DeShawn Snow: My Life After the Real Housewives

A painful divorce led to a physical transformation and spiritual rebirth.

By Marisa Laudadio Apr 2, 2014, 11:47 AM ET

What happens to our Real Housewives once they've left a franchise? Each week, we're looking into the lives of past cast members after their exits. This week, former Real Housewives of Atlanta star DeShawn Snow.

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Many fans were sad to see DeShawn Snow leave after the first season of The Real Housewives of Atlanta: she often provided a calm balance to the fireworks that went down. But just two years after her departure, things got dramatic in her off-screen life.

"Since then, I've had a lot of drama in my life, but I'm thankful that the cameras weren't there!" she told AttaGirl in 2012.

She's not kidding. In 2010, DeShawn went through a divorce from her husband of 12 years, former NBA player Eric Snow. DeShawn, who has three sons with him—Eric, Darius and Jarren—told AttaGirl that the split was not easy but she was doing her best to move on: "I'm great. I'm excited to make things happen. I'm definitely moving forward, I'm growing through this. Since I've been on the show, I've been doing a lot of reflecting, a lot of writing, a lot of healing."

She reinvented herself as a children's book author in 2013, penning the Lil Shawnee book series for tween girls. DeShawn also revamped her whole look during her devastating split and lost a whopping 30 lbs. "I felt everything was out of my control," she told UsMagazine.com. "I had no control over anything that was happening in my life and the weight and working out was something I could control."

These days, DeShawn makes sure she keeps getting her message of positivity out there with frequent inspirational posts on her social media feeds. "All of my projects are basically to empower and encourage young women," she told Us. "The hardest thing in life is to believe that things happen for a reason. You can't be a victim, you have to be a victor—press through it—and know that success is the best revenge."

What do you think of DeShawn's post-Housewives journey? Tell us in the comments.