Some people are quick to call Porsha Williams “ditzy” and an “airhead,” but the Real Housewives of Atlanta star is also a budding entrepreneur. he wasn’t always at the reins of her own empire, though.
Following her divorce from Kordell Stewart, Porsha found herself left with nothing. Here’s how she went from being bullied to becoming a bride-to-be, a working mom, and a business mogul.
1. She was teased in school
When Porsha first appeared on The Real Housewives of Atlanta, some of the ladies didn’t warm up to her so quickly. Unfortunately, their attitude toward her reminded her of her high school days. Porsha attended school in DeKalb County, Georgia and was bullied all throughout elementary and junior high. She told Us Weekly, “I suffered severe bullying since I was a child, to the extent of contemplating suicide.”
In a 2014 interview with Upscale magazine, Porsha said her classmates would tease her for being “super skinny with big teeth.” She also said, “Believe it or not, other black girls would tease me and pull my hair because it was long.”
2. Troubled romance brought back bad memories
After getting into an altercation with Kenya Moore at the Season 6 reunion, Porsha issued a public statement via Us Weekly in April 2014. In her statement, Porsha apologized to her fans, the viewers, and the rest of the cast for her behavior. But she also felt she had been provoked and bullied during the reunion taping.
And then she dropped a bombshell: her marriage to Kordell Stewart had gotten physical. Kordell released a statement via the AJC and called her allegations false and a bunch of “foolishness.”
He added, “I loved my wife, supported her and invested in her success. As a reminder, I divorced her. At no time has there been any findings against me, during or before the divorce proceedings, to indicate anything less than a loving and supportive husband.”
But some of her castmembers had noticed something was off about their relationship long before their divorce was finalized.
3. Her RHOA castmates were worried
NeNe Leakes wrote in a March 2013 Bravo blog post about the cast’s trip to Las Vegas. The ladies wanted to go to a strip club, but Porsha made it clear that Kordell wouldn’t be happy if she went. NeNe wrote that the entire cast had a feeling that she was being controlled by Kordell. She also added that Kordell treated Porsha like his child and not his wife — something that Porsha later confirmed on an episode of The Real Housewives of Atlanta.
The former NFL player was already the father of a son from previous a relationship, and Porsha said she soon became the “oldest child in the house.”
4. She left with nothing
In a 2013 episode, Kandi Burruss asked Porsha if she had a prenup with her then-husband, Kordell Stewart. Porsha revealed they didn’t have one, and she explained why in her Bravo blog. The reality star explained that through bonding with Kordell in mind, body, and spirit, there was “no place” for a piece of paper to stand between them.
She came up empty in their divorce settlement after finding out on Twitter that Kordell had filed for divorce. In the end, she walked away without getting any personal property, no alimony, none of Kordell’s retirement money, no health insurance, and no monetary settlement.
TMZ even revealed that Porsha was forced to pay her own credit card balances when her marriage came to an end. She was able to keep the Mercedes that she owned prior to their marriage, as well as her engagement ring, while Kordell was awarded two home — one of which he changed the locks on her after filing for divorce — two plots of land, a 2013 Mercedes, a 2010 Porsche, his full retirement benefits, and 100% interest in all of his companies.
She has since learned her lesson (thank God), and she’s now adamant about protecting herself and her assets as she prepares to marry Dennis McKinley, based on the above video from her appearance on Watch What Happens Live.
5. Her life did a 180
At one point, she was proud to be a black trophy wife. But after her marriage ended, Porsha worked hard to build her own empire. Not only did Ebony report that she makes $1.5 million per season as a full-time cast member, she’s also a host on Dish Nation, she launched a lingerie line, she’s the owner of Go Naked Hair, she has partnered with Minx Star to release a clothing line, and in November 2018, she debuted Pampered by Porsha — a collection of 180-thread-count bedsheets.
Now that she’s a new mom to baby Pilar Jhena, and her wedding to Dennis is right around the corner, Porsha is finally living the life she has always dreamed of.
Are you surprised by Porsha’s journey from being bullied to becoming a successful entrepreneur?