Cynthia Bailey grappled with tough decisions as she planned her September 11 wedding to Mike Hill on Sunday’s episode of The Real Housewives of Atlanta.
The 53-year-old reality star and her fiancé invited 250 people to their nuptials, but expected just 100 to confirm because of the coronavirus—so they were shocked when 167 did.
Then Mike wanted to ask his pal Dennis McKinley, 44, to come, even though he was in the midst of a split with their friend and RHOA castmate Porsha Williams, 39.
Tough: Cynthia Bailey grappled with tough decisions as she planned her September 11 wedding to Mike Hill on Sunday’s episode of The Real Housewives of Atlanta
Invites: The 53-year-old reality star and her fiancé invited 250 people to their nuptials, but expected just 100 to confirm because of the coronavirus—so they were shocked when 167 did
Porsha: Then Mike wanted to ask his pal Dennis McKinley, 44, to come, even though he was in the midst of a split with their friend and RHOA castmate Porsha Williams, 39.
Most contentious however was the fact that Cynthia wanted to invite her father Elijah Bailey, as she knew doing so would seriously trouble her mother.
Three years before, Barbara Ford Morris had done a domestic violence PSA that hinted Elijah had once done something to her—something ‘so bad’ that it led her to grab a knife.
Asked for the PSA what she would tell her daughters about relationships now, Barbara said, ‘Don’t ever let a man hit you. Don’t ever let a man talk ugly to you.’
Cynthia’s mother: Three years before, Barbara Ford Morris had done a domestic violence PSA that hinted Elijah had once done something to her—something ‘so bad’ that it led her to grab a knife
PSA: Asked for the PSA what she would tell her daughters about relationships now, Barbara said, ‘Don’t ever let a man hit you. Don’t ever let a man talk ugly to you’
Cynthia was upset by the revelations but had tried to remain civil with Elijah.
‘Although I don’t have the closest relationship with my dad, he’s not going to be here forever,’ she reasoned. ‘I would at least like to give him the option to come if he would like to come.’
With the conversation weighing on her mind, Cynthia called her daughter Noelle Robinson, 21, a Los Angeles-based influencer, and asked to visit for a few weeks.
Civil: Cynthia was upset by the revelations but had tried to remain civil with Elijah (left)
Noelle conceded to two weeks and then rushed off the phone to tend to her promotional items from sponsors before flying to Atlanta and taking a flurry of selfies.
Cynthia knew that Barbara might be more open to the idea of seeing Elijah if she had Noelle with her for the conversation.
The pair went for a meal at Barbara’s house, where they were joined by Cynthia’s sister Malorie Bailey-Massie.
Selfies: Noelle conceded to two weeks and then rushed off the phone to tend to her promotional items from sponsors before flying to Atlanta and taking a flurry of selfies
Cynthia and Noelle: Cynthia knew that Barbara might be more open to the idea of seeing Elijah if she had Noelle with her for the conversation
As they ate, Cynthia gingerly brought up the topic of inviting Elijah, and Barbara shook her head slowly as if she were in pain.
‘I’ll just put my mask over my eyes,’ she offered, unhappy with the idea of Elijah coming.
Barbara reminded her daughter of how much she’d hurt her feelings last Father’s Day when she made a social media post thanking Elijah for her wonderful childhood.
Topic: As they ate, Cynthia gingerly brought up the topic of inviting Elijah, and Barbara shook her head slowly as if she were in pain
Hurt feelings: Barbara reminded her daughter of how much she’d hurt her feelings last Father’s Day when she made a social media post thanking Elijah for her wonderful childhood
‘Thank you for having me,’ Barbara quoted to Mal. ‘He didn’t have her! I had you.’
She turned back to Cynthia. ‘I have been your mother and your father all your life,’ Barbara said, emphasizing that Elijah quit looking after Cynthia when she was ‘three or four.’
Barbara remembered how hard it had been to get child support from Elijah, and Cynthia feebly responded that she just wanted to acknowledge her dad.
Mother and father: She turned back to Cynthia. ‘I have been your mother and your father all your life,’ Barbara said, emphasizing that Elijah quit looking after Cynthia when she was ‘three or four’
Child support: Barbara remembered how hard it had been to get child support from Elijah, and Cynthia feebly responded that she just wanted to acknowledge her dad
Barbara then told her daughter she hadn’t known she was going to be asked such probing questions in the domestic abuse PSA, and had not understood what it was about.
She’d gotten flak from her family and community for embarrassing her ex, she said, with some people saying forgivingly, ‘He goes to church.’
Noelle interrupted to tell Cynthia it was obvious Barbara didn’t want Elijah there, pointing out that she’d personally only seen her grandfather once.
