“Real Housewives of Atlanta” mainstay Cynthia Bailey is seemingly catching some serious flack from fans over her decision to have a wedding in the middle of what many describe as the worst days of the coronavirus pandemic.
The 54-year-old reality star took to “Watch What Happens Live” on Sunday to chat with Andy Cohen about the allegations against her, as well as defend her decision to have the wedding regardless of health official’s advisories to not host large gatherings as of now.
Defending Her Position
The wedding, which took place back in October, drew heavy amounts of criticism from fans who observed many attendees not wearing masks, practicing distancing guidelines, or following any general safety precautions advised for any type of gathering now.
Bailey, who married her longtime sweetheart Mike Hill, strongly defended the decision to host the wedding and claimed adamantly that COVID-19 guidelines were followed in the planning and execution of the event, citing particular measures the couple took to protect those who attended.
Cynthia’s Side
“We did everything on our end to ensure everyone’s safety, from masks, shields, temperature checks,” she led off to Cohen during their chat about the serious allegations raised against her.
Bailey then said that the only time guests were unmasked was when they were seated to eat.
“I had a COVID-19 specialist come and spray the place. With that said, what happened was the only time people were allowed to take their masks off was to eat or drink at the wedding, so that happened,” she added.
Photos Without Masks
Bailey then specifically addressed the photos of those not masked that circulated online and helped fuel the claims against her, saying the only other time people removed masks was to take photos of the special day.
“Then a lot of people wanted to take pictures with their masks off. So I wasn’t even thinking, ‘Of course, now all the pictures are gonna have the masks off,'” she said of how her and guest’s decision to forego masked photos directly contributed to the flack she was receiving for the wedding not following proper guidelines.
Excitement Has Been Building
In an October interview with Entertainment Tonight ahead of the controversial wedding, Bailey expressed her overt interest to tie the knot as soon as possible and made little mention of the implications that a pandemic wedding might have on herself, her spouse, and guests.
“I went into my first marriage ready to work and I gave it my all,” Bailey said at the time. “I am where I am now, and I am certainly excited about my marriage to Mike. I am super optimistic that this is my happy ending and my forever.”