Cross another state off Bravo's ever-growing The Real Housewives list.
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The Real Housewives of Atlanta marks Bravo's third attempt to replicate its original The Real Housewives of Orange County reality series. The first spinoff, The Real Housewives of New York City, debuted this past spring. Similar to the format's West Coast original, it follows five New York women (only four of whom are actually married) as they attempt to juggle their busy schedules and highfalutin lifestyles.
The network announced it had ordered new seasons of both reality shows -- Orange County's fourth and New York City's second -- back in April.
At the same time, Bravo had also announced it had ordered The Real Housewives of New Jersey, a second spinoff of the format. The show will follow five of the Garden State's most affluent women and their families, including the "McMansions and lavish lifestyles of these women and all the drama that money can buy," according to Bravo.
Why the network has now decided to debut -- at least in "special preview" form -- the previously unannounced Atlanta edition before the New Jersey edition remains unclear, however Bravo is still proceeding with New Jersey edition, according to a network spokesperson. Except for today's Atlanta "special preview" announcement, the network has not announced a regular premiere date for either new edition yet. When it debuts, The Real Housewives of Atlanta's season will air as seven one-hour episodes.
The Real Housewives of Atlanta is being produced by True Entertainment, an Endemol subsidiary, with Steven Weinstock, Glenda Hersh, Shari Solomon Cedar and Kenny Hull serving as the show' executive producers. True's previous credits include Gastineau Girls, HGTV Design Star, and Unwrapping Macy's. (Although they share a common branding, each The Real Housewives version is produced independently. The Real Housewives of Orange County is produced by Evolution Film & Tape while The Real Housewives of New York City is produced by Ricochet Television.)
The five women who will be featured in The Real Housewives of Atlanta's season -- and their Bravo-released bios -- will be:
DeShawn Snow -- Snow and her husband Eric, captain of the Cleveland Cavaliers, recently moved to their dream home in Alpharetta, GA. Mother to three boys: nine-year-old EJ, six-year-old Darius and five-year-old Jarren, Snow is an active member of the New Birth Missionary Baptist Church. She exercises her faith by running The DeShawn Snow Foundation, a non-profit organization focused on improving self-esteem in teenage girls. She is a regular on the Atlanta social circuit and extremely active in local philanthropy, sitting on the board of three different charities, all while expertly juggling her busy social calendar with being an NBA wife and keeping up with her boys.
Kim Zolciak -- Zolciak lives in an exclusive gated townhouse community in Duluth, GA with her two children, 11-year-old Brielle and six-year-old Ariana. Zolciak is single, but happily dating with hopes to marry again in the near future. She also has her sights set on fame in the music business as a country singer, and is currently working with Grammy award-winning mega-producer Dallas Austin and will begin recording an album later this year. A staple on the Atlanta scene, Zolciak balances life as a single mom with a vivacious social life.
Lisa Wu Hartwell -- Hartwell, a resident of a luxurious country club community in Duluth, GA, is a busy career woman who wears many hats - she owns her own real estate firm, Hartwell & Associates, a jewelry line called Wu Girls, a baby clothing line, Hart 2 Hart Baby, and juggles a budding acting, modeling and writing career. She's a devoted wife to her husband, NFL player Ed Hartwell, and their three children 13-year-old Jordan, ten-year-old Justin and one-year-old EJ. When she's not running one of her many businesses or running after the kids, Hartwell is very active in Atlanta's social scene.
NeNe Leakes -- Leakes is an active member of Atlanta society. She resides in the upscale Sugarloaf area of Atlanta with her husband Gregg, a successful real estate investor and business consultant, and their two sons, 18-year-old Brice and nine-year-old Brentt. Leakes donates her time to various foundations and is the founder of The Twisted Hearts Foundation, which brings awareness to domestic violence against women. Never one to sit still, the outspoken social butterfly also hopes to open a luxury boutique hotel in the very near future.
Sheree Whitfield -- Single socialite Whitfield, a resident of the exclusive Sandy Springs area of Atlanta, juggles her busy home life with a packed social calendar. She is a busy working mother to three children -Tierra, Kairo and Kaleigh. Whitfield prides herself on her fashion sense, and owned her own upscale clothing boutique - Bella Azul - for years before closing up shop to focus on her next business venture, a clothing line called "She by Sheree." Whitfield is opening a new chapter in her life as a single mom while balancing her entrepreneurial spirit and active social life.
(Photo credit Bravo/Virginia Sherwood) About The Author: Steven Rogers
