In an exclusive interview with Parade, Shamea Morton breaks down Season 16 of The Real Housewives of Atlanta
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00:00When I woke up this morning, I pinched myself and I was like,
00:03was that a dream or did I really do it?
00:05And my best friend Kelly was looking at me like,
00:07yeah, we are here in New York City
00:10doing all the things that a housewife would do.
00:13Yeah.
00:13I'm like, I'm gonna slam. I'm like, I'm gonna get it.
00:20I am so excited to talk to you, especially after that,
00:22what I think is a 10 out of 10 premiere of Real Housewives of Atlanta.
00:25Feels like we're back.
00:26Hey, I think so too, Jer.
00:28As a matter of fact, I know so.
00:29I stand firmly on the belief that all it took was just remixing it,
00:35bringing out a youthful, more fun vibe.
00:37And I think that's what the newbies are delivering.
00:40We are bringing the energy.
00:41I'm a Barbie.
00:43Oh, yes.
00:44You gotta step to the engine.
00:47Put your leg down.
00:48Fun.
00:48Yes, I love remixing.
00:50That's a perfect, I think, phrase for it.
00:51Cause it is like, it's a mix of old and new.
00:53Absolutely.
00:54And I think they found the perfect dose.
00:56Yeah, they definitely did.
00:57And I want to talk about those first 10 minutes,
00:59which I know dropped a little bit before.
01:01And the internet was talking because this was like a new Shamia.
01:04We got to see, like, I did not know it was like this.
01:07It's so funny that you say that, Jerrod.
01:08I always get people in the comments saying,
01:12wait a minute, this is a new Shamia.
01:14But to be honest, no one has ever gotten to know the old Shamia.
01:17The old and new Shamia are the exact same person.
01:20I've always been who I am.
01:22Big personality, vibrant, bubbly.
01:24And as a friend on the show, I never got an opportunity to showcase it.
01:28There are times that I would even go to events and I wouldn't even be miked.
01:32So it was like, we don't care where she's going or what she's doing.
01:36We're not following her story.
01:37She's just here supporting Candy or she's just here supporting Portia.
01:41So that was the unfortunate part.
01:43But now that I have a Peach, it is very different.
01:46I'm able to showcase my family, my friends, my faith,
01:50you know, the things that I'm most passionate about, like my music.
01:54And just it's really very different.
01:58Yeah. And what a cool opportunity, too.
02:00Because again, we do know you, you know what I mean?
02:02As someone who is familiar.
02:03But you get this opportunity to kind of reintroduce yourself to Shamia.
02:06Absolutely. Not reintroduce myself.
02:09Literally.
02:09I've never gotten a chance to even introduce myself.
02:12It's crazy because I just did watch What Happens Live.
02:15And when I woke up this morning, I pinched myself and I was like,
02:19was that a dream or did I really do it?
02:22And my best friend Kelly was looking at me like,
02:24yeah, we are here in New York City doing all the things that a housewife would do.
02:30Literally. Yes.
02:31I think that's what's what's so exciting, too.
02:33Again, from those first 10 minutes.
02:34And you kind of are like the nucleus of this group.
02:37You literally they plan it out perfectly.
02:39We get to meet all these new faces and old faces and you kind of break down the group.
02:43So talk to me a little bit, too, just about this fresh energy.
02:46You know, I feel that we all come from different walks of life.
02:50From Kelly being an entrepreneur,
02:53businesswoman that owns her own restaurant and Anna's Chicken and Waffles to
02:57Angela being married to an NBA legend, Charles Oakley, and being a real estate agent.
03:02To me, you know, just being a host, a mom, a dancer, a singer, actress,
03:10all the things we all bring something, we add something in the flair.
03:14It's spicy and spicy.
03:16Yes.
