Cynthia Bailey, Its Her Time To Shine

09 Nov, 2014

If you didn’t see her walk the runways in Paris and Milan, you may have seen Cynthia Bailey featured in magazines such as Vogue, ELLE, Vanity Fair, Essence and Glamour, just to name a few. And if fashion magazines aren’t your thing, her defined cheekbones, killer gaze and signature cropped hair may have caught your attention on featured campaigns with Maybelline, Oil of Olay and Target.

Watch our interview with Bravo’s leading man Andy Cohen 

But it wasn’t until Bailey joined the cast of BRAVO’s hit reality show, The Real Housewives of Atlanta, in 2010 that fans got an inside look into Bailey’s life.

“I’ve been very open about my life on the show” Bailey told The Trending Report. Giving fans a front row seat to her on-screen wedding to Peter Thomas is just one example. “I’ve shown my financial struggles and health issues as well” Bailey says.

Bailey joined the cast to bring a fresh perspective to the show that’s seen its share of thrown drinks, hair pulls and cat fights. “I want to bring a certain amount of class to the show. People look at it a certain way and I’ve always tried to handle myself with grace and class.”

Even as the demise of her friendship with costar NeNe Leakes played out on season 6, Bailey maintained a level of sensibility while her seeming calmness was publically questioned.

So, what about that friendship or now lack thereof? Well it seems that elevators may be the target pop culture reference of 2014. During a scene with costar Kenya Moore in the first episode of season 7, Bailey jokes that she’s taking her shit on another level. “The infamous elevator joke!” Bailey laughs when asked about it. “I feel like you get complacent in relationships and you lose sight of your own shine and your own identity.” Bailey said. “And that happened a little bit on the show.”

“Now I’m in a place where I’m doing me. I want my own time. It’s important for me to show who I am and the strength that I have…the successes that I’ve had and the accolades that I have in my life and own that. Some will support that and some won’t, and that’s okay. It’s time to move on.”

Peter is definitely taking advantage of his wife’s free time now that it’s no longer spent with Leakes. He uses the opportunity to step up the romance while giving fans an intimate peek into the softer side of their marriage.

The casting of media maven Claudia Jordan and Demetria McKinney on the new season may have also made the transition a little easier. “I’ve had a blast this season.” an excited Bailey proclaims. “It will be interesting to see how things work out with changing friendships.”

But let’s be real. Bringing new people to an already established group isn’t always easy. So what dynamic do the new girls bring to the show?

“Claudia-she brings it in every way” Bailey says. “This woman was born to be on a reality show! She’s incredibly strong.”

She’s “very sweet, very open and very fair.” “It’s her hustle and grind that I relate to with her. I know that she will be successful because she has the work ethic and ambition to do it. I really connected with her on that level.”

“As far as Demetria” Bailey continues, “I call Demetria a triple threat because she’s beautiful, she can act and she can sing. She’s one of those women who can do it all and she does it all extremely well.”

“I think I’m good in my lane but I know I can’t sing. She can do all of that stuff. She’s an accomplished actress and she’s a beautiful girl and also someone I’ve definitely enjoyed getting to know…and she ain’t go take no shit either… at all! Come for her and she’s going to come for you.”

While Bailey won’t delve into the specifics of who’s going for whom, it’s clear that this season she finds her own. “I had to get a few people together this season but I tried to do it with class. I realize that I try to take the hi-road and it’s not always the easiest way to go. Sometimes you take the low-road and that’s just life. But you do what you can and move on.”

A Little Housewife Fun

We asked Cynthia Bailey a series of random questions about the housewives of Atlanta. See if you can guess her answers before reading below.

TR: Which housewife would you want to be stuck on an island with?

Bailey: Kenya Moore. She’s very smart and resourceful. She’s a survivor. You can put her in any situation and she’s going to land on her feet and survive. I know with Kenya we’re going to figure out food and we’re going to find help.

TR: Which housewife is the most talented?

Bailey: If it’s just going to be one, I’d say Demetria. She’s a great actress and singer. She’s such a beautiful woman and beautiful person.

TR: Which housewife is the smartest?

Bailey: I don’t know. Some people are smart book-wise but they don’t have common sense. To me, being smart consists of a number of factors, not just books. So I don’t know who I would say is the smartest.

TR: Which housewife’s hair would you borrow for one day?

Bailey: Kenya-all day.

B. Owusu 

Image Bravo 

Mentioned In This Post: @cynthiabailey10