Phaedra Parks and Apollo Nida enjoyed quite the wild ride. But two kids into their five-year
marriage, and they were fast-tracking it to Splitsville. Was it the cheating? The
bank fraud? The prison time? Or something even worse? Here's why it was never gonna work out.
One of the most obvious reasons for the couple's divorce was Apollo's
well-documented brush with the law. Back in 2014, this "Real Housewives" hubby received an
eight-year sentence behind bars after being charged with both bank fraud and identity theft,
according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The whole story played out on "The Real Housewives of
Atlanta," with Season 7 featuring the two arguing about Apollo's impending sentence.
Phaedra herself has pinned the breakup on Apollo's legal drama — as well as his
lies about what was really going on. As she admitted to Daily Mail TV in 2019,
"I was done. From the moment I discovered that he had done all this stuff, I was finished with that
relationship. To do something this crazy when there's no rhyme or reason to do it […] he was
financially set, he did not think about me or his sons. It was very selfish."
"I didn't get married to have all this kind of drama."
Only adding fuel to that fire was the couple's sparse communication while Apollo was in prison.
Phaedra explained to Us Weekly in 2017 that there was a time when he couldn't make calls
or have visitors because he was in solitary confinement. Phaedra also claimed that - she
was kept in the dark about his actual crimes, admitting on "Ellen" in 2014,
"I didn't have any idea that any of this was going on until he called me and said,
'Hey, I've been arrested.'" Phaedra actually forgave Apollo for
his initial legal issues. He was convicted years before his eight-year prison stint,
and he also had a rap sheet from back in the '90s. Apollo was sentenced for his part in a
car theft scheme in 2004 and spent six years behind bars. He and Phaedra initially split,
at the time, but reconnected upon his release. Phaedra told the Daily Mail,
"I was the first person he went to [after leaving prison]. […] I thought
he [had] changed, I honestly did, he seemed like he had matured a lot."
"If you love somebody and you already know their past, it's not new to us."
She claimed that what sold her on reuniting was that Apollo seemed more serious about
starting a family and building a relationship. Unfortunately, that didn't work out too well. As
was portrayed on the show, Phaedra doubled down and admitted to a divorce attorney,
"[I] married him because [I] thought he was a changed man.
Some people do change their lives and make a difference and I thought he was that person but
obviously he wasn't. […] Maybe he was conning me the whole time."
In a twist worthy of a "Real Housewives" O.G. couple, Phaedra and Apollo actually
ended up getting divorced twice. Yep, it appears the second time was the charm.
Back in March 2017 — three years after Phaedra initially filed — a judge essentially reversed
their divorce judgement after finding odd items within the papers, according to TMZ.
Namely, it was claimed that Phaedra — a lawyer — had, quote, "intentionally misspell[ed] the
parties names." Then there was the fact that Apollo was misinformed that he could continue
to attend divorce hearings — despite being in prison. By then, the disgraced star was
already engaged to another woman. A rep for Phaedra said in a statement to Us Weekly,
"It's very confusing why a man who is engaged and enjoys frequent visits with his fiancée
would work so aggressively to avoid ending his marriage. [Phaedra is] reviewing her
options with her attorney to determine the most efficient path toward ending this marriage."
Phaedra had previously claimed in November 2016 on TMZ's "Raq Rants" that she was
officially divorced. She was also asked at the time if she thought there was a
chance of a reconciliation after Apollo left the clink, to which she admitted,
"I never say never, but in this case, I don't think that would be possible."
"It's, uh, cordial." "That doesn't sound convincing, Phaedra."
The reality star claimed they would remain civil toward one another for the sake of
their children, but she didn't see them ever getting back together.
In between Phaedra's initial divorce filing and things being reversed by a judge, Apollo
found love again. In a move that we're guessing didn't smooth anything over with Phaedra, he got
engaged while still in prison. TMZ noted that in November 2016, Apollo had popped the question.
And it seems he has a type, too: "Real Housewives of Atlanta" stars.
The lucky lady was Sherien Almufti, who revealed her identity on Season 9 of the series in 2017.
"In seat number 1, the side chick. Hello!"
Though Phaedra did not attend the party where Sherien made her debut,
Kandi and Todd put the newly-minted fianceé in the hot seat to find out whether her
relationship with Apollo overlapped with his marriage. To that, Sherien replied,
"Wifey wasn't around, so I was there more than she was. I mean, he's been away for
two years. She's only been there twice. I go often — it's only 40 minutes away from me."
How could we touch on Apollo's cheating rumors without throwing it back to the
infamous flirtation between him and a fellow series star?
Eyebrows were raised in 2014 when Apollo, who was married to Phaedra at the time,
got a little too cozy with Kenya Moore after he claimed the two had been texting each other.
"I don't think I was flirting with Apollo…I hope I wasn't."
But on Season 6, after Kenya confronted Apollo about him fabricating the texting story
about them, he clapped back at her, claiming,
"No. You put yourself into that situation, I could have slept with you if I wanted to."
He later admitted he lied about the texts. During that same trip, Cynthia Bailey's now ex-husband,
Peter Thomas, accused Apollo of lusting after Kenya in a bikini. While Apollo initially
claimed he was, quote, "looking at the horizon," he soon confessed he had taken an innocent peek.
For her part, Kenya later admitted she regretted her interactions with Apollo,
revealing on "Watch What Happens Live" in January 2021,
"I could have just distanced myself from Apollo altogether, not been so chummy,
chummy. Especially when it bothered his wife."