03:16And and there's some great to being ignorant to the camera and to this process,
03:22because I feel like in the past you kind of get in a rut with some of the ladies
03:27and they know what to expect, know how to play in their confessionals or know how to
03:33play in the scenes where they can sound right or they're actually almost producing themselves.
03:40And with this new group, we don't know.
03:41We're just all in.
03:43And then also, too, we do have returning faces who, you know, have been
03:47huge parts of the show as well.
03:48Of course, you have Portia, who has we've known you too.
03:51We've known you through Portia.
03:53Now we get to see you guys both.
03:55Her comeback and then you kind of join in this capacity.
03:57So how's that been as well?
03:58I love it.
03:59You know, anytime you get a chance to hang out with your best friend and get paid to do it.
04:03Hey, sign me up.
04:05So I was always just like the friend was one.
04:08I might get invited and I might not get invited to a party or event.
04:13So the fact that it's not just me.
04:15There's her friend.
04:16I'm there like as our equal.
04:18You know, it's nice.
04:19It's been really fun.
04:21It's had challenging times.
04:22I would be lying if I said it didn't because with any friendship, there's highs, lows,
04:27ebbs and flows.
04:28But I feel that we do a pretty decent job navigating through it.
04:31Yeah, we'll see.
04:32I mean, I'm also excited about Cynthia being a friend on the show.
04:35She really is that friend that everyone needs.
04:38She's so kind, so supportive, even in her friend role.
04:43Like you go to her for advice and she's got it for you.
04:46She's wise.
04:47Yeah.
04:47So I enjoy having her here.
04:49Yes, absolutely.
04:50She does have even just hearing her voice in the episode.
04:51It's so funny.
04:52It feels like that, like that friend you want to go to.
04:54There you go.
04:54Yes.
04:55There you go.
04:55You know, but we have our cast trips.
04:58Like one of the highlights for me was being able to host our trip to Grenada alongside Kelly.
05:05Yeah.
05:06It was it was incredible.
05:07It was such a great experience.
05:09And not to give you too much tea, but my bag didn't make it.
05:13So can you imagine my very first international cast trip?
05:16Like as a peach holder.
05:19And I don't have a fly wardrobe.
05:21Right.
05:21I had my stylist pick it out and I felt so good.
05:23Like I'm a slam.
05:24I'm like, I'm like, get it.
05:27And they're like, yeah, no, you're gonna be wearing a souvenir t-shirt.
05:29Oh my gosh.
05:31But I wouldn't trade it.
05:31It was such an incredible experience.
05:33And it's also a way to just for us all to bond and really connect.
05:36Because, you know, you hang out.
05:38If we go to a restaurant for dinner, you get a couple of hours that we all back into our,
05:43you know, regular walks of life.
05:45Yeah.
05:46Mothering to, you know, wife life and, you know, career.
05:50But on a cast trip, you disconnect and you're like there.
05:53It's like if I'm mad at you tonight, guess what?
05:55In the morning, I'll be in the kitchen cooking turkey bacon.
05:58Yeah.
05:58And you're gonna have to face me again and be mad at me again.
06:01I'm not going anywhere because we're in the same house.
06:04That's a lot of fun.
06:04It's like the ultimate girls trip.
06:07Yeah, literally.
06:08It is like that.
06:09And then also, too, I think the last person who's also coming back,
06:12although timing wise, I wanted to break down.
06:14Were you on the show?
06:16I'm trying to remember when Drew was first on the show.
06:19Yeah.
06:19You were around a bit.
06:20So now this is your first time filming as a full-time housewife together.
06:25When I first came on the show, Drew was, I don't want to say auditioning,
06:28but they were looking at her to determine whether or not she would be a good fit.
06:32And I had already done a TLC biopic with Drew.
06:34And when I saw her, I guess because I was just a friend of the show,
06:38she was so shady.
06:39She barely spoke.
06:40She was just looking at me like, who's here beneath me?
06:43And I was like, hey, girl, what's your name?
06:45And then when she realized, well, I'm a friend and I'm going to be around.
