Cynthia Bailey is dishing on her new BET+ movie “Who’s Cheating Who.”
“Extra’s” Mona Kosar Abdi spoke with Cynthia about her leading role in the film and about returning as a friend for sweet Season 16 of “The Real Housewives of Atlanta.”
Cynthia commented, “It feels like I never really left, because when I did leave, officially leave, I went right into the first ‘Ultimate Girls Trip.’ Then I kinda jumped in and out as an unofficial friend if I was in town… This season, sweet 16 season, I come back as an official friend. So it’s almost like I broke up with ‘Housewives,’ but I still give up the goodies a little bit. It was like friends with benefits… It was never a clean break.”
“Every year, I show up differently because with every year, I learn about the year before," Bailey added. "Like, I'm so not the person I was Season 3. There’s always so much growth and just so much fun. The great thing about being a part of this platform is it always has pushed me out of my box.”
This season, Cynthia’s pal Kenya Moore had an early exit amid some drama, but they are still close.
She said, “I am always here for Kenya. I am always here for her. Of course, I am so saddened and heartbroken that she had an early departure from the season… No one ever saw that coming."
"Did the drama just get that intense?" Mona asked.
Cynthia answered, "You know what, you guys just have to see how it all plays out. I can't really speak on it, but I will say that Kenya has always been a huge part of the show. There's only one twirl, there's only one shade assassin. For me, I am always here for Kenya and the love will always be... I will always have love for Kenya. There's only one Kenya. Only one!"
Kenya is gone, but Phaedra Parks is coming back to the show!
Bailey noted, “Phaedra is great TV as well. Phaedra came back like, literally, like in the last moment of us filming. So, that was like another surprise. Nobody saw Kenya leaving, no one saw Phaedra coming, so sweet 16 should be called surprise 16. It's all over the place.”
Cynthia added, "Phaedra and I actually started 'Housewives' together Season 3. She was pregnant at the time, I was getting married. One thing about Phaedra, as you saw on 'Traitors,' she's always gonna bring you good TV. So, it was fun to have her back and, you know, just throw it in the pot. We got the season, we're wrapped now, and I'm excited for you guys to see how it all plays out."
Teasing the season, Cynthia said, “I think it’s going to be a very different season. We have three newbies this season — Brittany Eady, we have Kelli [Ferrell], and we also have Angela Oakley... They wanted a little bit of a reboot. I think they gave us three very different, very dynamic, very smart, very successful, very beautiful — the cast is stunning, actually. It's always been a good looking group, but I have to say, this sweet 16, it's a good looking group of women this season."
"Housewives" aside, Bailey is in her acting era with “Who’s Cheating Who,” in which she plays Maxine, a psychotherapist who just might need some therapy herself!
"You guys will get to see me like you've never seen me before," she teased. "I am very sexy. I'm a villain in a lot of ways, I'm a vixen in a lot of ways."
Bailey filmed her first sex scenes ever for the movie, and she shared, “I don’t think there’s any way to prepare for that.”
She also joked, “If you thought ‘The Real Housewives of Atlanta’ was messy, wait till you check out ‘Who’s Cheating Who,’ because everybody’s cheating.”
Cynthia loves acting because it allows her to “be someone else” without being judged.
She shared, "I love just playing a character. For me, it's a little harder in ways to just play myself. Being messy on a reality show with a bunch of other messy people, you're just being you and you're put in situations where it's meant to be messy. So, for that, it's kind of like, 'Ahh, how do I get out of this?' But it's so much fun to actually be in a free space to let all the mess happen — and the messier the better!"
Cynthia added, "You're doing your best job to be messy, to bring the drama, to do the most. So, I love to be able to use my craft in that way as an actor."
