Kenya Moore’s longtime dream of marrying her prince charming and becoming a mother came true when the former Miss USA wed Marc Daly. But behind the smiles, Moore’s marriage was unraveling, and viewers of The Real Housewives of Atlanta watched it crumble during season 12.
The usually opinionated and take no nonsense Moore took a more submissive approach in her marriage, almost to a fault. Fans expressed concern over Daly’s treatment of Moore. He appeared dismissive, condescending, and overall as if he didn’t even like his wife. The couple separated after only two years of marriage and the birth of their miracle baby, Brooklyn.
Moore vowed to try and work through her issues but Daly seemed uninterested in doing so. But by the season 12 reunion, Moore shocked all when she revealed she and Daly were in counseling and that he wanted to fight for his family back. Moore said she was willing to stick it out, but in just a few months, the couple’s issues resurfaced.
In the premiere episode for season 13, an emotional Moore meets with a divorce attorney to discuss her options. She says Daly reverted back to his old ways and she grew tired of it. Additionally, the coronavirus pandemic and the stay at home orders that followed left Moore in a depressed state…and 30 pounds heavier. The burden is visible on a typically happy and fierce Moore in the upcoming season.
When speaking with Shadow and Act, Moore shuts down the notion that she rushed into a marriage with Daly. Many viewers of the show believe her desire to be married and have a family trumped her ability to acknowledge red signs of Daly’s. But Moore insists that Daly was a true knight in shining armor during their courtship.
“I don’t like to say that I rushed into marrying Marc because I think I am a level headed person, I’m in my late 40s and have never really done crazy stuff before,” she said. “I met someone and I fell in love and I felt like whatever issues we had going into the marriage could have been addressed in time. I felt like my love was so patient that given time, we could work out any issues we had because I believed I married a good man.”
As for whether or not Daly is happy with his portrayal on the show, Moore doesn’t care.
“At the end of the day, he has the same platform that I have if he wanted to discuss his feelings [about how he comes off]. He has the same platform that he had when he showed up last season and was not very kind to his wife and to his family,” she said. “So I cannot say that I care because when you behave a certain way, you can’t blame the other person for their testimony or saying how they feel or to talk about what happened. If you cared so much you wouldn’t behave that way.”
The season starts off with Moore at her most vulnerable. However, she says her storyline centers on her journey of taking her power back.
“At the beginning of the season, I was just lost. We had been separated for a while and there was no movement. Obviously, COVID happened and further damaged our inability to respectfully communicate with one another on our issues,” she explained. “So at that point, I felt like we’d been separated for so long and I needed to move on. I need to take back my power and I think this is the season in which I get back to who my fans know me to be: strong, determined, unapologetic. At the end of the season, you’ll see that.”
Despite the heartache, Moore has her co-stars for support. She shares a close bond with Cynthia Bailey and Kandi Burruss and is even on better terms with her longtime frenemy, Marlo Hampton. Viewers will get to see her and Hampton make peace.
Aside from motherhood and RHOA, Moore is focused on expanding her empire. Millions watched as she started Kenya Moore Hair Care. Moore went from selling products out of her car to having her line in 2200 Sally Beauty Supply stores in the country. She is gearing up for a second line, a styling line, that she says will be available in another major retailer soon.
Season 13 of RHOA premieres on Sunday, Dec. 6 at 8 p.m. EST on Bravo.
Photo: Tommy Garcia/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images
