Eva Marcille Reveals How Well She REALLY Knew Phaedra Parks Before RHUGT Ex-Wives Club (UPDATED)
The RHOA alums appear on Peacock’s RHUGT, and we’re learning ALL about taking their friendship to the Berkshires and beyond.
UPDATED (January 17, 3:28 P.M.): In case you missed it, earlier this month it was confirmed that The Real Housewives of Atlanta’s Phaedra Parks and Eva Marcille, The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills’ Brandi Glanville, and The Real Housewives of Orange County’s Vicki Gunvalson will all be back for Season 4 of The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip, which, like Season 2, will also be Ex-Wives Club themed.
The returning ladies will be joined by franchise newbies The Real Housewives of New York City's Alex McCord, The Real Housewives of New Jersey's Caroline Manzo, The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills’ Camille Grammer Meyer, and The Real Housewives of Orange County’s Gretchen Rossi.
Phaedra spoke to Bravo Insider last summer, when Season 2 was airing on Peacock, and she opened up about her bond with Eva and what it was like to bring their friendship to the Berkshires. "It was very positive, you know? I love Eva. She's such a flower child. She's such a cute hippie. So, you gotta love her 'cause she's just no drama, easygoing," she shared in a phone interview in July 2022. "Eva and I, as well as Brandi, we're all Scorpios. Our birthdays are within days of each other, so we have that bond, and a lot of times, Scorpio women [and] just Scorpios are misunderstood, but we're just great people, you know? We just illuminate so bright sometimes. Our light just gets too much."
Next up? Well, Phaedra, Eva, and the RHUGT Season 4 cast are all heading to Morrocco. So, stay tuned!
The original story continues below.
Season 2 of The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip is officially streaming on Peacock, and just like Season 1, it brings together Real Housewives from across the franchise to bond over drama and antics. This season features a twist dubbed the Ex-Wives Club, as alums from the Real Housewives galaxy are gathered at Dorinda Medley’s home in the Berkshires, Blue Stone Manor. The cast includes longtime pals and The Real Housewives of Atlanta alums Eva Marcille and Phaedra Parks, who get the chance to lean on each other when tensions begin to rise.
“I’ve known Phaedra for 20 years, actually. I met her when I was 18 [and have] been good friends of her brother, her mom for years. My brother [Malcolm] used to work at her law firm 20 years ago when she used to represent Bobby Brown, like, forever ago,” Eva recalled in a recent interview with Bravo Insider ahead of the premiere dropping on Peacock (BTW, you can sneak a peek at Episode 1, below). “So I’ve known her for a long time. And to be able to join this cast with her, it’s a journey, a trip with these women. With her, [it] was so nice because I had a soft landing place [since] we haven’t been on TV in a while, on Housewives so to say, and you know, the pandemic has been real. So us all getting together [for RHUGT], I think it was more of a stretch than any of us expected going into it.”
Eva did have some idea of what she wanted to get up to when she headed to the Berkshires: Just chill out a bit. But best-laid plans often go awry, especially when you get a bunch of Real Housewives together under one roof.
“So my expectations, I didn’t really have many,” Eva said. “I did know that we were going to the Berkshires, which was gonna be a beautiful estate. And I’m a workaholic, so I was looking forward to relaxing and hanging out. I do a morning radio show every morning from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. And I have a podcast that I do every Tuesday, and I had just wrapped the first season of my television show, All the Queen’s Men, like maybe a week and a half before going to do this. So my expectation, my intention was literally to relax and to relate to these women as Housewives. And just have fun.”
Though, she noted, “Well, see, that was what I went in there hoping to do... the other part [is] what happened,” she said with a laugh (you can preview some of that drama, below). “Well, the Housewives happened.”
But, Eva added, amid all that chaos there was definitely time to bond. “There are so many unique things that are a part of this particular show. One being that we are all ex-Housewives. And so none of us have been in our respective franchises for at least a couple of years. And the commonality in that, and with the women that, you know, basically haven’t been on TV in a while, it was really cool getting together and learning each other’s stories,” she said. “And kind of being a part of this sorority, so to say.”
By the way, we also have some news regarding the evolution of Eva and Phaedra’s friendship: Their kids are now running in the same circles. “[Marley] does so well in school. She’s a cheerleader for the same football team that Phaedra’s son [Dylan] plays for,” Eva said. “So they get to enjoy some extracurriculars together, and practices and games and stuff like that.”
Don’t forget to follow Eva and Phaedra’s new journey on RHUGT Ex-Wives Club. Three of the seven episodes are available on premiere day, Thursday, June 23, with a new episode available to stream each Thursday thereafter. Of course, fans can also binge Season 1 of The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip on Peacock now.
Preview ALL the Season 2 drama, below.
