Kandi Burruss is taking some time away from ‘The Real Housewives of Atlanta’ and won’t be back for upcoming season 16 — but it sounds like she’s not interested in coming back for season 17 either.
via People:
Just two weeks after announcing her exit from the series after 14 seasons, the Xscape singer said during Sunday’s red carpet pre-show for the 2024 People’s Choice Awards that she is focusing on what’s next.
“I have a lot of love for my Bravo family, so there are other things I will be a part of going forward,” Burruss, 47, told green carpet host Laverne Cox. “I mean, I don’t want to say never. Never say never, right? But right now I just have a lot of things that I’m going after. I don’t see it in my near future.”
She added, “This is kind of crazy but cool that my last year I said I was going to be a Real Housewife, I’m nominated as best reality star. So I guess that’s a great way to go out.”
Cox then talked about “the love” Burruss has for her castmates.
“We built something together,” she told the Orange Is the New Black alum, 51.
Earlier this month at the 2024 Grammys, the “No Scrubs” songwriter announced that she wouldn’t be returning to the Real Housewivesfranchise for its upcoming 16th season.
“I decided I’m not coming back this year,” she told Variety’s Marc Malkin on the red carpet.
A source confirmed to PEOPLE that Burruss was offered a contract but turned it down.
Since joining RHOA in 2009 for its second season, she’s been a fixture on the series. Throughout her time on the show, she met husband Todd Tuckerand welcomed two children: son Ace, 7, and daughter Blaze, 3 (the couple each have one other daughter from their previous relationships.)
Burruss admitted her decision to leave the Bravo series came down to having time to think when the show’s production was delayed.
“A friend of mine was like, ‘Why do you keep doing it?’ And I was like, ‘Well, I think because I’ve just been doing it so long, feels weird to think not to do it?’” she explained. “So I was just like, ‘You know what? I’m going to take a break, I’m going to take a moment.”
Burruss continued, “It’s been 14 seasons, and they allowed us to sit around for a little too long. But during that time I had started working on a lot of other things, and I got some nice big projects coming soon, so I’m super excited about those things.”
We believe Kandi will be back sooner than she thinks.
