Rumors about Sanya Richards-Ross‘ future on The Real Housewives of Atlanta had been swirling for some time.
However, she confirmed her departure in a new interview with Us Weekly, saying, “God knows best.” She continued, adding, “I don’t think I could have done everything that I’ve done in the last few months while filming the show.”
“I was like, this is a blessing because it’s been a lot, and I really needed to be present. I needed to be present for my family and for my husband and for my eldest son.”
Sanya had a lot of fun filming her two seasons of The Real Housewives of Atlanta…
Sanya, who appeared on the show for two seasons, said being a peach holder is a lot of work. “Inevitably, the show really pulls you away,” she said. “You have to be there and be committed. And so, I think it was the perfect timing.”
“I always knew when I started Housewives that it would probably be for a short time because I do so many things, and I say yes to life, and it was a wonderful opportunity. I really enjoyed it.”
Although Bravo decided to part ways with the Olympian, Sanya said she had been mentally preparing herself for the decision. “I feel like, even before I joined the cast, the reason I joined the cast was for the same thing: They’re trying to find the right group of women,” she explained. “And so after my last season, we had been on break for a while. And so, for me, I had already started moving on mentally. There are other things that I wanted to do.”
Despite the cast changes, Sanya is still connected to many of her former co-stars, and she said they all sent her well wishes after the birth of her new baby. “Marlo [Hampton] is the one I talk to every day, but Drew [Sidora] reached out [and] Kandi [Burruss], of course, reached out,” Sanya said. “I’ve spoken to Kenya [Moore] a couple of times. For the most part, it’s been really positive.”
Overall, Sanya is grateful for the experience and eager to move on to other projects.
“I think it was the perfect time for me to move on and start doing other things,” she revealed. “And I’m really excited about this next chapter, definitely, and all the great things that I’m working on.”
Stream previous seasons of The Real Housewives of Atlanta on Peacock.