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Porsha Williams

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Porsha Williams
Williams at The Arsenio Hall Show in 2014
Born
Porsha Dyanne Williams

(1981-06-22) June 22, 1981 (age 43)
Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.
Other namesPorsha Stewart
Porsha Guobadia
EducationAmerican InterContinental University (BSIT)
Occupations
  • Television personality
  • singer
  • actress
  • activist
  • author
Years active2005–present
Television
Spouses
​
​
(m. 2011; div. 2013)​
​
​
(m. 2022; sep. 2024)​
PartnerDennis McKinley (2018–2020)
Children1
RelativesHosea Williams (grandfather)
Elisabeth Omilami (aunt)

Porsha Dyanne Williams (born June 22, 1981) is an American television personality, singer, actress and activist. She starred on the reality series The Real Housewives of Atlanta from 2012 until 2021, rejoining the cast in 2024. She also starred in the spin-off series, Porsha's Family Matters. From 2013 until 2021, she served as co-host of Dish Nation.[1] She was co-host of Bravo's Chat Room in 2020, alongside Gizelle Bryant, Hannah Berner and Kate Chastain.

In 2014, she released her debut single, "Flatline." In 2021, she published her memoir, The Pursuit of Porsha.

Early life and education

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Williams was born on June 22, 1981, in Atlanta, Georgia.[2] Her parents are self-employed entrepreneurs.[3] She has a younger half-sister named Lauren with whom she shares a father, and an older brother named Hosea.[4] Her grandfather is the late Hosea Williams, a civil rights activist.[5] She attended Southwest Dekalb High School,[6] and later pursued a degree in business information technology at the American InterContinental University.[7]

Career

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Early career

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In 2005, when she was 24 years old, Williams opened a daycare facility, revealing that she was inspired by her parents' careers. Also in 2005, Williams modeled for a "pin-up" calendar for the Atlanta Dymes.[8] Williams met football player Kordell Stewart in 2009.[9] The couple married in May 2011, which was filmed and broadcast on the WE tv series Platinum Weddings.[7]

2012–2019: The Real Housewives of Atlanta, The Celebrity Apprentice, and music

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In September 2012, it was announced by Bravo that Williams and Kenya Moore were cast for the fifth season of the reality television series The Real Housewives of Atlanta.[10]

After approximately two years of marriage, Stewart filed for divorce from Williams in March 2013.[11] During the reunion special for the fifth season of The Real Housewives of Atlanta, she commented that she was "totally blindsided" by the filing and alleged that she learned of their separation through Twitter.[12] Their divorce was finalized in December 2013.[13]

The sixth season of The Real Housewives of Atlanta documented the deterioration of Williams's relationship with her husband.[14] After an episode of The Real Housewives of Atlanta broadcast in December 2013, Williams received criticism after making comments in which she indicated her belief that the Underground Railroad was an actual railroad line.[15] She later commented that "It was a brain lapse. I have Porsha moments that you've seen on the show before. For me seeing that I knew that I had to go back and brush up on my history so I'm representing my legacy well."[3] She also joined the cast of Kandi Burruss's stage musical A Mother's Love.[3]

She released her debut single "Flatline" through the iTunes Store on March 17, 2014.[16] Later that month, Williams received media attention after an altercation with Moore while filming the sixth season reunion for The Real Housewives of Atlanta.[17] While filming the reunion special at the Biltmore Hotel on March 27,[18] Moore implied that Williams was unfaithful during her marriage; after Williams called Moore a "slut from the '90s" and Moore yelled that Williams was "a dumb ho" from a megaphone, Williams assaulted Moore.[19] Moore later threatened to quit the series if Williams was to remain, commenting that "we've become angry with each other, we've threatened each other and gone to the edge. But at the end of the day, we know there's a line."[20] Williams was arrested on December 29, 2014, for speeding with a suspended license, but was released the same day.

In September 2015, Bravo announced that Williams had signed on to return as a main cast member, along with new cast member and actress Kim Fields.[21] On January 28, 2016, it was announced that she was participating as a contestant on The New Celebrity Apprentice, also known as The Apprentice 15 and The Celebrity Apprentice 8.[22] On September 19, 2018, Williams announced her pregnancy.[23] On October 1, it was reported that she was engaged to entrepreneur Dennis McKinley. The proposal was shown on The Real Housewives of Atlanta (S11 Ep15) which aired February 17, 2019. On March 22, 2019, she gave birth to their daughter, Pilar Jhena, showcased on her first spin-off Porsha's Having a Baby.[24] Williams and McKinley briefly split in June,[25] but had reunited by August 2019.[26]

2020–present: Activism, The Pursuit of Porsha, and Porsha's Family Matters

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Williams departed The Real Housewives of Atlanta after its thirteenth season in 2021 to star in Porsha's Family Matters, a spin-off series which aired for one season.

