Phaedra Parks

Phaedra Parks
Parks in 2018
Born
Phaedra Creonta Parks

(1973-10-26) October 26, 1973 (age 51)
Athens, Georgia, U.S.
EducationWesleyan College (BA)
University of Georgia (JD)
Occupations
  • Attorney
  • legal analyst
  • television personality
  • businesswoman
  • author
  • actress
Years active2001–present
Known for
Spouse
Apollo Nida
​
​
(m. 2009; div. 2017)​
Children2

Phaedra Creonta Parks (born October 26, 1973) is an American attorney, legal analyst, television personality, author, activist, and businesswoman.

She is best known for appearing on Bravo's The Real Housewives of Atlanta from 2010 until 2017, rejoining the cast in 2024. Prior to this, she was an established attorney, fronting her own legal firm, The Parks Group. In 2022, she starred on the second season of The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip on Peacock, and in 2023, joined the cast for the tenth season of Married to Medicine.

Early life

Parks was born in Athens, Georgia, where RHOA co-star NeNe Leakes also lived, and attended the same high school as Leakes. She is one of four children to pastor parents Regina Bell and Henry Parks.[citation needed] Before undertaking a Juris Doctor at the University of Georgia School of Law,[1] she attended the London School of Economics (LSE) and Wesleyan College and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree with honours.

Career

Parks first appeared on The Real Housewives of Atlanta in 2010.[2] She was already an established attorney, with her own legal practice, The Parks Group. Throughout her career, she had represented multiple public figures such as Bobby Brown.[3][4] In 2006, she was awarded 'Attorney of the Year'[citation needed] and has served on Georgia's Law School Alumni Council,[5] the Grammy Recording Board, UGA Law School Board, and G-Capp.[citation needed] She has served as a legal analyst on shows like Fox News and NBC regarding the Michael Jackson trial. Parks has also acted as a television producer for BET's The Tiny and Toya Show.[5]

Her appearance on The Real Housewives of Atlanta helped her become nominated as one of Atlanta's top 100 Black women of influence, as her season 3 debut kick-started high publicity and positive attention for Parks.[6] Her seven season stint on the show saw Parks involved in multiple main storylines including the dissolution of her marriage to Apollo Nida and pregnancies resulting in sons Ayden and Dylan.[7] In 2017, Parks was ultimately fired ahead of the show's tenth season following a damaging rumour she circulated about fellow RHOA cast member Kandi Burruss and her husband, Todd Tucker concerning Porsha Williams and Shamea Morton.[8][9][10] Following her departure from RHOA, Bravo tentatively announced a new unscripted series focused on Parks alone titled, Rich People's Problems.[3][11] The show was never released.

In 2013, Parks released her first book, Secrets of the Southern Belle: How to Be Nice, Work Hard, Look Pretty, Have Fun and Never Have an Off Moment.[12][13] In 2020, Parks and then-boyfriend, Medina Islam, appeared on the season two premiere of Marriage Boot Camp: Hip Hop Edition[14][15][16] She made her acting debut in Covenant, an eight-episode anthology series on Allblk, in October 2021.[17][18] She played Bernice Whitfield, the family matriarch.[14] In 2021, it was announced that Parks would be appearing on the second season of The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip (subtitled Ex-Wives Club), the franchise's 'mash-up' series produced by Peacock featuring multiple well-known former housewives from the franchise.[19][20]

In 2022, alongside Parks' RHUGT main cast appearance, she additionally starred in a recurring guest role in The Real Housewives of Dubai's first season, as a friend of housewife Caroline Brooks.[21] Shereé Whitfield stated that Parks filmed for Season 14 of RHOA at her fashion show, however scenes featuring Parks were never aired. Rumours regarding Parks' return to RHOA in a full-time capacity have begun to swirl following executive producer Andy Cohen stating he would love to have her back, following her 2017 firing.[22] Reportedly, her appearances on RHUGT, RHOA and RHODXB are to test whether her Bravo comeback appeals to audiences. Kandi Burruss has stated she would leave RHOA if Parks returns.[23]

