The reality is, it was going to be impossible to edit around Kenya Moore. When filming for Season 16 started, The Real Housewives of Atlanta employed the long-time peach holder as a full-time Housewife. But following her attack on Brit Eady during filming, everything was tossed into chaos. With part of the season already in the can, how was Bravo going to include Kenya in her scenes she had already filmed?
Being let go as a peach holder, not getting a promo image, and not even getting “Friend of” moniker, Bravo essentially Bravo washed their hands with the controversial figure as best they could. Unfortunately, because her scenes included other peach holders, Kenya had to be featured. And how she was? Well, it was generous.
Kenya Moore Gets No Credit in the ‘RHOA’ Season 16 Premiere, Literally
Part of the joy when a new season of any Bravo show is announced is the drop of the fabulous promotional photos. For Season 16, Bravo released the set with the women featured in black, gold, and leopard print. Everyone got one. Even Phaedra Parks, who was added later in the season, and Cynthia Bailey, who returned as “Friend of.” But Kenya was completely absent. With her being left out of all pre-season promotional elements, it ensured that she was everything but completely edited out. Part of what makes Housewives so engaging is the ability to tell various stories at once, through the perspective of the other women. Sure, Kenya’s arc could be eliminated, but not when she was a supporting player for the others.
Her name is mentioned with zero fanfare. Early on in the premiere, she just appears. The screen reads “Kenya,” and we move on to the scene at hand. It would have been awkward to have a scene with Drew Sidora and their children and not acknowledge the elephant in the room. She doesn’t get “friend” or anything under her name. It just says Kenya. A true blow to the ego. The editors could have even played a joke with a comical chyron, but nada.
When it comes to Shamea Morton Mwangi’s party, all the full-time housewives, pre-Phaedra, plus official “Friend of” Cynthia, as they share their first scene together. And there is the elephant in the room. Kenya is present. While she was certainly not the antagonist compared to newbie Kelli Ferrell, her voice is still a major cog in the machine that played into the action of this episode. Physically, Kenya was in the middle of conversations. Verbal cuts could be made, but physical ones would have been beyond awkward, so Kenya has to be part of the action in a minimized capacity. Even from the Kenya we did see, it was a far cry from the namesake of Team Twirl. She had verbal jabs. She stirred the pot. But they seemed to be included in order to propel the complete narrative forward.
Kenya Moore is Now a Civilian on ‘RHOA’
According to the analytics compiled by the Reality Report, even in the minimized capacity, Kenya Moore was very much a part of the premiere. Despite the lack of confessionals, she had about 4 minutes and 28 seconds of screen time, more than three other credited cast members. Her name was evoked six times. She engaged in a partial spat with Kelli Ferrell and Brit Eady. You simply cannot deny her presence.
When it comes to storytelling, editing can determine everything. There have certainly been Bravo shows where they can completely edit out an unsavory character due to their off-camera actions, like Peter Hunziker from Season 5 of Below Deck Mediterranean. If you look closely, he can be seen in the background of certain shots, but his story was not crucial to the overall arc. Kenya’s clearly is. We need just the bare minimum of how we got from here to there, then to now. Was Kenya’s action later on this season so detrimental that she couldn’t get any semblance of credit, or is that the whole point? Until we see it with our own eyes, it’s hard to understand the complete story and why Bravo came to the decision they did.
Bravo is trying not to reward Kenya, but they simply cannot remove her. There are only so many camera angles and shots that could cut her out physically. But this is Kenya Moore we’re talking about. She’s a viper with her tongue. Kenya’s impact on the season will not be erased, but a precedent has been set. Any wrongdoing will make you a civilian. Kenya Moore is now a civilian on RHOA.
