Kenya Moore Confirms Return to The Real Housewives of Atlanta for Season 16: 'I'm Not Going Anywhere'

The reality star now becomes the franchise's longest running Housewife

Kenya Moore at BravoCon 2023 from Caesars Forum in Las Vegas, NV on Friday, November 3, 2023
Kenya Moore at BravoCon 2023. Photo:

Rich Polk/Bravo via Getty

Kenya Moore will be back for season 16 of The Real Housewives of Atlanta, in a move that will reunite her with one of her longtime frenemies, Porsha Williams.

On Friday, April 12, the actress and former Miss USA confirmed her return to the next season of the Bravo series, which a source tells PEOPLE begins filming in May.

"I may be 'Gone With the Wind Fabulous,' but I’m not going anywhere! 🍑" she wrote, captioning a video of her dancing to her beloved 2012 song.

Moore, 53, is currently the RHOA's longest-running peach-holder. The show has recently faced a major casting shakeup that's left production in limbo for months, off its typical shooting schedule.

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Longtime RHOA star Kandi Burruss confirmed on Feb. 4 that she would be leaving the show after 14 consecutive seasons, while Marlo Hampton told PEOPLE exclusively on Feb. 24 that her contract "ended when season 15 wrapped." Executive producer Andy Cohen said in a February episode of his SiriusXM radio show that Sanya Richards-Ross also wouldn't be back.

Williams, who announced her "retirement" from the show after season 11, revealed on Feb. 13 that she's coming back — a return that came with an overall scripted talent deal with NBCUniversal "across the company’s broadcast and streaming properties.”

The fates of Drew Sidora and Shereé Whitfield, last season's other stars, remain up in the air. But with Moore's return set, that means viewers can expect to see she and Williams, 42, share the screen again.

"Peach Tea Sip and See" Panel at The Grand Ballroom in New York City on Saturday, November 16, 2019 -- Pictured: (l-r) Porsha Williams, Kenya Moore
Porsha Williams Guobadia and Kenya Moore at BravoCon 2019. Dia Dipasupil/Bravo

Both women joined RHOA back in season 5 and immediately became rivals, shading one another for years to come. Though they appeared to make peace after their birth of their daughters, things blew up again when Moore claimed Williams got intimate with exotic dancer Bolo the Entertainer during Cynthia Bailey's bachelorette weekend.

It's unclear where the two stand now, but Moore has said she'd be excited to work with Williams again.

"I would love that," Moore told Entertainment Tonight back in February. "Honestly, the fans would love that, I would love it. We've had some magical moments on TV. I think that it would be brilliant casting."

Kenya Moore attends a special screening of Lifetime's "Abducted Off The Street: The Carlesha Gaither Story" at IPIC Atlanta on February 01, 2024 in Atlanta, Georgia.

Paras Griffin/Getty

Both ladies have a lot in common right now, coming on the other side of heartbreak.

PEOPLE exclusively reported on Feb. 23 that Williams filed for divorce from her estranged husband Simon Guobadia, a source blaming their split on an "ongoing matter." The former pair, who married in November 2022, have since been going back and forth in court filings, outlining troubling arguments the two have been having as they navigate their split.

As for Moore, she just finalized her divorce from Marc Daly.

"After more than three years of litigation, I have finally been granted a divorce," Moore told PEOPLE in December in an exclusive statement about the private mediation. "I want to thank everyone who prayed for and uplifted me when I needed it the most."

"I’m excited for this next chapter in my life and being the best mom I can be for my daughter, Brooklyn," she continued. "As a hopeless romantic, I still believe my forever person exists and know I’ll have my happily ever after ending after all."

Kenya Moore and daughter Brooklyn Daly attend the Atlanta screening of "Mean Girls" at AMC Madison Yards 8 on January 9, 2024 in Atlanta, Georgia.

Prince Williams/WireImage

And that "happily ever after" comes with Moore giving herself "permission to just live now."

"I've never given myself that before; allowed myself the freedom to just let go and walk through life fully embracing every part of myself," Moore told PEOPLE in February. "That's what I want to do moving forward, because I'm tired of holding myself back. This 'next chapter,' as I'm calling it, is all about flourishing, removing myself from those burdens and stepping into me."

A big part of that move for Moore is about quieting that critical voice in her head.

"I've always judging myself with my grandmother's eyes," Moore explained. "She was old-fashioned and very religious, and while I appreciated that and appreciated her morals, I feel like I've been wound a little to tight in the past. I've always contained myself, especially in my personal relationships. And I'm done doing that."

The Real Housewives of Atlanta can be streamed in full on Peacock.

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