Since the murder of George Floyd, Williams has worked as an activist and was described by The New York Times as becoming "a crusader against police violence."[27] On July 15, 2020, Williams was among 87 protesters who were arrested outside the home of Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron. She was calling for Cameron to arrest the officers involved in the shooting of Breonna Taylor. After law enforcement warned that staying on Cameron's property was unlawful, Williams and others in the group were charged with intimidating a participant in a legal process, disorderly conduct, and criminal trespass. She was released the next day.[28] In 2021, Williams published her memoir, The Pursuit of Porsha, which has been met with acclaim from fans.[29]

In March 2023, Williams starred in the third season of The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip, as a last-minute replacement for The Real Housewives of New York City star Tinsley Mortimer.

Williams produced a single and music video titled "Flatline", and performed another song called "Legs, Hips, Body" featuring Kandi Burruss, and D. Woods.[30] She is featured in many more songs for Burruss's A Mother's Love musical, available to stream on iTunes / Apple Music.[30][31]

In February 2024, Williams announced her return to The Real Housewives of Atlanta after a two-season hiatus, via an Instagram video.[32]

Personal life

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Porsha was married to Kordell Stewart from 2011 to 2013. During their marriage, she suffered a miscarriage, and was the stepmother to his son Syre from a previous relationship.[33][34] Porsha was briefly engaged to entrepreneur Dennis McKinley, whom she dated from 2018 to 2020.[35] She gave birth to their first child, Pilar Jhena ("PJ") in March 2019.[36] In May 2021, Porsha confirmed that she was engaged to Nigerian businessman Simon Guobadia.[37] The couple held a traditional Nigerian wedding on November 25, 2022, followed by a traditional American wedding on November 26.[38] In February 2024, Porsha filed for divorce from Simon, after 15 months of marriage.[39]

Filmography

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Year Title Role Notes
2011 Platinum Weddings Herself
2012–2021, 2024– The Real Housewives of Atlanta Main (seasons 5–6, 8–13, 16–); Recurring (season 7)
2013 The Rickey Smiley Show 1 episode
2013 The Wendy Williams Show
2014–2021 Dish Nation Co-host
2014 The Real
2017 The New Celebrity Apprentice Contestant
2017 Star Episode: "Infamous"
2017 Daily Pop Herself Episode: dated November 16, 2017
2017 Sharknado 5: Global Swarming Andromeda
2017 CarGo Carlotta Voice role
2017 The Apprentice Herself
2020 Steppin' Back to Love Television film
2020–21 Bravo's Chat Room Herself Co-host
2021 Porsha's Family Matters Herself Main cast
2022 Zootopia+ Christine Voice role, Episode: "The Real Rodents of Little Rodentia"
2023 The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip Herself Main cast (season 3)
2023 Stars on Mars Herself 3rd Place

Stage

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Year Show Role
2013 A Mother's Love Jada
2017 Two Can Play That Game Connie

Discography

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Singles
Year Title Peak chart positions Album
US
2014 "Flatline" 96 TBA

