NeNe Leakes Stands by Criticism of Porsha’s Marriage, Kandi Burruss Backtracks

By: Amanda Anderson-Niles

Porsha Stewart is probably one of the only real housewives (by definition) on season five of Real Housewives of Atlanta, yet Porsha’s marriage is the target of plenty of criticism because most of the other housewives feel that her husband Kordell might be too controlling. This started to become apparent to NeNe Leakes and company when Porsha told them that she couldn’t have company at her home while Kordell was away, and things quickly escalated when she told the ladies that she couldn’t join them at the “Gentlemen’s Club” during the girls night out because Kordell wouldn’t want her to be there. Although Porsha did tell them she also felt like she shouldn’t be there because of religious reasons, the other housewives just felt like Porsha’s marriage is plagued with control issues.

NeNe Leakes has already said on numerous occasions that she thinks Kordell treats Porsha like a child instead of a spouse, and in her Bravo blog, she stands by her opinion. She writes:

“Once we were in the limo, Porsha said loud and clear that Kordell would NOT be happy if she went to a s*rip club and that he had already LET her go from Cali to LA! (Which is around the block I guess, LOL!) Now let me break it down to you this way — I have been to s*rip clubs and worked in one when I was in my early twenties. Now I have moved on too much bigger and better things! I really like Porsha, and even feel like a big sister to her. If Porsha didn’t want to go to the s*rip club herself, that’s fine! The message I think we all were trying to send to her was to use your own brain and let this be your decision. We’ve all been around her and heard her say things that sound like she’s being controlled. Maybe Kordell feels the need to control her, because he knows what he’s working with.

“Porsha also said she was a Christian, and I have to agree with Phaedra on this one — going to church doesn’t make you any more of a Christian than going to a s*rip club makes you a s*ripper or a sinner! Maybe Kordell thought she would dance like a s*ripper, because we’ve all seen that too. I have been in a relationship with the same man longer than any of these ladies have been in their relationships. I don’t want to judge Porsha’s relationship, because I obviously don’t live with them. I can only tell you what these eyes and ears hear and see. I watch the show just like you do, so based off everything I’ve seen and heard myself, it appears that Kordell is talking to his daughter and not his wife! Porsha can’t seem to do much without getting permission from Kordell. This is not my relationship, so if Porsha likes it, I love it, and I really don’t give a sh– what Porsha and Kordell do! I’m entitled to my opinion!”

Kandi Burruss also criticized Porsha’s marriage at first, but now she is apologizing because she feels she may have been out of line to criticize someone else’s marriage. In her Bravo blog, Kandi writes:

“Sometimes I look back at an episode and disagree with my own self about things I may have said. This episode is one of them. I felt bad as I looked back at how we were questioning Porsha about her marriage. So let me say, Porsha, I apologize. My mom always says you’re not supposed to speak about other people’s marriage unless they ask you to. Porsha did not ask me for advice, nor should she. I am not married YET, therefore I can’t say what Porsha should or should not do. I respect the fact she stood her ground.

“My situation is totally different than Porsha’s. I meant what I said about how I can’t relate to her situation, because it’s true that if you have to financially depend on your mate, then a lot of times that gives them more control. BUT that is not always a bad thing. These days divorce is at an all-time high, and I have to wonder if it’s because we as women are more independent and therefore less likely to put up with B.S. and not as willing to work through the hard times like the women from back in the day, who were more dependent on their husbands? Well, although I can’t relate to Porsha, I still wish her happiness and longevity in her marriage, and I hope she keeps doing what works for her. Maybe I need to be taking advice from her, since she is the married one.”

Kordell of course doesn’t think he’s controlling of Porsha and he said on his Twitter account that going against the peer pressure makes Porsha a leader in his book: