The Housewife is the longest-running member of the show and the entire franchise.
Kandi Burruss says it's the end of an era for her when it comes to The Real Housewives of Atlanta.
Talking with ET's Nischelle Turner on the red carpet at the 2024 GRAMMY Awards, the beloved RHOA cast member, 47, said she is taking a step back from the franchise after 14 seasons with the show to focus on other projects as well as her family.
"I've been going back and forth and I think because they gave us such a long break, I had a lot of time to do other things and I've got some big announcements to make coming soon, so yeah," Kandi told ET. "I mean, I love the girls, they're my friends, I'm still gonna see them and hang out with them. And Bravo is my family, I love them as well, but you know."
Kandi has had the longest run in the show's 15-season history, appearing in every season with the exception of season 1. She is also the longest-running Housewife in all of the various shows aired by Bravo.
"Somebody asked me recently, they were like, 'Well, why do you keep doing it?' and I was like, 'To be honest with you, I think because I've been doing it 14 years.' And so now, I feel like it's -- I do it because I'm used to doing it. But with all the other things I got going on," she said, giving a reason as to why she is leaving.
Season 15 of RHOA wrapped in January 2023 and aired from May to September. Kandi and the other cast members have since had a year off from filming, which allowed them to pursue other avenues.
"I think when they decided, they were like, 'OK, we're taking this break, you know, rearrange the cast and all this other kind of stuff,' and then it's like, it gave me time, you know, I never have time -- I never had time."
For Kandi, that meant focusing her energy on her numerous business ventures and family. The Housewife and her husband, Todd Tucker, are producing extraordinaires and recently created Kandi Burruss and Todd Tucker's The Pass, which aired on Peacock.
"I'm doing Broadway and I -- you know we have The Wiz that's coming," she said, referencing her role as a producer on the revival that is currently touring the United States. "I'm excited for that and then I got some more things to announce in that lane, as well. You know, too much, I don't wanna talk too much ahead of time."
Kandi told ET that while she almost cannot believe a world in which she doesn't return to The Real Housewives of Atlanta for season 16, she is excited by what the future holds and the potential that lies ahead for her and the show.
"I think because when you do something for 14 years consistently, it's kind of hard to think [of] not to do it, but then it's just kind of like, you know, what am I tripping? I'm busy," she said.
As for what Bravo-lebrity Andy Cohen thought about Kandi's exit, she says they had conversations and he told her that the door is always open for her to come back, something that people within the franchise do often.
"He called me and -- cause I've talked to him about it -- and he said, well -- I don't -- he was like, 'I don't know how I feel about this,' and I said, 'Well, honestly, I don't know how I feel about it either,'" Kandi said. "But he was like, 'Well, you do realize this is your family like if you just wanna come back next year, that's fine. And I'm like, 'I mean, I love you guys and I appreciate [it]. Like, it's my family.' You know what I mean? So yeah I'm always a part of them you know they're always a part of me."
It's unclear when the 16th season of The Real Housewives of Atlanta will begin filming and which cast members are set to return.
The 2024 GRAMMY Awards is on Sunday, Feb. 4, at 5 p.m. PT/8 p.m. ET and being broadcast and streamed live on CBS and Paramount+ from Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. Follow along at ETonline.com for full coverage from music's biggest night, including performances, GRAMMY winners and more.
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