive)
A star is born on the new season of The Real Housewives of Atlanta, and that star's name is Shamea Morton. The former "Friend" of the series finally snagged a peach on Bravo's retooled 16th season, and to the surprise of many, she's emerged as this iteration of the long-running show's secret weapon.
Morton brings everything you could want from a real housewife: glamour, wealth (her $9M mansion just about broke the internet when it was featured in the premiere), humor, and plenty of shade. In the premiere episode, she was positioned as the nucleus of the newly configured group.
Parade caught up with Morton shortly after the premiere aired, breaking down everything from how she feels finally earning a peach and her thoughts on the upcoming Kenya Moore drama to the return of Porsha Williams and who within this new cast she is closest to.
"I stand firmly on the belief that all it took was just remixing it, bringing out a youthful, more fun vibe, and I think that's what the newbies are delivering," she explains when breaking down this revamped RHOA. "We are bringing the energy and the fun." As we previously reported, Morton joins the series alongside newbies Brit Eady, Kelli Ferrell and Angela Oakley, with returning castmembers Williams, Drew Sidora, Phaedra Parks and Moore all appearing in various capacities.
For some fans, Morton's addition felt a bit random when it was announced, but their tune swiftly changed after the premiere aired, with many referring to her as a "new Shamea." She, however, has a different perspective on this.
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"No one has ever gotten to know the old Shamea," she quips. "The old and new Shamea are the exact same person. I've always been who I am...a big personality, vibrant, bubbly, and as a friend on the show, I never got an opportunity to showcase it. There are times that I would go to events, and I wouldn't even be mic'd!"
"Now that I have a peach, it is very different," she adds. "It's just such an honor to just be here in this space, to be able to just showcase my life in its entirety ... I'm excited and I'm eager to share it with the world, because it's been over a decade that I haven't been able to!"
As for this reworked cast, she calls it a "fresh, organic" cast, likening it to a "sister circle." Of course, Morton is best friends with Williams, so reuniting with her onscreen was a plus. "Any time you get a chance to hang out with your best friend and get paid to do it, hey, sign me up," she tells us, while admitting that there were some bumps in the road for them this season.
"It's had its challenging times, I would be lying if I said it didn't because with any friendship, there are highs, lows, ebbs and flows," she explains. "But, I feel that we do a pretty decent job navigating through it. We'll see."
The elephant in the room this season, of course, is the still unresolved Kenya Moore drama. While we still have to wait a few weeks to watch it all unfold on the show, Moore abruptly stopped filming on RHOA while feuding with newbie Eady, after allegedly unveiling explicit photos of Eady at a filmed event.
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Morton explains that although she was there to watch the event unfold, she has "no idea" how it will play out on the show. "You know, Kenya went too far ... but Brit did some not-so-nice things as well, and I think as the season progresses, you get to see who Brit Eady is and maybe why Kenya felt the need to go so far. You know, for every action, there's a reaction."
"I think that's what happens in this group. You go low and some people just go all the way low, and then it's like this back and forth instead of taking the high road," she adds.
There is plenty more to the season than just the Kenya and Brit of it all, Morton promises us, teasing tension between her and Sidora as well. While the both of them have appeared on the show together in the past, this is the first time they're both peach holders at the same time.
"Drew, you know, she's on her thing, she's been around for a minute and, you know, she's an actress," she quips. "Even when she's supposed to be serious, she's steady acting, you know how that goes. And scene!"
As for the rest of the season, Morton promises plenty for fans to chew on. "It's just different," she says. "Fans are gonna really love it. It's a new wave, a new era, and one that I think everyone can identify with. There is someone on this cast that you will be able to identify with, and you'll grow to love and enjoy."
With one last dose of shade, she adds, "You just don't want to be the Brit Eady ... or maybe even a Drew because she lies a lot, but aside from those two, pick one!"
The Real Housewives of Atlanta airs Sundays on Bravo.
Related: 'Real Housewives of Atlanta' Season 16 Trailer Teases Kenya Moore Fallout