In January 2023, it was announced that Parks would return for the fifth season (and second Ex-Wives Club season) of The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip, taking place in Marrakesh, Morocco and set to premiere in 2024.[24] Parks signed onto the tenth season of Married to Medicine, replacing Dr. Contessa Metcalfe and Anila Sajja.[25] In September 2023, it was announced that Parks would be a contestant on Peacock's second season of The Traitors, which aired in early 2024. She was selected to be a 'traitor' and was banished in episode ten.[26]

In July 2024, it was announced that Parks would be returning to The Real Housewives of Atlanta, after a six-season hiatus, for the sixteenth season.[27] In September 2024, Parks was announced as one of the celebrities competing on season 33 of Dancing with the Stars. She was partnered with Valentin Chmerkovskiy.[28]

Personal life

Between 2009 and 2017, Parks was married to Apollo Nida. Nida was convicted of conspiracy to commit mail, wire, and bank fraud, but Parks has maintained she had no knowledge of his criminal activity.[29][30] With Nida, she has two children.[17] She dated Medina Islam before breaking up in 2021.[31]

Regarding The Real Housewives of Atlanta and similar shows, Parks stated that she would “never” let her children watch the programs, saying “That’s not child-appropriate” and “I don’t think it was created for children and so I don’t know if any responsible parent allows their child to watch those types of shows.”[32]

Filmography

Television

Year Title Role Notes
2009 Tiny and Toya Consulting producer
2010–2017, 2024– The Real Housewives of Atlanta Herself Main cast (seasons 3–9, 16–)
2011–2022 The Wendy Williams Show Herself
2012–2024 Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen Herself Guest
2014–2022 Dish Nation Herself Guest co-host in seasons 10 and 11
2015, 2023– Married to Medicine Herself Guest (season 3)
Main cast (season 10–)
2018 Braxton Family Values Herself
2020 Marriage Boot Camp: Hip Hop Edition Herself 1 episode
2021 Covenant Bernice Whitfield 2 episodes
2022–24 The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip Herself Main cast (Seasons 2 & 5)
2022 The Real Housewives of Dubai Herself 2 episodes
2023 The Real Housewives of New Jersey Herself 1 episode
2024 The Traitors Contestant - Traitor 7th Place (season 2)
2024 Dancing with the Stars Contestant with Val Chmerkovskiy 8th place (season 33)
2024 Will Trent Adela Blakely 1 episode