References

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  1. ^ Ho, Rodney. "Did Porsha Williams make the top 7 on Arnold's 'Celebrity Apprentice'? | Radio and TV Talk". Retrieved January 29, 2017.
  2. ^ "RHOA Birth Dates, Where They Were Born, How old is..." About.com. IAC. November 29, 2013. Retrieved March 11, 2014.
  3. ^ a b c S. Tia Brown (January 6, 2014). "Why Wait for the Reunion? Porsha Williams Tells All". Jet. Johnson Publishing Company. Retrieved March 11, 2014.
  4. ^ "The Real Housewives of Atlanta Season 6 Ep 5: Save the Drama for Mama". Bravo. NBCUniversal. December 1, 2013. Retrieved March 16, 2014.
  5. ^ Diane Anderson-Minshall. "Porsha Williams-Stewart of The Real Housewives of Atlanta". About.com. IAC. Retrieved March 11, 2014.
  6. ^ "This Is Porsha Stewart". Issuu. Winter 2013. Retrieved March 16, 2014.
  7. ^ a b England, Adam (May 27, 2021). "Here's What Porsha Williams' Net Worth Really Is". The List. Retrieved July 22, 2022.
  8. ^ Tracy Scott (December 5, 2012). "Porsha Stewart has video vixen past". S2S. Retrieved March 11, 2014.
  9. ^ Ho, Rodney (November 16, 2012). "Meet Porsha Williams Stewart, the newest 'Real Housewives of Atlanta' cast member". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved April 15, 2021.
  10. ^ Dahvi Shira (September 21, 2012). "Real Housewives of Atlanta Returns with New Faces". People. Time Inc. Retrieved March 11, 2014.
  11. ^ Nicole Eggenberger (April 22, 2013). "Porsha Stewart Learned Husband Kordell Stewart Filed for Divorce Through Twitter". Us Weekly. Wenner Media, LLC. Retrieved March 15, 2014.
  12. ^ Evelyn Diaz (April 22, 2013). "Porsha Stewart Breaks Silence on Divorce, Was "Totally Blindsided"". BET. Viacom. Retrieved March 15, 2014.
  13. ^ Veronica Linares (January 21, 2014). "Porsha Williams facing money problems after divorce from Kordell Stewart". United Press International. Retrieved March 16, 2014.
  14. ^ "The Real Housewives of Atlanta Season 6 Ep 1: Bye Bye With The Wind". Bravo. NBCUniversal. November 3, 2014. Retrieved March 16, 2014.
  15. ^ Rachel McRady (December 23, 2013). "Porsha Stewart Thought the Underground Railroad Was a Real Train: How Did the Real Housewives of Atlanta React?". Us Weekly. Wenner Media, LLC. Retrieved March 16, 2014.
  16. ^ Danielle Canada (March 12, 2014). "Porsha Williams teases debut single 'Flatline'". Rolling Out. Retrieved March 16, 2014.
  17. ^ "'Real Housewives of Atlanta' star Porsha Williams arrested after fight during filming". Fox News Channel. 21st Century Fox. April 18, 2014. Retrieved April 21, 2014.
  18. ^ "'Real Housewives of Atlanta' star Porsha Williams arrested after fight during filming". Fox News. 21st Century Fox. April 18, 2014. Retrieved April 22, 2014.
  19. ^ Fisher, Luchina (April 21, 2014). "Watch Porsha Williams, Kenya Moore Brawl on 'Housewives'". ABC News. Retrieved April 22, 2014.
  20. ^ Landrum, Jonathan (April 21, 2014). "'Housewives' star says she may not return to show". Philadelphia Media Network. Retrieved April 22, 2014.
  21. ^ Vena, Jocelyn (September 28, 2015). "First Look at #RHOA Season 8: Kim Fields Joins the Crew & Sheree Whitfield Returns". Bravo Media. NBCuniversal. Retrieved September 28, 2015.
  22. ^ Webber, Stephanie (January 28, 2016). "Celebrity Apprentice Season 15 Cast Revealed: Snooki, Kyle Richards, Boy George and More!". US Weekly.
  23. ^ Junuea, Jen (September 19, 2018). "RHOA's Porsha Williams is Pregnant 6 Years after suffering miscarriage". People. Retrieved September 19, 2018.
  24. ^ "Pregnant Real Housewives of Atlanta Star Porsha Williams Is Engaged to Boyfriend Dennis McKinley". People. Retrieved March 9, 2019.
  25. ^ Dupre, Elyse (June 20, 2019). "Porsha Williams and Dennis McKinley Break Up 8 Months After Engagement". E!. Retrieved June 25, 2019.
  26. ^ "RHOA: Porsha Williams's Fiance Admits to Cheating During Pregnancy". People. November 10, 2019. Retrieved November 10, 2019.
  27. ^ Weaver, Caity (August 10, 2020). "Porsha in Protest". The New York Times. Retrieved April 15, 2021.
  28. ^ Riess, Rebekah; Ries, Brian (July 15, 2020). "'Real Housewives' star and NFL wide receiver among 87 arrested at Breonna Taylor protest". CNN. Retrieved July 16, 2020.
  29. ^ The Pursuit of Porsha
  30. ^ a b "Porsha Williams". iTunes / Apple Music.com.
  31. ^ "Porsha Williams – Flatline". Porsha Williams VEVO / YouTube.com.
  32. ^ Wenger, Stephanie (February 13, 2024). "Porsha Williams Guobadia Will Return to The Real Housewives of Atlanta for Season 16". People. Retrieved February 13, 2024.
  33. ^ Evelyn Diaz (April 8, 2012). "Kordell Stewart Alleges Porsha Is Negligent Stepmother". BET. Viacom. Retrieved March 11, 2014.[dead link]
  34. ^ Bolden, Janeé (April 7, 2014). "Baby Mama Drama: Cheapskate Kordell Stewart Wins Another Court Battle... Gains Primary Custody Of Son With Zero Child Support!!!". Bossip. Retrieved October 24, 2023.
  35. ^ "An Update on Porsha Williams' Ex, Dennis McKinley". Collider. September 11, 2023. Retrieved November 11, 2023.
  36. ^ "Dennis McKinley Shares What Daughter Pilar Jhena Was Originally Going to Be Named". Bravo TV Official Site. May 29, 2020. Retrieved May 11, 2021.
  37. ^ "Porsha Williams Is Engaged to Her 'RHOA' Co-Star's Ex Simon Guobadia". Entertainment Tonight. May 10, 2021. Retrieved May 11, 2021.
  38. ^ "Porsha Williams and Simon Guobadia Wed — Again! — in American Ceremony: All the Details". Peoplemag. Retrieved November 28, 2022.
  39. ^ "Porsha Williams Files for Divorce from Simon Guobadia After 16 Months of Marriage (Exclusive)". Peoplemag. Retrieved February 23, 2024.
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