Season 8 of Married to Medicine started off unlike any other season previously. While the wives and doctors are typically managing their practices, households, and throwing shade toward one another, this year they were concerned about a global health crisis with COVID-19 and racial uproar throughout the country.
Dr. Heavenly Kimes, the residential dentist of the group and a fan favorite for her messiness was no different. This season, viewers will watch as Dr. Heavenly works to implement new health protocols for her practice while figuring out a way to give back amid the Black Lives Matter Movement. In the midst of it all, she finds herself at the center of some drama amid her co-stars.
In a chat with Shadow and Act, Dr. Heavenly explains how she dived headfirst into making professional adjustments amid the pandemic. She had no issues sacrificing weeks of a booming dental practice in order to keep herself and her family safe.
“When I first heard about COVID-19 – my husband, he’s board-certified in three different specialties and he didn’t know anything about COVID,” she explained. “So if he didn’t know, I knew that no one was as well-versed as they wanted us to believe. Being a dentist, I’m right there with the respiratory droplets, I’m right in their mouth. So what I did before it was mandated before anything was known was that I closed my office for 40 days until we get some kind of guidelines from the as to how to protect myself and my patients. Once I had the guidelines, we were able to open back up with increased sterilized measures.”
While COVID-19 continued to make its way through the world and the numbers increased in her home in Atlanta, GA, Dr. Heavenly also found herself grappling with the racial uproar and trying to find where she fit. While she opted to avoid protesting for safety reasons, she used her platform to have meaningful conversations with other celebrities, influencers, and fans.
“When I was out of my office for 40 days and 40 nights, I did a YouTube live every day at 12 noon,” she said. “I would just get online and I talk about what I was going through, what I was thinking. That was my way of getting out and giving back.”
This season, viewers will see her work with activist Miracle Boyd after Boyd’s horrific encounter with the police. Dr. Hevanly credits meeting and working with Boyd to the power of social media.
Once filming for season 8 was underway and shutdowns were lifted, Dr. Heavenly was able to do more, including protesting alongside her co-stars and working with her husband in opening his mobile COVID-19 testing site.
But amid all of the great they were doing, drama with her co-stars continued to brew. Viewers of Married to Medicine are familiar with the long-standing feud between Dr. Heavenly and Dr. Simone Whitmore. For several seasons, the once close-friends can’t seem to get back on the right track.
The heart of the issue, at least on Dr. Simone’s end, is her belief that her longtime BFF Dr. Jackie Waters has chosen Dr. Heavenly over her. Dr. Simone and Dr. Jackie’s relationship remains estranged. But if you ask Dr. Heavenly, the root of Dr. Simone’s issue is not her close relationship with Dr. Jackie. For starters, Dr. Heavenly wants to make it clear that at one point all three were a dynamic trio and it was Dr. Simone who isolated herself.
“Simone walked away from this friendship, Jackie did not,” she insists. “Contrary to whatever you hear out in the world, we did not stop speaking to her. We tried to get her involved. And when we were doing our blog together, Simone just stepped away.”
Furthermore, she believes Dr. Simone is jealous of their friendship and Dr. Jackie’s career overall.
“I think it’s envy of Jackie and all her accomplishments,” Dr. Heavenly states. “Yes, they do the same thing as far as being gynecologists but everybody always contacts Jackie for services. For every endorsement – every celebrity, it goes to Dr. Jackie….Jackie is so many times more successful. I think that envy might be a part of it because I know that I haven’t done anything to Simone.”
Still, Dr. Heavenly admits she’s over the drama with Dr. Simone. Unfortunately, Dr. Simone isn’t her only feud this season. There are some old faces that are back this season that Dr. Heavenly says wasn’t necessary for the new season. The newbie, Anila Sajja, doesn’t initially click with Dr. Heavenly either.
She’s also at war with Toya Bush-Harris, who she defines as “mean” this season. Historically, Dr. Heavenly has made jokes about Toya’s finances as Toya has been open about having IRS issues, yet still living her lavish lifestyle.
As far as how she feels about Toya’s current financial situation and the rumors that Toya’s recently built dream home is up for sale due to her and her husband not being able to afford it, Dr. Heavenly says she could care less.
“What you see on TV is how it is with Toya and I could care less how they spend their money if they want to do that,” she declares. “Everybody is different and everybody messes up their money the way they want to. And Toya does a good job of doing what she does. If it makes her happy, I’m all for it.”
Dr. Heavenly is more concerned with establishing financial security for her family’s future. “I do spend money when I want to and how I want to, but I make the money to spend it,” she explains. “ But, my thought process is always to save at least 20%, of what I am earning. I work hard. I have my real estate license, my insurance license, and more. But my husband and I have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on financial training and education and business so that we learn how to properly use our money. I’m all for buying nice things. However, you have to save for your future.”
Dr. Heavenly speaks fondly of her husband Dr. Damon Kimes and fans of the show are familiar with their more traditional values. She even calls her husband “daddy.” Some have criticized Dr. Heavenly for believing in gender roles and the idea of submission, but as a Christian woman, she says it’s the only way for her household.
“I know that in 2021, submission is a very difficult concept because men have moved away from their traditional responsibilities,” she said. “Your man should be God-fearing. He has to pray. He has to make you feel safe. That’s the only reason I got married was to feel safe and secure in my home. I don’t have fear because I feel like I have a man to protect me financially. I feel secure because I have a man to protect me.
And compared to other people’s marriages and the turmoil she’s witnessed others experience, Dr. Heavenly says her husband is worth submitting to.
“When I look at reality TV and I see these men leaving their wives, staying away and not coming home for three days,” she said as a reference to The Real Housewives of Atlanta star Drew Sidora’s husband skipping town for three days. “The men are cheating on them, not having a job, being disrespectful in public. I was like, ‘Hell, I don’t have anything to complain about.’”
Despite some not always agreeing with Dr. Heavenly’s stance on marriage, one thing viewers love is the way Dr. Damon is able to “check” his wife. Dr. Heavenly isn’t one to back down from a war of words with her female co-stars, but her husband can always reel her in – and in the most respectful fashion.
“As far as TV, when you see Damon talk to me, that’s who Damon is,” she gushed. “He’s calm, he’s gentle. He’s a gentle giant. He’s very methodic in the way that he thinks.”
Together, the couple has three children. Their two sons are in college and their teenage daughter, Alaura, often appears on the show and shares a close relationship with her mother. The relationship between Dr. Heavenly and her family is something she’s most proud of.
As for what she wants viewers to take away from this season, it’s that she’s finally secure in who she is and unwilling to change for anyone outside of her family.
“I went on a spiritual journey and I realized that I’m all right,” she snaps. “God loves me and I love myself. I’m blessed. I’m favored, I’m chosen. I do think I’m outspoken. And I do think it comes a lot from my background but if you watch the show, you realize I don’t start anything with anyone, I simply respond. I can’t help it if my responses offend my co-stars and if they can’t take it.”
Married to Medicine airs every Sunday on Bravo at 9 p.m. EST.
Watch an exclusive preview of this week’s episode, which you’ll only see on Shadow and Act, below:
