Phaedra Parks, Apollo Nida. Paras Griffin/Getty Images
Phaedra Parks is setting the record straight on why ex-husband Apollo Nida was invited to the Married to Medicine reunion.
“I invited Apollo to come because there was a lot of speculation that we had a confrontational relationship. We don’t,” Parks, 50, exclusively told Us Weekly on March 9 at the ICON Luxury Travel Lounge hosted by Peta Phipps. “Apollo and I have known each other since the ‘90s for God’s sake. We have two children. We’re always going to be friends and that’s just what it is.”
Parks and Nida, 45, were married for five years before the former Real Housewives of Atlanta star filed for divorce in 2014. Since then, the couple has continued to coparent their two sons Ayden, 13, and Dylan, 10.
While Nida did not appear on Parks’ first season of Married to Medicine, previews show the couple coming together for the Season 10 reunion, airing Sunday, March 17. According to Parks, she wanted to give her costars the opportunity to ask Nida any burning questions they might have.
“The ladies love to sort of throw his name around and speculate or threaten and so, you know, I show and tell and show up with proof all the time,” she told Us at the SLS Hotel in Beverly Hills. “I brought him so that they could ask him all the questions that they wanted for themselves and he came ready to answer.”
If viewers are searching for drama with these two, Parks said it’s best to keep looking elsewhere.
“We’ve always been in a good place,” she explained. “Good news is not usually on the news. People always love to hear about a good fight but when it comes to Apollo, he’ll only be fighting others on my behalf.”
While Parks – who previously appeared on Real Housewives of Atlanta for seven years – received some criticism from viewers questioning why she was cast on Married to Medicine when she’s not married to a doctor, the Bravo star explained she was previously dating a cardiologist and it “didn’t work out.” She also cited her side gigs for making her worthy of a spot on the show.
“I’m a Reiki healer and I’m a mortician and I think you can’t get any closer to living than dying,” she said. “The doctors fix somebody and I send them to Jesus. You can’t get any closer to the medicine than what I do on the back end. …. I’m a healer in more ways than one so while they might be doctors, I’m truly the medicine.”
As for whether she enjoyed filming Real Housewives of Atlanta or Married to Medicine more, Parks said they are two totally different experiences.
“I didn’t want to come in too aggressive,” she said about joining Married to Medicine. “I came in and I knew all of the women prior to recording. But I just wanted to get to know them for myself. It was a good experience.”
Married to Medicine airs Sundays on Bravo at 9 p.m. ET. Episodes are available to stream next day on Peacock.
