Chanel Ayan Takes Responsibility For Phaedra Parks' Bravo Return

Phaedra Parks has had quite the comeback on Bravo; however, Chanel Ayan believes it's all because of her.

These two "Real Housewives" stars have never seen eye-to-eye. Of course, Parks starred in the Atlanta iteration for several seasons, while Ayan joined the network as one of the stars of the "Real Housewives of Dubai" in 2022. Although some would assume the two reality stars would be like sisters due to their shared experience, that couldn't be further from the truth. Parks and Ayan began bumping heads during a BravoCon event in 2022. Since then, things have only escalated.

During a recent interview, Ayan discussed her latest career moves. She also spoke about Phaedra Parks' Bravo renaissance and said that she deserves the credit.

Parks, known for being extremely shady on reality television, has never been shy about her disdain for Chanel Ayan.

Their rocky relationship dates back to 2022. During BravoCon, Andy Cohen asked Ayan to share who she believed was the worst-dressed "Real Housewives" star.

During the event, Ayan had several cast members to choose from. However, she zeroed in on Parks.

Parks, who joined "RHOA" in its third season, fired back, saying her shady quip about Ayan's looks.

Two years later, Parks doubled down on her negative feelings about Ayan, calling her "annoying" during Bravo Fan Fest.

"Chanel is definitely a character," said Parks. "But, it's a lot."

The Bravo OG continued, giving Ayan her props for creating entertaining television. However, she stood by her initial statement, saying Ayan "does a lot sometimes."

Ayan can't help but respond to negative comments about her. While appearing on the Virtual Reali-Tea podcast, she explained why she thinks the two of them have an issue.

During her conversation, Ayan reminded the listeners that she first met Parks in the Middle East.

The latter filmed a few scenes for the "Real Housewives of Dubai," which ushered her back into the Bravosphere after she had been away for several years.

When Parks' clips aired, another cast member, Caroline Brooks, introduced her to watchers. However, Ayan seemed to suggest her spot on the series wasn't as authentic as it looked on the screen.

"She actually asked us to put her on 'Housewives of Dubai,'" said Ayan.

She continued, giving Parks her credit for being an "iconic" reality star. "But when she met us in Dubai, she kind of was like, 'Pretty please?' And that was her way back in. So, she should thank me and thank the girls from Dubai."

In case you forgot, Parks was fired from the "Real Housewives of Atlanta" after Season 9 in 2017.

She spent several years away from the network; however, she starred in other shows, like "Marriage Boot Camp: Reality Stars."

After time passed, Bravo fans began calling for her return, and the network soft-launched her on "RHODubai."

Following her time there, Parks joined the cast of "Married to Medicine" before having an award-winning performance in Season 2 of "The Traitors."

In 2024, she announced her return, alongside Porsha Williams, to "RHOA."

According to Ayan, Parks would have none of those things had it not been for her. When asked if she felt responsible for the rebirth of Parks' career, Ayan didn't hesitate to answer.

"Oh, yeah," said Ayan. "Yeah, absolutely. The girls of 'Dubai' — we did that."

It's no secret that the "Real Housewives of Atlanta" has been one of Bravo's heavy-hitters for years. Of course, the series first starred legendary stars like NeNe Leakes and Kandi Burruss. However, the cast began to shift over the years.

After Atlanta's 15th season wrapped in 2023, the network spent time deciding how to move forward. During that break, Burruss decided she was leaving, which opened the door for a potential comeback from Parks.

At the time, Williams was set to return next to Kenya Moore, but due to unforeseen circumstances, Moore was axed from the second half of the series, prompting Bravo to finish the deal with Parks.

In July 2024, Parks, 51, announced her return with a series of flashy photos.

"You called. I answered," she wrote in the caption.

In the photos, the mother of two and lawyer sported wavy blonde hair, a decorative two-piece set, and high heels. She was also holding a peach, just like they do in the show's introduction segment.

Fellow "Real Housewives" star Dorina Medley commented on the news, saying, "OMG. THIS IS EPIC."

While filming Season 16 of "RHOA," Moore was involved in a shocking scandal. At the time, the reality star was accused of showing inappropriate photos of newcomer Britt Eady during a cast event.

Bravo suspended the former Miss USA while they investigated the incident, leading the mother of one to walk away from the show.

She's spoken briefly about the moment on social media and in different interviews. However, fans won't get the full picture until the show airs sometime in 2025.

Despite that, she seemed to hint to her supporters that the truth would come to light.

"I have always been vindicated," said Moore. "You can try to destroy a legacy, but you will never destroy a queen."