Regarding the other allegations of infidelity that have swirled around Apollo,
Phaedra simply told Daily Mail TV in 2019 that she couldn't confirm that he had stepped out.
It wasn't just Apollo who was slapped with cheating allegations. The Atlanta Housewife
herself also stirred up her share of rumors that she might have stepped out during her marriage.
On Season 9, Housewife Kandi Burruss appeared to
allege that Phaedra may have had another man in her life, claiming,
"[Phaedra was] talking to other people before Apollo went to jail."
"And who is Mr. Chocolate?" "The man that you've been sleeping with."
Meanwhile, People reported that Apollo claimed that he uncovered evidence that Phaedra had
been talking to someone called "Mr. Chocolate." It was later
suggested that the man in question was Gizelle Bryant's ex-husband, Jamal.
Gizelle explained on "Watch What Happens Live" that Jamal had refuted the claims.
But Phaedra denied having any kind of affair, on multiple occasions.
Addressing the rumors on "Ellen" in 2014, she said,
"I think it's totally absurd to think that I cheated. They're saying I had an affair with
a man from Africa named Chocolate. Now, everybody knows that I do love a Snickers bar every once in
a while, but it's definitely not a man from Africa that I've ever had an affair with."
Both before and after the cracks in Phaedra and Apollo's marriage began to show,
he was accused of being a bit of a hot head. One such incident happened in September 2014,
when he went to the home he shared with Phaedra on the day he was supposed to
turn himself into prison. But this wasn't a relaxing visit. Captured by the cameras,
a Season 7 episode saw Apollo confront Phaedra about those pesky cheating rumors.
He also called her out after she changed the locks on the home, asking,
"Who would do some lowdown s— like this?"
Phaedra then called a friend to try to diffuse the situation, admitting,
"I'm not sure what he's capable of at this moment because he has nothing to lose."
"Y'know, it's been quite difficult to deal with, um, y'know, his
personality — whichever one shows up."
A source for Radar Online dished on the incident shortly after it happened,
claiming that Phaedra was left "terrified" and "shaken up." Phaedra also spoke about Apollo's
erratic behavior on the show, revealing that being married to him was chaotic. She said,
"[It] was just madness all the time. It was madness every day. It was never
a peaceful [night's] sleep. It was nonstop. For the first time in years, I have peace."
Another factor that may have played a part in the couple's ultimate demise was Apollo's decision to
publicly smear his wife on multiple occasions. Tension between the two was obvious even before
her divorce filing, with Apollo publicly slamming Phaedra in both interviews and on the show.
One of the most public dramas came when Apollo lashed out at Phaedra for not
attending his court hearing. During a July 2014 interview with Atlanta B100,
Apollo said he doubted he and Phaedra would stay together, adding,
"I mean, my wife didn't even f—ing show up for my sentencing,
so I'm still kind of salty about that."
Apollo also opened up about the state of his marriage to Radar Online that same month,
where he hinted that things were rocky between the couple,
but still suggested they were trying to work it out. He claimed he would be spending his
last Fourth of July before prison, without Phaedra, revealing that she had already
traveled to Mexico without him to celebrate "American Idol" alum Fantasia's birthday.
Phaedra didn't make much of a secret of the fact that she wasn't necessarily in
a very loved-up place with Apollo toward the end of their marriage.
Several scenes filmed for "The Real Housewives of Atlanta" showed Phaedra
acting pretty cold towards her man. And as fans witnessed, the Season 7 episode
"Nice To Metria" appeared to really show the cracks in their romance.
The Bravo star didn't appear at all thrilled to see her husband surprise her at an event. And she
didn't give the warmest response when he went in for a kiss, with Apollo asking the obvious:
"You're not going to kiss me?"
Phaedra then seemed as though she didn't even want to speak to her husband, to which he told her,
"I came in peace. Let me know because I can switch my mode real quick. I'm still
your husband, don't forget. […] You don't miss me? I asked if you loved
me earlier. You don't comment on that. I love you. Even if you don't love me."
Finally addressing the giant elephant in the room,
Cynthia Bailey later opened up about the encounter in her Bravo blog, admitting,
"Phaedra has always carried herself as a loving and supportive wife.
It was awkward to see her so uncomfortable."
A very common reason for stress in many relationships is money. And it seems like
financial obligations may have played a big part in Phaedra and Apollo's split. As it turns out,
he was "immediately" ordered to pay a whopping $2 million in restitution as part of his sentencing
in 2014, according to Radar Online. And as court documents obtained by the outlet plainly stated,
anything that was unpaid by the time Apollo left prison was gonna cost him. It read,
"[The amount is to] be paid at the monthly rate of at least
$250, plus 25% of gross monthly income in excess of $2,300."
That meant that if Phaedra had stayed with Apollo during his prison stint,
finances would have likely been an issue for at least several years, if not more.
Phaedra herself admitted that the money situation played a key role in her unlucky
marriage to Apollo and its downfall. But she also confirmed that, fortunately,
they did not share a joint bank account. During her 2019 Daily Mail TV interview,
the former "Real Housewives of Atlanta" star threw a little shade at her ex, claiming,
"I'd already paid out over $100,000 in legal fees […] He needed money to spend on that flashy life,
he was narcissistic. He broke the law to be flashy to impress people."
"I guess when you had the best, only the best will do."
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