Porsha Williams.Photo: Paras Griffin/Getty
Porsha Williamsis clearing up rumors surrounding her exit fromTheReal Housewives of Atlanta.
The reality star returned to theReal Housewivesuniverse on Thursday with the premiere of season 3 of Peacock’sReal Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip— a show that marks the first time she’s been back on the airways since 2021’sPorsha’s Family Matters, the seven-episode Bravo spinoff she led after leavingRHOAthat same year following a nine-season run.
“It’s good to be seen again,” Williams exclusively tells PEOPLE about her homecoming. “It’s been a minute, but it was nice to get a little taste, a little twang, of this world again. Though sometimes it’ll sting you a little bit!”
Williams sure knows that. Her departure fromRHOAcame months after news broke that she wasengagedto now-husbandSimon Guobadia, whom she had met while filming season 13 of the franchise through his then-wifeFalynn Pina,a recurring guest on the show introduced to viewers as Williams' “friend.”
But that wasn’t the truth at all, Williams says. “I wasn’t running away,” she notes. “And I don’t think any of my followers who truly knew me would believe that I would run away from the show for that.”
Simon Guobadia and Porsha Williams.Prince Williams/WireImage
Indeed,RHOAcameras have captured Williams through many ups and downs in her personal life. She was married toformer football star Kordell Stewartwhen she first joined the show in season 5 — but learned not long after via a post on social media that he was divorcing her.Her engagement to ex-fiancé Dennis McKinley fell apart when he cheated on her, and though they had a child together — 4-year-old daughterPilar Jhena McKinley— the birth led to astruggle with postpartum depression.
“I’ve dealt with a lot of harsh things on the show,” Williams recalls to PEOPLE. “And I’ve been there at the beginning of every season to film, with the camera on. So no, this had nothing to do with that.”
Instead, Williams said she came to the conclusion that she wouldn’t be returning toRHOAfor season 14 months earlier.
“I had already decided that it was time for me to step away at least six months before I told any of the executives what I was going to do — and long before I even met my now-husband,” she says. “I was turning 40, I was hitting my 10-year mark on the show, and I really just had to reassess where I was and what I wanted totally out of my life. So that’s where that decision came from.”
Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip season 3.bravo
“It was like a fresh start,” she admits to PEOPLE. “I wasn’t connected to any of their current drama, so there was no baggage for me. It was really free and refreshing. I really just enjoyed introducing myself to these girls and having some authentic moments with them. They were able to get to know me and I was able to get to know them without having to dig into some old messes.”
Porsha Williams.Tommy Garcia/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty
But Williams didn’t mind dealing with a little shade.
“I kept it moving,” she says. “Peacock’s whole vision forUltimate Girls Tripwas for us to feel like we were really on a vacation and production really encouraged that. It was, ‘Talk about what you want to talk about, break the fourth wall if you want, discussion something from 10 years ago or yesterday — whatever you want, just have fun.’ And I was havinga timewith these girls. These girls don’t mind letting their hair down, and when you’re doing something like this, everybody’s got to be about it. When it’s time to wild out, everybody needs to say, ‘Yes.’ If something comes up? ‘Let’s do it.’ And we did both. It was a party like, every other night.”
As for whether Williams would return toRHOA, she hints to PEOPLE that the door isn’t closed on going back, but that she would hope the experience would be different than before.
“It would be great if we brought back theRHUGTenergy to these shows,” Williams says. “The ‘Hey, let’s let all that go. Let’s really get to know each other. Let’s dig in and form real relationships with each other, and really have fun. Stop thinking about the camera. Just enjoy yourself and be yourself.’ And I think if we did that, we’ll end up having more positive, fun seasons.”
Another thing Williams would do different? Look at the bigger picture.
“If I would have shut all that out and just dealt with that person, I think I would see better outcomes with some of this stuff,” she says.
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Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Tripis now streaming on Peacock, with new episodes of season 3 dropping every Thursday.
source: people.com
