Phaedra Parks

Phaedra Creonta Parks (born October 26, 1973) is an American television personality, attorney, mortician, businesswoman, author and actress. She is best known for appearing on Bravo's The Real Housewives of Atlanta from 2010 until 2017. Prior to this, she was an established attorney, fronting her own legal firm, The Parks Group. In June 2022, she starred on the second season of The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip on Peacock.

Phaedra Parks
Born	Phaedra Creonta Parks (1973-10-26) October 26, 1973 (age 49) Athens, Georgia, U.S.
Education	Wesleyan College (BA) University of Georgia (JD)
Occupations	Television personality attorney mortician businesswoman author actress
Years active	2001–present
Known for	The Real Housewives of Atlanta The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip
Spouse	Apollo Nida ​ ​ (m. 2009; div. 2017)​
Children	2

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,^[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 a 2011 episode of RHOA, Parks announced her plan to become a mortician.^[8] 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.^[9][10][11] Following her departure from RHOA, Bravo tentatively announced a new unscripted series focussed on Parks alone titled, Rich People's Problems.^[3][12] 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.^[13][14] In 2020, Parks and then-boyfriend, Medina Islam, appeared on the season two premiere of Marriage Boot Camp: Hip Hop Edition^[15][16][17] She made her acting debut in Covenant, an eight-episode anthology series on Allblk, in October 2021.^[18][19] She played Bernice Whitfield, the family matriarch.^[15] In 2021, it was announced that Parks would be appearing on the second season of The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip, the franchise's 'mash-up' series produced by Peacock featuring multiple well-known housewives from the franchise.^[20][21]

In 2022, alongside Parks' RHUGT main cast appearance, she additionally stars in a recurring guest role in The Real Housewives of Dubai's first season, as a friend of housewife Caroline Brooks. ^[22] 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.^[23] 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.^[24] In January 2023, it was announced that Parks would return for the fourth season of The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip, set to film in Morocco later that month.^[25]

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.^[26][27] With Nida, she has two children: Ayden (born 2010) and Dylan (born 2013).^[18][28] She dated Medina Islam before breaking up in 2021.^[29]

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.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
3. Takeda, Allison (2013-04-03). "Real Housewives of Atlanta's Phaedra Parks Gets Her Own Spinoff Show". Us Weekly. Retrieved 2022-01-11.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
4. Mills, Don (2006-10-04). "Bobby Brown: very busy". National Post. p. B2 – via ProQuest.
5. "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.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
8. Griffiths, John (2011-11-14). "The Real Housewives of Atlanta". US Weekly. No. 874. p. 72 – via ProQuest.
9. 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.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
10. Quinn, Dave (2017-05-07). "RHOA Reunion: Phaedra Parks Admits to Spreading Drug Accusations". PEOPLE.com. Retrieved 2022-01-11.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
11. Bricker, Tierney (2017-05-08). "Phaedra Parks Is Not Returning to The Real Housewives of Atlanta". E! Online. Retrieved 2022-01-11.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
12. "Settling 'Rich People's Problems'". HuffPost. 2013-04-03. Retrieved 2022-01-11.
13. Booker, Bobbi (2013-11-03). "'Real Housewives' Phaedra Parks releases self-help book". Philadelphia Tribune. p. 1B – via ProQuest.
14. Moelsein, Anna (2013-11-15). "Real Housewives of Atlanta's Phaedra Parks on the Show, Her Book, and More". Glamour. Retrieved 2022-01-11.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
15. 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.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
16. Smith, Candace Cordelia (2021-04-29). "All The Clues That Phaedra Parks Could Make A Controversial 'RHOA' Return". Bustle. Retrieved 2022-01-11.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
17. Rogers, Chris (2020-07-03). "Phaedra Parks Reveals Why She REALLY Wasn't Intimate With Medina Before 'Marriage Boot Camp'". Hollywood Life – via ProQuest.
18. Cooper, Diana (2021-10-10). "Phaedra Parks: Why My Kids Have 'Never' Watched 'RHOA'". Us Weekly. Retrieved 2022-01-11.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
19. Regalado, Michelle (2021-10-08). "Phaedra Parks Shared Some Interesting News About Her Career and Kids". Bravo TV Official Site. Retrieved 2022-01-11.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
20. Sanders, Shamika (2021-08-24). "Phaedra Parks Brings Back Her Blonde Do". HelloBeautiful. Retrieved 2022-01-11.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
21. WONY (2021-12-31). "'Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip' Season 2 : Release date, Cast, and More details". Nilsen Report. Retrieved 2022-01-11.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
22. "Phaedra Previews Her RHODubai Appearance, While Andy & Caroline Drop a Few Special Teases". 18 May 2022.
23. "'RHOA': Andy Cohen Wants Phaedra Parks to Return, but Will She?". 13 February 2022.
24. "Drew Sidora Reveals Why She'd Love to See Phaedra Parks Return to 'RHOA'". 23 May 2022.
25. https://twitter.com/BravoTV/status/1612585672749240335
26. Zaragoza, Alex (2021-07-04). "Why Is Fraud So Common in the 'Real Housewives'?". www.vice.com. Retrieved 2022-01-11.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
27. "Apollo Nida, 'RHOA' star Phaedra Parks' hubby, gets 8-year sentence". Los Angeles Times. 2014-07-09. Retrieved 2022-01-11.
28. Real, Evan (2021-10-12). "Phaedra Parks supports NeNe Leakes dating again: 'Go after it, honey'". Page Six. Retrieved 2022-01-11.
29. Gillam, Sharde (2022-01-11). "Phaedra Parks Struts In Chanel In Stylish Instagram Video". HelloBeautiful. Retrieved 2022-01-11.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)