Angela Oakley may be new to The Real Housewives of Atlanta, but she’s stepping into the Bravo spotlight with the grace of a seasoned peach-holder and the (calmly delivered) shade of a vet.
In a candid interview with BOSSIP, Oakley explained why she finally joined the reality juggernaut after receiving multiple offers from season 3 through season 9, as stated by reality TV king, Carlos King.
“We were approached about eight, nine years ago,” said Oakley. “I felt like we don’t have anything to hide, and now’s the time to be transparent and be open with your life.”
There was also a nudge from her late mother, who saw the star power #RHOA watchers are seeing in real time and cheered her on.
That personal push led her to accept an offer to appear on the show alongside O.G.s like Porsha Williams, Cynthia Bailey, and Kenya Moore, although Kenya’s time was cut short.
Some fans ultimately feel “robbed” of scenes with Kenya and Angela, a sentiment that Angela fully understands.
“I enjoyed working with her, and to be robbed of that, it’s definitely disappointing.”
What hasn’t been disappointing, however, is Angela’s ability to read down a detractor, like Brit Eady at Cynthia’s “Bailey-Que.”
She told BOSSIP that she’s known to have calm but cutting delivery, and that’s totally on purpose.
“I wanna make sure you get it, I don’t want you to get no rah rah, I want it to be crystal clear—AT&T clear,” she said with a laugh. “Once I get that far, you’ve already done enough. Take it easy with me!”
While fans have embraced Oakley for her authenticity and poise, there’s still discourse about her age. On the show, the leggy stunner issued a warning that she’s not to be trifled with because she’s “almost 6-feet” (tall), but some thought she said she was almost SIX-TY, years old.
“I am 44, and I have never been around so many people that think I’m 54 and older,” she told BOSSIP.” No shade to the older crowd, but I think it takes into account that I’ve been a mom since I was 18. I’ve started businesses, maybe I did live a hard life–I don’t know, but I’m like, I’ve never been around people who thought I was older. I have another 16 years (till 60), and then my husband is older. And so we just move like that. But I’ll tell you this, in the rooms that I’m in, all of the wives, my age and younger act just like me. So I didn’t know anything was foreign.”
Besides the age controversy, Oakley’s husband, Charles, has found himself caught in the show’s signature swirl of gossip and speculation.
Still, she insists the NBA legend is unfazed.
“He does not care what people think about him, and I admire that,” she said. “When I tell you something urgent, he’s like, ‘Whatever.’ I’m learning to not care as much, but I do care what people say about my family.”
One of the flashpoints this season involved Porsha Williams joking that she should sleep with Charles, with castmate Shamea Morton laughing along. That moment fractured Angela’s budding rapport with Morton after their “ShaMEANA”/”90’s nose dispute” at a charity event.
“Outside of her laughing at Porsha, she was actually talking about me,” Oakley told BOSSIP. “I held Shamea to a higher standard… not because we were friends, but because we had been building a rapport. And she’s a married woman. That should stand on its own.”
Oakley’s disappointment stemmed less from the laugh, and more from what she saw as disingenuous behavior.
. “It just felt fake, this apology tour or this olive branch,” she said. “It hurt more for her to do it because her and I had spent time together.”
Still, Angela made it clear she wasn’t trying to stir up drama for the cameras.
“I’m not pulling straws out of the sky. If we resolve issues, I expect for them to be resolved.”
As the season heads into its second half, Oakley remains grateful for the platform and clear on what she brings to it.
“I just want to give you me, authentically,” she said. “I’m honored that we made the cut.”