References

  1. ^ "Georgia Rising Stars:Super Lawyers". Atlanta. October 2007. p. S-17. ISSN 0004-6701 – via Google Books.
  2. ^ George, Rachel (2021-11-26). "'Fashion, Foolery, Fun, Tears, Fights, Everything': Phaedra Parks Talks Returning to Reality TV and Her Acting Debut In 'Covenant'". Atlanta Black Star. Retrieved 2022-01-11.
  3. ^ a b Takeda, Allison (2013-04-03). "Real Housewives of Atlanta's Phaedra Parks Gets Her Own Spinoff Show". Us Weekly. Retrieved 2022-01-11.
  4. ^ Mills, Don (2006-10-04). "Bobby Brown: very busy". National Post. p. B2 – via ProQuest.
  5. ^ a b "Phaedra Parks; Phaedra Parks Is in Hot Demand". Entertainment News Weekly. 2010-10-17 – via Factiva.
  6. ^ "Another Real 'House'wife - Welcome Phaedra Parks to the Neighborhood". Above the Law. 2010-10-08. Retrieved 2022-01-12.
  7. ^ Exton, Emily (2010-11-22). "The Real Housewives of Atlanta recap: The Seven-Month Itch". EW.com. Retrieved 2022-01-11.
  8. ^ Jackson, Dory (2021-06-03). "RHOA's Phaedra Parks Says Men Broke Into Her Car and Stole 'Sentimental' Items — Including Gift from Porsha Williams". PEOPLE.com. Retrieved 2022-01-11.
  9. ^ Quinn, Dave (2017-05-07). "RHOA Reunion: Phaedra Parks Admits to Spreading Drug Accusations". PEOPLE.com. Retrieved 2022-01-11.
  10. ^ Bricker, Tierney (2017-05-08). "Phaedra Parks Is Not Returning to The Real Housewives of Atlanta". E! Online. Retrieved 2022-01-11.
  11. ^ "Settling 'Rich People's Problems'". HuffPost. 2013-04-03. Retrieved 2022-01-11.
  12. ^ Booker, Bobbi (2013-11-03). "'Real Housewives' Phaedra Parks releases self-help book". Philadelphia Tribune. p. 1B – via ProQuest.
  13. ^ Moelsein, Anna (2013-11-15). "Real Housewives of Atlanta's Phaedra Parks on the Show, Her Book, and More". Glamour. Retrieved 2022-01-11.
  14. ^ a b Sander, Brice (2021-11-11). "Phaedra Parks Teases 'Action-Packed' All-Star 'Housewives' Show as She Makes TV Return With 'Covenant'". Entertainment Tonight online. Retrieved 2022-01-11.
  15. ^ Smith, Candace Cordelia (2021-04-29). "All The Clues That Phaedra Parks Could Make A Controversial 'RHOA' Return". Bustle. Retrieved 2022-01-11.
  16. ^ Rogers, Chris (2020-07-03). "Phaedra Parks Reveals Why She REALLY Wasn't Intimate With Medina Before 'Marriage Boot Camp'". Hollywood Life – via ProQuest.
  17. ^ a b Cooper, Diana (2021-10-10). "Phaedra Parks: Why My Kids Have 'Never' Watched 'RHOA'". Us Weekly. Retrieved 2022-01-11.
  18. ^ Regalado, Michelle (2021-10-08). "Phaedra Parks Shared Some Interesting News About Her Career and Kids". Bravo TV Official Site. Retrieved 2022-01-11.
  19. ^ Sanders, Shamika (2021-08-24). "Phaedra Parks Brings Back Her Blonde Do". HelloBeautiful. Retrieved 2022-01-11.
  20. ^ WONY (2021-12-31). "'Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip' Season 2 : Release date, Cast, and More details". Nilsen Report. Retrieved 2022-01-11.
  21. ^ "Phaedra Previews Her RHODubai Appearance, While Andy & Caroline Drop a Few Special Teases". 18 May 2022.
  22. ^ "'RHOA': Andy Cohen Wants Phaedra Parks to Return, but Will She?". 13 February 2022.
  23. ^ "Drew Sidora Reveals Why She'd Love to See Phaedra Parks Return to 'RHOA'". 23 May 2022.
  24. ^ Franklin, McKinley (2023-08-02). "'Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip: RHONY Legacy' Swaps Dates With 'Ex-Wives Club'". Variety. Retrieved 2023-08-03.
  25. ^ "Dr. Contessa Quits Married to Medicine, Phaedra Parks Joins". 8 March 2023.
  26. ^ Moylan, Brian (2024-03-01). "We Have Phaedra Parks's Mom to Thank for Her Turn on The Traitors". Vulture. Retrieved 2024-08-10.
  27. ^ Quinn, Dave (July 29, 2024). "Phaedra Parks Joins Real Housewives of Atlanta Season 16 After Kenya Moore Departure: 'You Called, I Answered'". People. Retrieved July 29, 2024.
  28. ^ "Meet the celebrity cast of 'Dancing with the Stars' season 33". ABC News. September 4, 2024. Retrieved September 6, 2024.
  29. ^ Zaragoza, Alex (2021-07-04). "Why Is Fraud So Common in the 'Real Housewives'?". www.vice.com. Retrieved 2022-01-11.
  30. ^ "Apollo Nida, 'RHOA' star Phaedra Parks' hubby, gets 8-year sentence". Los Angeles Times. 2014-07-09. Retrieved 2022-01-11.
  31. ^ Gillam, Sharde (2022-01-11). "Phaedra Parks Struts In Chanel In Stylish Instagram Video". HelloBeautiful. Retrieved 2022-01-11.
  32. ^ Heron, Sarah. "Former 'Real Housewives of Atlanta' Stars: Where Are They Now?". usmagazine.com. a360media Entertainment Group. Retrieved 12 January 2025.