Shamea Morton says she is no longer putting other people first after a painful season on The Real Housewives of Atlanta.
After becoming a full-time cast member in season 16, Shamea found herself at the center of drama that ultimately ended her longtime friendship with Porsha Williams.
“You can’t walk on eggshells, and you can’t protect everyone else’s feelings,” Shamea told BOSSIP. “You’ve got to care about yourself more than everyone else.”
According to Shamea, she spent much of last season holding back in order to protect certain relationships.
“Last season I was trying to protect certain people and not really even being me,” she said. “This season, I’m unapologetically myself.”
Shamea first appeared on RHOA years ago as one of Porsha’s closest friends. Outside of reality TV, she has worked as a singer, actress and radio host.
While her friendship with Porsha may be over, Shamea said she has grown close to fellow cast member Kelli Ferrell.
“Kelli is really a breath of fresh air,” she said. “We are family at this point.”
Shamea and Porsha had been close friends for years before their relationship unraveled during season 16 of the show. After Shamea became a full-time cast member and began speaking more openly instead of defending Porsha, things went left between the two. Their issues worsened when Porsha felt Shamea was becoming too close to other cast members, particularly Kelli.
Shamea later said she spent too much time protecting other people’s feelings and no longer wanted to “brush things under the rug,” while Porsha accused her former friend of changing after joining the cast full-time.
