The “RHOA” icon gets real about the private battles she’s faced, from the pain of laying off employees to her aunt’s health crisis, reminding fans that resilience is key.
Kandi Burruss has built an empire on the image of being an unstoppable force—a Grammy-winning songwriter, a savvy entrepreneur, and a reality TV icon who can do it all. But in a recent, deeply personal moment of transparency, she is pulling back the curtain to reveal that even a boss has difficult days, admitting that this past year “hasn’t been one of her best.”
For Kandi, business has always been personal. She shared the immense difficulty she faced in making the tough decision to close down two of her beloved restaurants. The pain wasn’t just financial; it was deeply emotional. She opened up about the heartbreak of having to lay off employees who had become like family, people who “truly relied on that income.” This difficult choice weighed heavily on her, highlighting the often-unseen burden that comes with being a leader.
On top of her professional struggles, Kandi has been navigating a series of painful personal challenges. She revealed that her family has been grappling with her Aunt Bertha’s health struggles as she battles Alzheimer’s, a devastating journey for any family to endure. Compounding that pain has been “ongoing family drama” that has added to the emotional weight she has been carrying.
In her candid confession, Kandi offered a powerful reminder to her fans: “even when the cameras stop rolling, life still happens.” It was a plea for understanding that the curated perfection often seen on social media and television is rarely the full story.
She stressed the importance of being open and transparent about life’s struggles, acknowledging that her journey is “not always a walk in the park.”
For Kandi, the key isn’t to pretend the hardships don’t exist, but to find the will to overcome them. She emphasized that “what matters most is finding the strength to get back up and bounce back.” Her vulnerability is a testament to her true strength, and a powerful inspiration to anyone facing their own silent battles. Please continue to keep Kandi and her entire family lifted in prayer.
Credit: Instagram
Season 19 of The Real Housewives of Orange County
has concluded, and two additional parts of the reunion are set to air. In a new preview, Tamra Judge and Jennifer Pedranti are seen discussing their issues, including Tamra accusing Jenn of trying to emulate her.
Part one of the reunion for season 19 of RHOC featured several revelations. This included Tamra stating that Shannon Beador had filmed Vicki Gunvalson without her knowledge, and Katie Ginella accusing Jenn of telling her that Shannon told production she wanted her demoted.
In the preview, Andy Cohen can be seen asking Jennifer and Tamra where their friendship exists today. Jenn said, “I don’t know. I mean, that’s the honest truth.”
Tamra then agreed. They both said that they had not seen each other since filming for season 19 wrapped, with Jenn adding, “We don’t talk. We don’t see each other.”
She then said, “For me, it’s hard to navigate you [Tamra], and I don’t know sometimes what version of you I’m gonna get. I actually feel like, Tamra, you just don’t like me, and that’s okay.”
Tamra chimed in, “No, that’s not true.”
Jenn then stated that she had felt like she was fighting for a friendship that was never real, prompting Tamra to say, “You weren’t fighting for a friendship this season.” Jenn then confirmed this, saying that she was just kind of “over it.”
From there, she said that Tamra is “hellbent” on telling others that she isn’t who she says she is and that she “lies.” Tamra then said, “Every scene that we would film, you were always poking at me.” The clip then cuts to unaired footage of Jenn and Tamra arguing.
Later in the preview, Tamra discussed how she felt that Jenn had previously singled her out to get on the show. Tamra then went on to accuse Jenn of imitating her life. She said she bought a house on her street. However, in the end, Tamra admitted that she wasn’t living on the street when Jenn was.
Tamra went on, “Then all of a sudden, you were going to my doctor, we’re at the same hair salon, you came to the gym, and you wanted to do a fitness competition.”
“You were just a normal girl who had a gym a mile away from my yoga studio, and I was looking to train, and I loved your husband. That’s it,” Jenn responded.
Further along in the preview, Heather Dubow chimed in and discussed all the things Tamra previously said about Jenn wanting to be her. She mentioned her hair extensions and Jenn moving near her. Jenn asked, “But you understand none of that’s true? Not one of those statements is true.” Heather said she did understand.
This led Tamra to question Jenn, saying, “But you did use the hair extensions,” before the cast agreed that Jenn did that as a joke. They also discussed Tamra showing the old photo of Jenn and her reasoning behind doing so. In the end, she apologized to Jenn.
Part two of the RHOC airs on Thursday, November 13, at 8/7c on Bravo.