‘RHOA’ Season 16 Updates: Porsha Williams Set to Return & More You Need to Know

The future of The Real Housewives of Atlanta has been up in the air for a while now. Following season 15 which finished airing in September 2023, a report claimed that a “major shakeup” is coming to the long-running Bravo reality series for season 16. Another report said that season 15 stars Kandi Burruss, Kenya Moore, Sheree Whitfield, Marlo Hampton, Drew Sidora and Sanya Richards-Ross might be replaced by new cast members for a reboot, similar to what Bravo did with season 14 of The Real Housewives of New York City.

At the 2024 Grammy Awards red carpet, Kandi shocked fans by announcing that she was leaving the show. “I decided I’m not coming back this year,” she said in an interview with Variety. Over a week later, it was announced that former cast member Porsha Williams is returning to the show for season 16.

RHOA Season 16 Premiere Date

Bravo hasn’t announced when RHOA will return for season 16. As of February 2024, production has yet to begin on the next season.

RHOA Season 16 Cast

The final cast for RHOA season 16 has not been set — but we do know that Kandi is out, and Porsha is in! After 14 seasons as a main cast member, Kandi broke the news that she was leaving the show while she was doing interviews on the Grammys red carpet.

“It’s been 14 seasons, and they allowed us to sit around for a little too long, but during that time I had started working on a lot of other things, and I got some nice big projects coming soon, so I’m super excited about those things,” she said to Variety. “It’s just like, after you really have time to think, and a friend of mine was like, ‘Why do you keep doing it?’ And I was like, ‘Well, I think because I’ve just been doing it for so long, it feels weird to think not to do it?’ So I was just like, ‘You know what? I’m going to take a break, I’m going to take a moment.’ ”

Kandi Burruss says she's not returning to "The Real Housewives of Atlanta." | Variety On the Carpet presented by @DIRECTV https://t.co/HaRikxpmPK pic.twitter.com/qmNTPiOjsA

— Variety (@Variety) February 4, 2024

Porsha’s return to the franchise was confirmed on February 13. Porsha, who now goes by Porsha Guobadia, joined the series in season 5 in 2012 and left after season 13 in 2021. Bravo announced that Porsha is back on Instagram with a video of her best moments on the show. “She’s too blessed to be stressed… and she’s BACK! Porsha will be returning for the next season of #RHOA 🍑,” the network said.

Porsha also confirmed her return on Instagram. “Season 16 Lets Gooooo 🍑 #Rhoa. Are y’all READY?! 👑😘🤑,” she said.

Porsha had previously hinted at a possible return to the show. “Listen, it’s so [good] to be missed,” she told Entertainment Tonight in July 2023. “I love that people want to see me. I love that people are still interested in my life and who I am. I’ve never written it off, I’ve never talked down on the show. I love what the girls are doing. I love that the brand is still as strong as it was before,” she added, “and you just never know. I will say [that] I’ll never say ‘never.’ In August 2023, ET reported that Porsha is “playing hardball” with Bravo amidst negotiations to return. “Bravo offered Porsha a lot of money to return, but she declined,” the outlet said.

Nene Leakes also said she’s open to returning to the franchise after suing Bravo and Andy Cohen over an alleged racist work environment. “I would come back for the fans,” she told a TMZ reporter in July 2023. “Because the fans are the ones that love me. They’re the ones that would love to see me in that position. And I would do anything for them.”

Kim Zolciak could also make a comeback amidst her messy divorce from Kroy Biermann. Kim made a guest appearance during season 15 when she reunited with fellow OGs Sheree, Lisa Wu, and DeShawn Snow. However, US Weekly reported in July 2023 that Kim “has no plans to return full-time” to RHOA.

The Rumored RHOA Reboot

LoveBScott was the first to report on RHOA possibly getting a reboot on August 28. The outlet cited sources who claimed that “production made the call to recast the entire show at some point during the taping of the season 15 reunion.” The sources said that Bravo is happy with the RHONY reboot and wants to do the same thing with RHOA. However, the sources also noted that the franchise could get a Real Housewives of Miami-style revamp, with half returning cast members and half new cast members.

Entertainment Tonight also reported on potential big changes for the franchise. “A major shakeup is coming to The Real Housewives of Atlanta,” an ET source claimed. “Before the women filmed their recent reunion, they were told that they should expect a big change with the franchise moving forward. They hinted at a reboot like New York got, but it also could be moving forward with only a couple of the current stars. The cast is on edge about their future and has no idea where the network plans to go. Although their ratings are still strong, the network is listening to fans and their desire for a change.”

Bravo has no confirmed anything about the reboot rumors. Sanya Richards-Ross was the first cast member to speak out about the reports. “Everyone rushing to report FIRST instead of reporting FACTS! Just wait for it,” she wrote on her Instagram Story in August 2023.