06:50I'm not going anywhere.
06:50And she was like, how have you been here?
06:52I mean, she did the TLC biopic.
06:53I'm like, wait a minute.
06:58But yeah, Drew, you know, she's been she's on her thing.
07:00She's been around for a minute.
07:02And, you know, she's an actress.
07:07Even when she's supposed to be serious, just steady acting.
07:09You know how that goes.
07:11Once you wrapped it, were you like, what were you least expecting about
07:14this journey for you as a real housewife officially?
07:18I will say I've always been a part of my life has always kind of been exposed in a sense.
07:24Like I've been acting and dancing and doing all the things I've been on camera and on TV and just
07:29living my life in the spotlight for some time from from the NBA to the NFL cheerleader post.
07:36I'm not shy.
07:37I'm not camera shy.
07:39So I think after filming the entire season, I felt like, huh, that went by fast.
07:46Like that was nice.
07:47And it didn't feel it wasn't weird to me.
07:49Like some people feel like, oh, they're all around me.
07:52Sometimes I would forget the cameras were even there.
07:54Yeah.
07:55And I think the biggest surprise now that it's done and now that people have finally
07:59seen it is how quickly the comments have changed because initially they weren't feeling me.
08:04They didn't really see it for me.
08:06They didn't understand why I was in this role.
08:08Now you should have kept her as a friend.
08:10Does she even have a coin?
08:11Some of the nastiest things are said.
08:14And now it's just completely done.
08:16It's it's changed.
08:18People are like, I'm here for Shamia.
08:21Hey, best friend.
08:22I love her.
08:22And I'm like, I love you, too.
08:24I've always loved you.
08:24Thank you for loving me back.
08:27Yeah, I always love you.
08:28There you go.
08:28That's my girl.
08:30But no, I'm so happy that I'm finally being, you know, seen in this light and in this space
08:36that people can they understand they have they find love in me and they I don't know,
08:42I guess they can kind of I don't want to think of the relate, but they see me outside of a friend
08:48and outside of a shadow.
08:49Absolutely.
08:49And then, too, of course, we do have Kenya in the mix.
08:51And we know that there's a lot that we still don't know anything.
08:55And I'm sure you definitely can't say too much about it.
08:57But I just wanted to ask.
08:58Yeah, I was there for that thing that took the Internet by storm.
09:02It's just like blow up.
09:04This is a big thing.
09:06I was there for it.
09:07But I don't know how they'll play it and edit it out or what they would do with it,
09:11because I don't even know what I would do with it.
09:13I was there watching it.
09:15You know, Kenya went too far.
09:18But and I hate to say, but, you know, because that was that.
09:22But Brad did some not so nice things as well.
09:25And I think as the season progresses, you'll get to see who
09:28Britt Eady is and maybe why Kenya felt the need to go so far.
09:32If I could do it all over again, I believe the photos were very distasteful.
09:37And I elevated the situation.
09:39I've elevated situations before.
09:41And I've taken full accountability for the things that I've done.
09:44And again, I know you say we don't know how it's going to play out.
09:47But I'm sure for you guys, too.
09:48Finally, the audience will get to see it and then come to their own conclusions about it.
09:52That's the thing about filming.
09:54You know, you do it and then you're in the moment and then it's like it's hot in the moment.
09:58Then it's hot in your confessional.
10:00It's hot when you watch it on TV.
10:02Hot at reunion.
10:03And then you got to watch it all over again.
10:05So you go, if you if I do something to offend you,
10:07I've got to apologize for it about five times because it's like I did it.
10:11I'm sorry.
10:12Now you see it.
10:12I'm sorry again.
10:13Now we live, relive it at reunion.
10:15I'm sorry.
10:16Yes.
10:16And then, you know.
10:17I watch it half the time.
10:18One more time.
10:18I'm sorry.
10:19Right.
10:19Right.