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What to Know About Phaedra Parks Before She Arrives on Married to Medicine Season 10
Southern belle Phaedra Parks is no stranger to reality television. Find out more about her life today as a single mom and details on her many, many careers.
A southern belle is coming to Married to Medicine Season 10 — and Phaedra Parks is no stranger to reality television.
Best known for appearing on Bravo's The Real Housewives of Atlanta for six seasons, she is also a gifted social media savant and has gone down in the Bravo reality television hall of fame. But she wasn't always in the reality TV game. Before she became a reality star, she was an experienced lawyer who had taken on several high-profile cases, including representing R&B singer Bobby Brown under her legal firm, The Parks Group.
RELATED: Get Your First Look at Married to Medicine Season 10 and New Cast Member Phaedra Parks
Here’s a look at what you need to know about Phaedra Parks ahead of the Married to Medicine Season 10 premiere.
Parks earned a Bachelor of Arts degree with honors from Wesleyan College, a Juris Doctorate from the University of Georgia as well as a degree in mortuary sciences from Jefferson State College. After graduating from law school, Parks worked as an attorney in Atlanta where she specialized in family law and criminal defense.
Phaedra on The Real Housewives of Atlanta
In 2010, Parks joined the third season of The Real Housewives of Atlanta. She quickly became a fan favorite, known for her witty one-liners and her glamorous lifestyle. She remained on the show for six seasons before departing in 2017.
During her time on the show, Phaedra was always leaning into various business ventures, including showcasing her legal career when she represented fellow housewife Sheree Whitfield regarding child support issues. She even ventured into the funeral business, with a serious passion and dedication to becoming a mortician, which gave viewers insight into her unique personality.
The biggest story was when she couldn’t nail down the right dates on when she was due with her first child. The stories fluctuated and no one could figure out why she would lie unless it was because she got pregnant before she tied the knot to her now-ex-husband, Apollo Nida. She feuded with Kenya over being friends with Apollo, and over fitness videos. Her journey on the show came to an abrupt end when castmate Kandi Burruss was upset about Parks spreading rumors that Kandi and her husband, Todd Tucker, wanted to allegedly drug Porsha Williams and take her to a sex dungeon. Once it was determined that Phaedra started the rumor, she left The Real Housewives of Atlanta behind. (But that wasn’t the end of Phaedra’s time with The Real Housewives series. She appeared on shows like The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip and The Real Housewives of Dubai.)
Around the same time, Phaedra went through a very public divorce with Apollo in 2017 after he was sentenced to 8 years in prison followed by 5 years of probation in 2014. He was released in 2019 and has since remarried. Parks and Apollo share two sons, Ayden and Dylan.
Life After Housewives
Since leaving RHOA, Parks has continued to pursue her career in television. She has appeared on several reality shows, including Marriage Boot Camp with her now ex-boyfriend Medina Islam and she still joins Andy Cohen on Watch What Happens Live. She has also written two books, Phaedra Parks: The Phaedra Parks Guide to the Real Housewives and Secrets of the Southern Belle.
As a motivational speaker, Parks regularly travels around the country speaking to different groups about subjects ranging from business and law to personal growth and achieving success.
Parks has been rumored to be dating a doctor and will be the first former Real Housewives of Atlanta star to join the Married to Medicine cast. Her arrival is sure to shake things up in the Atlanta medical community.
Is Phaedra Parks still a lawyer?
Get ready to get reacquainted with Phaedra as she joins the cast in Season 10 of Married to Medicine and shares with viewers her many passions and entrepreneurial pursuits. As we are reminded in her BravoTV.com profile for the upcoming season of Married to Medicine, Phaedra is a "Renaissance woman" who is a "successful attorney, businesswoman, author, mortician, television personality, motivational speaker, social activist, and mother to two young kings."
The profile further notes that Phaedra is still active in her law career and in her work in social activism:
"As managing partner of The Parks Group, an Atlanta-based law firm, Phaedra practices law in the areas of entertainment, intellectual property rights, and civil and criminal litigation. Her client roster includes celebrities, high-profile individuals, and government entities. She is actively involved in the Atlanta legal community. She is the past president of the Gate City Bar Association and has served on the advisory board of the American Bar Association, she is also a proud member of the Lawyers Club."
The bio goes on to add, "A passionate social activist, Phaedra is a tireless advocate for brown boys. Through her nonprofit organization the Phaedra Foundation she works with communities nationwide on the importance of positive male role models in the lives of black boys. She has spent time with the families of Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown and others who have been victims of violence and unjustified killings. Parks is a regular fixture in Washington, D.C., where she works with members of Congress on implementing initiatives to provide opportunities for at-risk youth. She also endows the Phaedra Scholars Scholarship that provides tuition for first generation minority law students. Parks is also outspoken on civil rights issues and has gone to cities from Selma, Alabama to Flint, Michigan to fight social injustices."
"As a motivational speaker, Phaedra regularly travels around the country and internationally speaking to different groups about subjects ranging from business and law to personal growth and achieving success."
Is Phaedra Parks still a funeral director?
Why, yes! According to her bio, "Phaedra is also a highly sought-after funeral planner and director training nationally to console grieving families.
Phaedra's new career as a Reiki Master explained
A press release for Married to Medicine Season 10 notes that Phaedra "has joined the cast" of the Bravo series and is pursuing a career in a field she is passionate about as she "is ready to make her medicinal mark with a holistic wellness center."
The press release adds that Phaedra "is back on the scene and ready to build a bond with the ladies while on a medical journey of her own that is sure to raise a few eyebrows. Ms. Parks is ready to add 'Holistic Healer' to her title now with her eyes set on opening a wellness center – focusing on reiki therapy, healing crystals and more. Her sons Ayden and Dylan are growing up into mini-entrepreneurs ready to follow in their mom’s footsteps. As Phaedra is navigating life as a single mom and entrepreneur, will she also become the glue needed to mend these friendships in need of healing?
"As if she doesn’t have enough to do, Parks recently became a certified level Reiki Master," her bio adds. You can learn more about that by checking out the Married to Medicine Season 10 trailer above.
Married to Medicine Season 10 premieres on Sunday, November 5 at 9pm ET/PT on Bravo.
You can catch up on all of the Married to Medicine seasons on Peacock!
Originally published Sep 18, 2023.
