Marlo Hampton exits ‘The Real Housewives of Atlanta’ ahead of Season 16

Marlo Hampton won’t be returning for Season 16 of “The Real Housewives of Atlanta.”

Hampton, who first appeared on the show in Season 4 but didn’t join full-time until Season 14, addressed her departure in a statement provided by her rep to TODAY.com.

“My contract with Real Housewives of Atlanta ended when season 15 wrapped,” the statement read. “This break from RHOA is a fresh start, allowing me the space to participate in new creative entertainment projects focused on my future, and not reliving my past.”

Hampton also cited her family as part of the reason for her departure, adding, “My nephews are transitioning into pivotal stages of their academic adolescence, and I am focused on my representation in their eyes and getting back to showing my multifaceted lifestyle of philanthropy, fashion, and fabulosity!”

She expressed her gratitude toward the show for providing her with an “amazing platform” that has allowed her to “bring awareness to foster care, my non-profit Glam It Up, Inc., and showcase my fashion showroom, Le Archive.”

“I look forward to my continued relationship with Bravo and NBC Universal. I wish Truly Original and the RHOA cast all the best,” her statement concluded. (NBCUniversal is TODAY’s parent company.)

Hampton hasn’t been the only “RHOA” cast member to reveal their Season 16 status ahead of the hit reality TV show's return.

Read on to learn more about which cast members are returning for another season and who will be departing the show.

Who is leaving ‘RHOA’ before Season 16?

Kandi Burruss, who has starred on “RHOA” since Season 2, told Variety on the red carpet at the 66th Grammy Awards on Feb. 4 that she would be leaving the series after nearly 15 years of being a cast member.

“I decided I’m not coming back this year,” she said in the interview.

Burruss also noted that “they allowed us to sit around for a little too long” while decisions were being made, despite Season 15 of the show premiering in May 2023. She added, “During that time I had started working on a lot of other things, and I got some nice, big projects coming soon.”

Weeks later at the 2024 People’s Choice Awards, Burruss addressed whether she would ever make her return to the show or if she was done for good.

“I have a lot of love for my Bravo family ... you never say never right, but right now I have a lot of things that I’m going after that I don’t see it in my near future,” she explained.

Who is returning to ‘RHOA’ for Season 16?

Porsha Williams is making her grand return to “RHOA” next season.

Bravo announced on Feb. 13 that Williams would be re-joining the cast following her exit from the show in 2021 after nine seasons.

“I’m incredibly thankful for the vision and faith NBCUniversal has put in me to be a larger part of their family,” Williams said in a statement. “I’m looking forward to being back on ‘The Real Housewives of Atlanta,’ and showing the world my new world!”

It was initially reported that she would be returning to the cast under her married name, Porsha Williams Guobadia. However, she filed for divorce from her husband, Simon Guobadia, on Feb. 22 after the couple wed in November 2022.

The future of cast members Shereé Whitfield, Kenya Moore, Drew Sidora, and Sanya Richards-Ross on the show is still yet to be announced.

Shortly after Burruss shared news of her departure, Moore told TODAY.com that the producers of “RHOA” were working on finding the right cast who had good chemistry for the next season of the show.

She noted, “I’m just going to have faith in the producers that they’re going to make the right choices for Season 16.”

After Sidora and her husband, Ralph Pittman, both filed for divorce after nine years of marriage in March 2023, she spoke to TODAY.com about what she’d like to see for the future of the group of women on the show.

“At this point, for us to really come together, there will be responsibility on the other side to start being real, to start showing up authentically, stop looking for moments and just be who they really are,” she said. “I would really like to see that.”

This article was originally published on TODAY.com