'Real Housewives Of Atlanta' Producers Postpone Season 14 Amid Cast Shakeup, Scramble To Find New Talent
July 28 2021, Published 11:00 a.m. ET
Production for Season 14 of The Real Housewives of Atlanta has reportedly been pushed back to October.
Typically, the Bravo reality television franchise films in the summer months, with new seasons premiering in the fall, but producers are allegedly in crisis mode over casting.
As RadarOnline.com previously reported, not every current full-time cast member is expected to hold a peach come Season 14.
At least that's what a source told theJasmineBRAND back in May, two days after the third and final episode of the Season 13 reunion aired.
According to the insider, showrunners were taking into consideration the season's dip in ratings and vocal disappointment from fans by committing to a cast shakeup.
And apparently, that's proving to be more difficult a task than anyone anticipated; according to All About The Tea, production is still struggling to find new talent, hence the delay in filming.
"The ratings weren't the best this past season, so they need to do something to help get more viewers," said the JasmineBRAND source.
Indeed, Season 13 saw the lowest ratings in RHOA history, with 489,000 fewer viewers than that which the Season 12 premiere garnered. Furthermore, TV Deets reports that the Season 13 finale and subsequent three-part reunion were the series' lowest rated ever.
At the time, the insider also claimed that while contracts had not yet been signed, at least one full-time cast member was in danger of getting her role reduced to that of a cast "friend."
As it is, the current cast is on the small end, with only veterans Porsha Williams, Kenya Moore, Cynthia Bailey, Kandi Burruss and newcomer Drew Sidora in starring roles.
During Season 13, viewers were also introduced to "friends" (though not with each other) LaToya Ali and Falynn Guobadia, and continued to get to know the OG "friend of," Marlo Hampton.
Kenya and Kandi are reportedly expected to return to the show in full-time positions, but Cynthia is not. Several outlets have reported that Bailey's steep salary and consistently weak storylines could see her demoted to "friend" or even fired altogether.
Falynn has already stated she will not return, and LaToya is reportedly not coming back, either.
No word on where Drew stands.
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Earlier this month, LoveBScott claimed the casting process was underway but that producers were stumped with how to reshape the ensemble.
Sources told the outlet that production "has no idea who they want to round out the cast and why."
