Cynthia Bailey Is Being A Real Friend To Kenya Moore, Not A Flip Flopper

Kenya Moore Hair Spa Grand Opening — Source: Prince Williams / Getty

Kenya Moore twirled past fun shade into calculated savagery on episode five of The Real Housewives of Atlanta. The reality star and Kenya Moore Hair Care entrepreneur blew up sexually explicit images of RHOA newbie Brit Eady and displayed them at the grand opening of her hair spa. There are ways to get your point across without crossing over into softcore territory.

The shocking moment drew criticism from social media and her fellow castmates. The pictures were so salacious that the network opted to acknowledge them but “not to exhibit them.”

Friends Don’t Let Friends Lower The Bar

Atlanta OG Nene Leakes said it best “you can never win when you’re dirty, honey.” Moore’s actions overshadowed her big moment. She deserved better for herself. “I’m getting to know Brit, but I know you. I really hate that you let that in this way,” Cynthia Bailey said in disappointment. “I think you’re bigger than this, and I think you’re better than this.”

That is what a friend should do. She did not put her friend down, but she told her the truth. You don’t have to blindly agree with someone to be their friend. There is more than one way to be ten toes down. It seems that today, people think friendships are about posting each other and posting up in the section. But there’s more to it than that.

Friends are upfront. Bailey did not go behind Moore’s back. She was not what Carlos King calls a confessional gangster. She looked her in the eye and spoke her truth.

Friends Hold Friends Accountable

Now, generally, girl code dictates that you don’t call out your friend in public. Anyone could see why Bailey would be moved to declare her feelings at the moment. She was not loud or rude. The statement was said with love. She distanced herself from the actions, not the person.

Seeing your friend take the time to do an arts and crafts project over an opp is startling. Bailey was not the only one upset with Moore. Porsha Williams demanded that production turn off the cameras and remove her mic pack immediately. She told them they could pretend she was never even there.

Angela Oakley and Shamea Morton were equally disgusted. They stumbled out of the function, dazed by the depravity.

RELATED: Kenya Moore Speaks on ‘RHOA’: ‘I Wanted Protection’

Friends Give Friends Grace…And Honesty

Moore’s vengeance was not unprovoked.

Her actions were in relation to Eady escalating a standard reality drama confrontation into threats of gunplay in the previous episode. “I don’t play them games! I got whips, motherfucking pistols, everything,” she screamed after Moore declined to engage with her the way she wanted at a cast dinner hosted by East’s fellow newbie, Angela Oakley.

It’s understandable that Moore would be looking for receipts on Brit. Gun violence is real. According to research published by Everytown for Gun Safety, “Every day, 125 people in the US are killed with guns and more than 200 are shot and wounded.”

A stranger mentioning a pew pew requires immediate investigation. She did NOT know this lady and what she would be willing to do or not do in service of staying on the small screen. Her panic might have been completely legitimate. Moore expressed that she felt unsafe quite clearly and when she considered the inadequate response by Bravo, she did what she felt she needed to to defend herself.

The problem was that she harmed herself and her business in the process. She held up those images like they were the big joker in spades and not a blemish on her beautiful achievement.

Just one episode prior she was sharing how nervous she was about dumping major dollars into the endeavor, including funds earmarked for her daughter’s education. She talked about wanting to show her daughter what a boss looks like on the carpet before the grand opening began. This was not it.

Friends Can Move Past Moments

On Watch What Happens Live, Bailey revealed that beyond a few terse text messages, she and Moore had not spoken since the incident.

She did not throw her friend under the bus. “I respect people’s space and Kenya knows that I’m here whenever she wants to talk,” she told Andy Cohen. Her tone was even and calm. There was no shade in sight.

Moore displaying the images went past the Bravolebrity pain threshold. It robbed her of a redemption arc she rightfully deserves after going out of her way to make peace with her fellow peach holders season after season.

I hated this for her because I always wanted her to win. So did Cynthia. That’s why she was a real friend and spoke up.

DON’T MISS:

Garcelle Beauvais’ Best Moments On ‘The Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills’

Style Gallery: Broadway’s Othello Opening Night Brings Out Black Hollywood’s Finest

Garcelle Beauvais & Bozoma Saint John Slay The RHBH’ Reunion

SEE ALSO