Shereé Whitfield Departs Real Housewives of Atlanta Ahead of Season 16 - NhungD

Shereé Whitfield is officially saying goodbye — for the third time — to The Real Housewives of Atlanta.

Amid a massive cast shakeup for the Bravo show's upcoming 16th season, the She by Shereé founder, 54, has departed the series she helped build, PEOPLE can confirm.

Shereé Whitfield at BravoCon 2023. 

PHOTO: MINDY SMALL/GETTY

PEOPLE has reached out to Whitfield's rep for comment.

Whitfield's exit comes as news broke that Kandi Burruss would be departing RHOA after 14 years and Porsha Williams would be returning after a two-season absence. PEOPLE also previously broke the news of Marlo Hampton's exit in February. Sanya Richards-Ross will be exiting the show as well.

Kenya Moore and Drew Sidora are the only returning cast members from season 15. New cast members include longtime friend of the show Shamea Morton Mwangi alongside author, businesswoman and podcast host Brittany Eady, restauranter and Food Network alum Kelli Ferrell and Angela Oakley, wife of NBA great Charles Oakley. 

Additionally, series vet Cynthia Bailey, who was a Housewife from season 3-13, will return to the show in a friend role.

Production on season 15 will begin later this month. The series premiere is set in 2025.

Shereé Whitfield. 

PHOTO: PRINCE WILLIAMS/WIREIMAGE

Whitfield was a founding member of RHOA premiered on Bravo in October 2008 and gave the series some of its most-memorable moments, including the infamous "Who gon' check me, boo?" clap back.

Over the years, the mother of three (and glam-ma) came and left the series multiple times. Whitfield was a full-time Housewife through season 4, a Friend in season 8 and a Housewife again in seasons 9 and 10. After season 10, she left the series, saying on Instagram in July 2018 that she was unhappy with the salary the network had proposed with her contract.

"Was not interested in entertaining the low ball offer that was sent," she wrote. "Know ur worth.”

But Whitfield made a return guest appearance in season 13 before signing up as a full-time Housewife again for seasons 14 and 15.

She appeared on season 2 of the Peacock hit The Traitors.

Drew Sidora, Marlo Hampton, Shereé Whitfield, Kandi Burruss, Kenya Moore and Sanya Richards Ross on 'The Real Housewives of Atlanta' season 15. 

PHOTO: AB+DM/BRAVO VIA GETTY

Developed as the third installment into the franchise, RHOA quickly became the most popular and for years dominated in the ratings.

A diminishing audience and conflicting cast dynamics have pushed the network to make big changes to RHOA. The series paused production for months and reworked the Housewives, with Andy Cohen explaining at BravoCon 2023 in November that Real Housewives of New York City-style reboot wouldn't be coming, but that the show would be using certain stars as as anchors.

"I always love building with what we have," he said at the time. "I think Atlanta has some really strong building blocks that are already there and we have a growth opportunity for Atlanta."

In February, Cohen, 55, opened up about the future of the franchise while discussing Williams Guobadia's return on his Radio Andy SiriusXM channel. "We've got wonderful casting," he said. "We've got some amazing new gals, and this is gonna feel, I'm feeling very positive about the new season of Atlanta, so just standby and you will hear more."

Previous episodes of The Real Housewives of Atlanta can be streamed on Peacock.