New ‘Real Housewives of Atlanta’ cast member is reportedly Marlo Hampton
Marlo Hampton at her "Glam It Up "event today at W Hotel for foster teens. CREDIT: Rodney Ho/rho@ajc.com
I just got back from a charity event at the W Hotel in Midtown hosted by the newest “Real Housewives of Atlanta” cast member Marlo Hampton.
Hampton, a 35-year-old Atlanta resident who moved here from Florida eight years ago, herself wouldn’t confirm whether she was “officially” a housewife but based on the publicity material provided for the event, she is.
The event is called “Glam It Up!” according to the publicist’s note. It’s an initiative created by Hampton, who is described as “entrepreneur, stylist, TV personality and philanthropist.” The purpose: “focus on rebuilding the road to self-empowerment in young ladies 13-17 in the Atlanta area.” She is a product of the foster-care system, the release said. During the day, she provided tips on “healthy eating, dressing for success, grooming, etiquette and self-esteem with 25 girls.”
NeNe Leakes, Cynthia Bailey and Phaedra Parks were supposed to stop by, according to the publicity material provided to me, but they weren’t there while I was there and I didn’t have time to wait for them to show up.
Hampton, in a brief interview, said she was a fashion stylist who has worked with Young Joc and Jazze Pha. She also owned the Red Carpet Boutique at Perimeter Mall for three years but recently shut it down. She is launching an on-line boutique August 1.
According to a Nexis search, she has been arrested at least seven times from 1998 to 2003. The folks at Starcasm were nice enough to create a gallery of her mug shots. Among the charges, she was arrested in 2002 for firearms possession in Florida. In 1999, she was arrested for aggravated battery.
Marlo Hampton being interviewed by Rolling Out magazine. PHOTO CREDIT: Rodney Ho/rho@ajc.com
Straight From the A first reported Hampton’s presence at a charity event at Piedmont Park next to Parks, fueling speculation she was joining the cast. She was also with Charles Grant, an NFL player.
Hampton responded in a statement to Straight From the A after it broke news of her felonious past:
“It has come to my attention that some of my past indiscretions have come to light. Let me first state, I am not ashamed of my past, as my past has helped me become a better woman today.
We all have a past; and my hard-knock childhood in the Foster Care system is a reflection on a bigger issue we faced in America, a broken Foster Care system.
I remain deeply sorry for my actions and I will continue to work hard to contribute to a better community.
My present charge in life is to live with God in my heart and help young women, especially from the foster care system, avoid the challenges I faced.
I’m more than just what is being said of me and I look forward to telling my story and helping others.”
– Marlo Hampton
Straight from the A also speculated that Hampton could be a potential replacement for NeNe Leakes, who has alienated herself from virtually the entire cast. But there has been no confirmation that Leakes is leaving the show.
Recurring character and stylist/singer Miss Lawrence (left) helped out Hampton with her "Glam It Up" event at the W Midtown July 19, 2011. CREDIT: Rodney Ho/rho@ajc.com
Here’s a short interview I did with her:
Bravo itself has not confirmed to me whether she has joined the cast but I saw no sign at this event news to the contrary.
Join my Facebook fan page and Twitter.
By Rodney Ho, rho@ajc.com, AJCRadioTV blog
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170 comments Add your comment
Rich Black
July 23rd, 2011
7:47 am
OK I’ll bite….why are people mad at the W Hotel? I see posters say they don’t respect the black community. What is the story behind this? Thx.
wake up black women!
July 23rd, 2011
8:09 am
I teach young black women and I know that reality shows such as this are a horrible influence on them. It glorifies bad behavior, bad relationships, and strongly influences young black girls to show hostility to any figure in authority. I know, I know, the black race has been oppressed and they have a reason to be hostile…blah, blah, blah. Honestly, I get it and I try to be patient and understanding and help my students work through this hostility. The problem is that in the real world (not the world of reality TV) bosses are not so understanding. It sends the message that this fighting and yelling is acceptable and that is not how the world of work operates. I just wish all the hard working, educated, respectable black women would realize what is going on with this type of show as well as some of the horrible lyrics of rap and speak out against it. My children watch this show and listen to some rap music and I hear them talk with their friends about how ignorant these people are. For some reason they like watching the train wreck. I make them turn it off if I am around because it makes me feel like they are watching a modern day amos and andy. I know the other housewives make fun of women too, but it is disturbing to me to see black women shown in this light because it perpetuates all the sterotypes of black women…unmarried, loud, fighting, yelling, having babies without daddies, etc. This is just not true for all black women but unfortunately this is what the world is seeing.
