The cast of Season 17 of “The Real Housewives of Atlanta”: (From left) Phaedra Parks, Drew Sidora, Pinky Cole, Angela Oakley, Kelli Ferrell, K. Michelle, Shamea Morton Mwangi and Porsha Williams. (Courtesy of Bravo)
As expected, restaurateur Pinky Cole and R&B singer K. Michelle are joining the cast of “The Real Housewives of Atlanta” for Season 17 this spring.
Cole, the founder of popular Atlanta-based restaurant chainSlutty Vegan, lost the operation for a brief time when it expanded too quickly, but returned last year to run the business. It currently has six locations in five states, including Jonesboro and Edgewood in metro Atlanta.
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Pinky Cole, founder of Slutty Vegan, is officially joining “The Real Housewives of Atlanta.” (Rodney Ho/AJC)
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Pinky Cole (from left), Drew Sidora and Kelli Ferrell at Ferrell’s media event Aug. 22, 2025, for the opening of Nana’s Chicken & Waffles in Sandy Springs while Bravo cameras rolled on “The Real Housewives of Atlanta.” (Rodney Ho/AJC)
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- Williams steps into a new era of her life; now that her divorce is final, she’s approaching relationships and dating with an open mind. She has two potential love interests she’s ready to introduce to the group.
- Parks returns with her signature wit and razor‑sharp reads. As she steps back into the circle, she’s open to mending fences with Oakley and proving she’s still cool and unbothered by it all while having fun in the dating pool.
- Sidora keeps positive vibes while she keeps her dating roster open. She is understandably guarded on how much she wants to share with the ladies. She finds herself balancing her acting and music career along with being a mom.
- Morton Mwangi is launching her own rum company but finds entrepreneurship more challenging than expected. Lingering tensions with Williams and clashes with Sidora create ongoing drama. Amid it all, her fertility journey continues.
- Oakley speaks her truth and holds the ladies accountable. Coming off last season, she and husband Charles Oakley are stronger than ever as she navigates life and family challenges in the wake of her mother’s death. She’s also still working to repair her fractured friendships from last season and rise above old wounds with Parks.
- Ferrell balances motherhood, her career, dating and Atlanta drama like a pro. With her oldest daughter heading off to college, Ferrell faces a new chapter as she continues to expand her business with the opening of her second restaurant location.
- K. Michelle, the award‑winning, Billboard‑charting artist and newlywed, arrives to build bonds with the ladies. She is working on breaking barriers in country music while balancing a new home, her son and a fresh chapter in love.
- Cole joins the group bringing her signature boldness and business‑savvy energy. The entrepreneur behind the $100 million Slutty Vegan empire faces a new phase after losing her business and having fought to buy it back. As a wife to an equally successful husband, Cole manages life as a mother of five, CEO and her own share of sizzling plant-based beef with the ladies this season.
Rodney Ho writes about entertainment for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution including TV, radio, film, comedy and all things in between. A native New Yorker, he has covered education at The Virginian-Pilot, small business for The Wall Street Journal and a host of beats at the AJC over 20-plus years. He loves tennis, pop culture & seeing live events.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.ajc.com ’
