Real Housewives of Atlanta star Porsha Williams finalized her divorce from Simon Guobadia, and now she’s ready to share all. Porsha spoke at length about her divorce in a recent interview. It was accompanied by a photo shoot paying tribute to Angela Bassett’s iconic performance in Waiting to Exhale. While Porsha herself can exhale now that things are finalized, it took a lot for her to get here. Find out more about the RHOA star’s split, and why Porsha says she had to divorce Simon to “protect herself,” below.
RHOA’s Porsha Williams calls her divorce a ‘nightmare’
In her digital cover story interview, Porsha told People her divorce from Simon was a “nightmare.”
Porsha described the stages of filing for divorce. First, she said, “You have that anger.” Then, “You have the moment where you have to fight for your life in a court situation. And then, toward the end, you have the clarity where you realize you are still blessed.” The Traitors Season 4 star explained, “Your family is by our side, your child is protected.” She added, “there’s a whole new life that you can start.” Porsha said she leaned on her mom Diane and her sister Lauren a lot throughout the divorce.
After the divorce was finalized, Porsha said she feels “relieved.” She continued, “I think the feeling was mutual for me and him. We were both ready to close this chapter and move forward with real life.” However, Simon plans to appeal the ruling.
Why Porsha Williams felt divorcing Simon Guobadia was the only way to protect herself
Porsha revealed she filed for divorce from Simon to “protect myself.” In fact, she said protecting herself is why she filed right away. Even before she was ready emotionally.
Her concerns began once she realized his “complex” legal troubles. In January 2024, she hired an immigration lawyer. Porsha begged Simon not to travel because of his legal status, but he didn’t listen. Valentine’s Day was the “point of no return.” Porsha explained, “There was some paperwork that needed to be handled, and I wanted to bring in some attorneys to represent me.” However, Simon “frowned upon” the attempt to protect herself legally.
His reaction sealed the deal. “It wasn’t really what he said, it was a look,” Portia explained,
a look that just felt dark. I just knew I was not looking at the same person I loved before.” She says he looked “checked out of the relationship.” She knew filing blindsided Simon. “He was so used to me always finding a way to compromise what’s best for me. And this time I just didn’t do that.”
Fortunately, Porsha also went into this marriage prepared. In her past marriage, Porsha “was really naive and gave up everything to be married.” Her marriage to Simon was different because she entered it “as a businesswoman” and “a person who had built a substantial financial portfolio.” Porsha confirmed they had a prenup. “I was responsible,” she said, which “made it a softer landing to walk away.”
In February, Simon was detained by ICE. Portia found out from the press. The news upset her, and she doesn’t want anything bad to happen to him. He is now in Nigeria.
How Simon affected Porsha filming RHOA Season 16
Another reason Porsha had to protect herself was because Simon made it hard for her to be transparent. This negatively impacted her return to RHOA for Season 16. Porsha filed for divorce just before RHOA Season 16 began filming. Simon responded by filing a cease and desist, a defamation lawsuit, and preventing her from filming RHOA in their house.
Porsha said RHOA Season 16 doesn’t reflect her reality. She explained, “The things that were happening on the show, they really aren’t connected to who I am. I’m not saying it’s not real, but that’s like a small part of my reality.” While watching the show, she thought to herself, “‘I filmed that? I said that? I did that?'”
Ultimately, Porsha says she shied away from how dark things got with the divorce. Viewers didn’t see just how depressed she was. At times, she was so depressed she didn’t leave her room, and felt like she couldn’t move. Now, she claims, a lot of her fans feel the Porsha they love came back in her posts on her YouTube channel, Porsha4Real.
Porsha explains why she thought marrying Simon was a “safety net”
In the interview, Porsha also explained what attracted her to Simon in the first place. “I’m a true hopeless romantic. Once I decide to be with you, I dedicate everything to you. And Simon matched my energy. He’s very warm. He loved spending time with me.” Porsha also joked they were both “freakin’ extra.”
She also expected the marriage to be a “safety net.” Because of their 17-year age difference, Porsha thought Simon “was settled in his life.” He also “used to stress to me was how he had grown.” She emphasized, “He was very upfront about the things he did in his past relationships and how he had worked on himself. I felt very protected by him. I felt like I met someone I could trust.”
Porsha also said another reason she fell for Simon was how he bonded with her daughter Pilar Jhena McKinley. The divorce was really hard on PJ. Porsha even tried to reach out to Simon on PJ’s behalf, but he didn’t answer. Meanwhile, Porsha claims, she began to lean on PJ’s father Dennis McKinley for support.
Porsha is not ready to date again just yet. Despite how things ended with Simon, however, she hopes to find love again. And she would get married again. “There could be so much hate in my heart from how my ex handled the divorce,” she said, “but no.” She continued, “God has preserved my heart. And I thank him for that.”
Real Housewives of Atlanta is available to stream on Peacock and Hayu in the UK and Ireland.
TELL US – DO YOU UNDERSTAND WHY PORSHA WILLIAMS SAYS SHE HAD TO DIVORCE SIMON GUOBADIA TO PROTECT HERSELF? WHAT DO YOU THINK OF PORSHA’S COMMENTS ABOUT HER DIVORCE?
