Porsha Williams Is Back—and Bringing the Drama, the Laughs, and a Few Regrets (Exclusive)

The Real Housewives of Atlanta is back on and season 17 is already shaping up to deliver everything fans love: drama, unforgettable moments, and the kind of one-liners that live online forever. (“Bye, Ashy!” still hits.)

To celebrate the new season, RHOA OG Porsha Williams stopped by the Good Housekeeping office to catch us up on life since the last season wrapped. The mom of one opened up about her growing business empire, what it was like filming the new season of The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip: Roaring 20s alongside NeNe Leakes, and which of her many viral moments she loves most—and which one she’d happily erase from the internet. (“Who said that?”)

Dressed in a black leather mini skirt, matching jacket, and sky-high skate boots, Williams kept it sleek with a side-parted, jet-black lob—courtesy of her own brand, GoNakedHair. The line offers everything from extension bundles to full wigs and styling tools, and has even tapped fellow RHOA alums Cynthia Bailey and Drew Sidora for collaborations.

“That’s huge because, in this industry, a lot of women don’t work together,” Williams says. “But we really have a sisterhood. Now they even have their own wig lines with GoNakedHair.”

She’s also behind Pampered by Porsha, a bedding collection inspired by her mom’s love of luxe sheets. “My mom is a sheet connoisseur,” Williams says. “She knows every brand, so when I found something that felt this good at an affordable price, I had to create my own.”

Aside from being an entrepreneur, Williams is raising her daughter, Pilar “PJ” (7), in a new relationship with barber and entrepreneur, Patrice “Sway” McKinney (and yes, they made an appearance this season, Hey, Sway!) and recently wrapped filming Ultimate Girls Trip—which included a highly anticipated reunion with Leakes, who left RHOA in 2020 but remains one of the franchise’s most iconic figures.

“We couldn’t celebrate 20 years of Housewives without NeNe,” Williams says. “Her coming in and surprising the girls was so fun and nostalgic. We’ve missed her, she’s such a huge part of the show’s legacy.”

Since joining RHOA in 2010, Williams has delivered no shortage of meme-worthy moments. But there’s one, she admits, she could live without.

“I would erase the Underground Railroad scene,” she says.

Back in 2013, during a cast trip to Savannah, Williams mistakenly thought the Underground Railroad was an actual train, rather than a metaphor for the secret network that helped enslaved people escape to freedom.

“I was so young and nervous, I would just blank out,” she explains. “I don’t usually regret anything, but that one… I could do without.”

Still, not all viral moments are created equal. When asked which one she loves most, Williams doesn’t hesitate.

“My favorite is ‘Bye, Ashy,’” she says.

The now-iconic line came during a heated exchange with fellow RHOA costar Kenya Moore, when Williams fired off the insult as Moore walked away. “Kenya is gorgeous, so that’s what makes it funny—I had to search for that read,” she jokes. “But it’s probably the most-used meme on my page. It applies to everything.”

Catch new episodes of RHOA every Sunday at 8 PM EST on Bravo.