Wreckmaniac
July 23rd, 2011
10:05 am
Are there any updates on the activities of Condoleesa Rice ?
Wreckmaniac
July 23rd, 2011
10:09 am
We should definitely have a federal program to fund more ” reality shows” starring the indigent, the uneducated, homeless, jobless people. And some of them should even star ugly people instead of only good looking women with no qualifications or acheivements.
J. J.
July 23rd, 2011
10:35 am
Yet another HOODIE on the trashy show….LOL
jsmtih
July 23rd, 2011
10:43 am
ghetto fabulous
tom
July 23rd, 2011
1:21 pm
your right BRUNT,,,, blaming everything on her childhood—- an the business about everybody has a past—– come on,,, be a little unique— accept responsibility for your own actions an stop blaming on other people or circumstances– no,,, mensa,,, everyone does not have a past—
tom
July 23rd, 2011
1:22 pm
getto fabulous!!! classic————————- perfect description for this horse squeeze
tom
July 23rd, 2011
1:25 pm
amazing— aspirations to appear in ebony mag or “real ho’ s of atl…. the rest of the country is laughing at you people…
JPW
July 23rd, 2011
1:32 pm
I really think that this is racist in the worst possible way. What wonderful role models there are in Atlanta from young women working very hard without 7 arrests. Come on…what preconceived notions are there in this selection.
Spade
July 24th, 2011
12:07 am
They should call the show “Shenaynay goes to Hollywood but got stuck in Atlanta”
Yanna
July 24th, 2011
2:18 am
you guys talk about Marlo but don’t even know her….. Get a life and stop worrying about other people. !
Spade
July 24th, 2011
8:14 pm
Yanna, we don’t have to know Marlo nor do we care to know her. Real Houswives of Atlanta, her criminal background and just her regular background sums it all up to what to expect from her. Point blank TrashTrash Trash.
And for whoever says “Don’t Watch It”, you are right but the problem is that a lot of this stuff affects my community, by black young women aspriring to be trash, drama or hoes. So there is a lot more that goes on with that, just no looking at it won’t make it go away.
janga
July 24th, 2011
10:00 pm
OMG! Same reason I quite watching already. Another screaming, hollering ,figting ghetto idiot. Come on Bravo there ARE some interesting educated MARRIED woman in Atlanta. Stop portraying Atlanta and Ga. (where Im from) for that matter as on big stink hole for unmarried,ghetto,sorry woman that do nothing but cuss,fight and spend time looking for “babt daddy.” Are you doing this for ratings or is that what you think of everyone in the south? There not doing that ghetto crap on RHONY or RHONJ now are they?
from a real slum
July 24th, 2011
11:04 pm
Funny thing about this show – people from the slums (myself included, from the Irish slums of the northeast) work hard to get out of the slums or become part of the criminal syndicate. We left in the mid 1970’s to land down here where mom got her GED and dad went to college.
These people are just entertainers, not real, not housewives or from Atlanta.
So just stop paying attention and move on, nothing to see here…. and maybe they will go away.
cwilli
July 25th, 2011
8:46 am
How about getting some new news. This is old stuff and to be honest this character they are bringing aboard is only going to hurt the show it will fail and if the other cast members are looking for new roles in some other venue they better do so cause this want work. What does she do for a living? What part of town does she live in? I mean really the ones that we have only one I think has a foundation that would be Kandi and she’s not married so she really wouldn’t be a housewife. It would be better to call the show the THe Women of Atlanta and keep it moving. But getting back to the latest thumbs down for me she is trouble waiting to happen. I know you can get caught up in doing things (bad things) as she has, but why would you want to put yourself out like that and surely she doesn’t think she is setting an example.
Mermaid
July 25th, 2011
3:07 pm
When is Bravo and everyone else going to finally wake up and get that they don’t need to portray and depict Atlanta with these kind of women. Atlanta has more class and sophistication with real women who have real values and integrity. Maybe that’s why they pick who they pick. NO woman in their right mind who has a bit of morals, integrity and ethics would go on a show like Real Housewives or any other reality show unless they know they have to sell themselves out. Shoot they might as well go work at the Gold Club. Don’t get me wrong, I love to watch this stuff because it makes me feel so great about my life and how normal I am.
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AJR
August 3rd, 2011
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The truth of the matter is that the reason Bravo can’t find “role models” or affluent people for this show is because, there is no one with any amount of dignity that would do the show. However, I would exclude Kandi Burress and Cynthia Bailey from that generalization. The others are on the show because they need the money.
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