Didn’t understand: Barbara then told her daughter she hadn’t known she was going to be asked such probing questions in the domestic abuse PSA, and had not understood what it was about
Obvious: Noelle interrupted to tell Cynthia it was obvious Barbara didn’t want Elijah there, pointing out that she’d personally only seen her grandfather once
‘You know who I have seen though?’ Noelle asked. ‘Granny. I don’t have to think about how many times I’ve seen her.’
In a confessional, Cynthia said that as her parents’ first-born, she felt responsible for a lot of their issues, and that made her feel ‘guilty.’
‘I do feel guilty that she got pregnant with me, because I know that my mom is beautiful, smart—I mean she could have been a model,’ Cynthia affirmed. ‘She could have done anything with her life. But she got pregnant with me. So I always just never want to disappoint her.’
Granny: ‘You know who I have seen though?’ Noelle asked. ‘Granny. I don’t have to think about how many times I’ve seen her.’
Confessional: In a confessional, Cynthia said that as her parents’ first-born, she felt responsible for a lot of their issues, and that made her feel ‘guilty’
Noelle agreed. ‘She literally asks nothing from us ever,’ she said. ‘And I can tell that she agrees with me [about this] because she didn’t say anything.’
That week, Cynthia also met Porsha for drinks to ask her if she wanted Dennis at the wedding.
Porsha said she was still feeling insecure about the fact that Dennis had cheated on her, and on top of that she had gained 20 ‘quarantine’ pounds.
Agrees: Noelle agreed. ‘She literally asks nothing from us ever,’ she said. ‘And I can tell that she agrees with me [about this] because she didn’t say anything’
Porsha and Cynthia: That week, Cynthia also met Porsha for drinks to ask her if she wanted Dennis at the wedding
Insecure: Porsha said she was still feeling insecure about the fact that Dennis had cheated on her, and on top of that she had gained 20 ‘quarantine’ pounds
The combination had made her ‘snippy’ at Dennis over the smallest things, like getting their daughter Pilar Jhena, 1, a bottle, Porsha reported.
‘Even though I got over him cheating, I couldn’t get out of the habit of punishing him, and we started to just bite at each other until there was nothing left,’ she explained.
Porsha also changed after getting involved in the Black Lives Matter movement and the protests for social justice in 2020, which made her realize what was important.
Snippy: The combination had made her ‘snippy’ at Dennis over the smallest things, like getting their daughter Pilar Jhena, 1, a bottle, Porsha reported
Involved: Porsha also changed after getting involved in the Black Lives Matter movement and the protests for social justice in 2020, which made her realize what was important
‘So much craziness outside my house made me want to say, ‘I’ll be damned if there’s some craziness in my house,’ Porsha told Cynthia. ‘I just became completely intolerant.’
She ultimately reaffirmed that she didn’t want Dennis at the wedding at the moment.
The day after her talk with Cynthia, Porsha lent a hand to families in need by volunteering with Kandi Burruss’ charity Kandi Kares.
Craziness: ‘So much craziness outside my house made me want to say, ‘I’ll be damned if there’s some craziness in my house,’ Porsha told Cynthia. ‘I just became completely intolerant’
Food Drive: The day after her talk with Cynthia, Porsha lent a hand to families in need by volunteering with Kandi Burruss’ charity Kandi Kares
Both she and friend of the cast Marlo Hampton, 44, also donated $5,000 to its event.
The charity was giving away free groceries to 549 single-parent families in need, all of it handed out in socially distant fashion through car windows.
During a break, Porsha told the group what she and Cynthia had spoken about the night before, and about her discomfort over Dennis being invited to the wedding.
Marlo: Both she and friend of the cast Marlo Hampton (left), 44, also donated $5,000 to its event
Groceries: The charity was giving away free groceries to 549 single-parent families in need, all of it handed out in socially distant fashion through car windows
Kenya Moore, 49, told Porsha she didn’t think it was that big a deal, which led Porsha to blast in a confessional, ‘Please dismiss yourself!’
Kenya then came up with a good idea, suggesting they all go on a girls’ trip (which her pals then decided should be to South Carolina).
While all this was happening, Kandi, 44, was privately trying to get her ex Russell ‘Block’ Spencer to pay $92,000 in child support to their daughter Riley, 18.
Dismiss: Kenya Moore, 49, told Porsha she didn’t think it was that big a deal, which led Porsha to blast in a confessional, ‘Please dismiss yourself!’
Support: While all this was happening, Kandi, 44, was privately trying to get her ex Russell ‘Block’ Spencer to pay $92,000 in child support to their daughter Riley, 18
Drew Sidora, 35, and her husband Ralph Pittman were also dealing with their own struggles as they mourned the death of Ralph’s father.
On their home’s back deck, they released balloons in memory of the man and held each other.
The Real Housewives of Atlanta returns next week on Bravo.
Mounring: Drew Sidora, 35, and her husband Ralph Pittman were also dealing with their own struggles as they mourned the death of Ralph’s father