Eva Marcille, a former star on The Real Housewives of Atlanta, recently shared that being on the Bravo series was harder than her time on America’s Next Top Model. Eva joined RHOA season 10 as a “friend” and returned for seasons 11 and 12 as a full-time cast member. Eva was no stranger to the reality television world. In 2004, she starred in ANTM cycle 3, where she was known for her strong personality. Despite some setbacks along the way, Eva won ANTM cycle 3, winning a contract with CoverGirl Cosmetics and Ford Models.
Eva brought her strong personality to RHOA and wasn’t afraid of going head-to-head with the other cast members. Fans may remember the epic, hours-long verbal war she engaged in with RHOA star Marlo Hampton during a bus ride in Japan. The housewives all agreed that Eva was the winner in that particular battle. After RHOA season 12, Eva announced her departure from the show, saying she wanted to focus her time on her children and helping her community.
In a recent Behind The Velvet Rope With David Yontef podcast, Eva admitted that her three seasons on RHOA were harder than being on ANTM. The former model recalled walking into her first scene for RHOA at fellow star Kandi Burruss’ Essence cover release party and feeling “set up.” She revealed, “I had my sundress on. My hair was nice and natural. I had my tinted moisturizer. I did not know what I was walking into. Like full regalia, full face makeup. Like it was prom and the attitudes and the setup. It was a setup for me.” Eva told David that she took off her mic and made her way to her car, but her agent told her she couldn’t walk away.
Eva compared being a housewife to ANTM by saying, “Obviously, what I knew of reality television and what the machine is that is Real Housewives of Atlanta were very different. And it was difficult for me to navigate being my authentic self with the world that they created to pose for television.” Eva shared that she went into RHOA wanting to represent her true version of herself, which is a self-described “hippie” who wore flowy clothes and wanted to get along with everyone. However, she soon realized that RHOA producers wanted “Tina Turn Up,” and the show thrived off the housewives creating drama with each other.
The mother of three doesn’t regret her time on RHOA and is grateful for the friendships she gained on the show. Eva still keeps in touch with former RHOA castmate Cynthia Bailey and current star Kenya Moore. Despite her argument with Kandi over “colorism” in RHOA season 11, one of the housewives that Eva still talks to is Kandi. Instead of returning to RHOA, Eva is focused on her acting career, and fans will see her on a screen very soon.
The Real Housewives of Atlanta airs Sundays at 8 p.m. EDT on Bravo.
