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Don't make me call… Porsha.
Well, actually, it's too late. I already did. And baby, we had a LOT to talk about. If you haven't been keeping up, Porsha Williams recently wrapped her run on The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip: Roaring 20th, which celebrated two decades of The Real Housewives franchise. And without being completely biased, let's just say the Real Housewives of Atlanta star reminded everybody exactly why she keeps a peach in her hand.
The one-liners, the laughs, and of course, her ability to read a Housewife down while still keeping it cute. She gave us everything we've come to love about her over the years, and then some.
And if there's one thing Porsha knows how to do, it's raise the bar. Which brings us to her latest partnership with Charmin. Yes, Charmin! Because apparently, raising your standards doesn't stop at reality TV.
The brand is encouraging people to rethink what they've been settling for, and who better to help spread that message than a woman who knows a thing or two about knowing her worth?
On Tuesday (October 20), Williams will host an immersive experience in New York City, giving guests a chance to experience Charmin's wider-sheet design for themselves. But of course, I couldn't get Porsha on the phone (well, on Zoom) and only talk about toilet paper. Even though I am a Charmin girlie.
We got into everything from her Ultimate Girls Trip experience and recent Paris Fashion Week debut to what's brewing on the upcoming season of RHOA. And trust me, she had plenty to say. Keep scrolling for our full conversation.
Let me start here. You were so amazing on Ultimate Girls Trip. My sister and I were watching, and we had this moment where we were like, ‘Wait a minute, Porsha came onto Housewives talking about carrying on her grandfather's legacy, and now all these years later, she's built a legacy of her own.’ So I would love to know when you look back at the woman you were when you first joined the show, what do you think she'd be most proud of today?
I think that she would be most proud of me having the confidence that I have. When I joined the show, I was so green and young and just innocent, and was like, ‘Who wouldn't like me?’ (laughs) And I was so nervous to share my life with the world.
Over the years, I've built such a thick skin. I've also built a great brand over the years. A trustworthy, relatable brand, and all that just goes to my confidence and me being resilient and still standing. So I’d just let her know, ‘You gonna be all right, girl. 265 days a year, you still standing strong."
Now, let's talk about your partnership with Charmin. Tell me about the experience you're bringing to New York City.
Yes. So there's gonna be a full immersion experience in New York on the 20th. They're gonna have the Charmin Bears. So you can take pictures with them and meet them. Also, there's gonna be a lowrider car. Plus, you'll be able to touch and feel [the sheets]. I'll be there. We can meet each other. We can talk. We can have a kiki and take a picture. So it's gonna be a good time.
Now, this campaign is all about raising your standards. So, we have to talk about Paris Fashion Week. I loved seeing you front row at Schiaparelli. What was that experience like, and how did that relationship with Law Roach come about?
So I met Law Roach, maybe like a year ago, doing Watch What Happens Live. And we kept in touch. I went to his birthday the other day, and he ended up just calling me and [mentioning] to me that he wanted me to go to the Schiaparelli show. And then when I met the Schiaparelli team, they were like, ‘Oh, we've seen you in our Schiaparelli, and we thought you were fabulous and we wanted you.’ And I was like, ‘What? Oh my God.’ So, it was just an amazing, magical experience to be at the showroom, being dressed by them, walking with the most powerful man in fashion, sitting front row. It was a great first experience.
I had never been to Paris Fashion Week. So I've got the bug now. Can you imagine? Like, out of all these years, being asked to go and now I'm sitting on the front row there. So it was amazing!
One of my favorite parts of Ultimate Girls Trip was watching your friendship with Gizelle [Bryant], especially those little side conversations. What was it like sharing that experience with her?
How crazy was that, right? It's like you're watching a reality show, but you're seeing us experience it in real time because they really allowed us to have these separate kikis about what we just experienced. So it was so fun.
Gizelle doesn't give me a day off. There's no days off with Gizelle. Gizelle is the queen of making it happen, okay? So I always knew who's on our list today? You know, who needs to be handled today? Who needs to be checked today or checked on? And she had the list and I just followed along. What we doing? She's the perfect road dog.
Was there anything that happened during filming that didn't make the final edit that you wish viewers got to see?
I think there was a scene that Lisa and I did that was very touching where we were in my room, about to go to Bluestone Manor, and we kind of cried together 'cause we just talked about our experience on our separate shows about how sometimes you feel misunderstood. And even though the girls may be at you and there's drama, you're really just trying to find a real friend. You really just want to see someone who can be there on your side while you're going through [it all].
I felt like we all had built a great sisterhood with the cast of the Ultimate Girls Trip. Even though I love my Atlanta girls, well, some of them, this whole cast, love them.
Now, one of my biggest takeaways from watching was that Andy loves the Atlanta girls down, but I feel like he has a special soft spot for you. Be honest, do you think you're one of Andy's favorites?
Well, you know, if you say that, then he's not gonna be able to claim it, but he can act like it. (laughs) You know what I mean?
I know Andy loves me and I love Andy, and I think that is okay. Okay? I mean, you had to rise to that position to get him to really respect your game in this. I know that over the years, I've truly been a team player.
And we both had our kids around the same time. Our kids are getting married, Ben and Pilar. Like, we've already got this handled, so yeah.
Now, what are you bringing into this new season of Atlanta that feels different from previous seasons?
I'm in love. I'm in love. And I'm working very hard. I'm rebuilding. I'm focused on me. I'm in my own little world. So, I'm not bringing drama for real. I'm finding myself in it, as I just did, but I'm not looking for it. And I'm not avoiding it. I think in the past, I have avoided drama, but now I'm still upfront, but it's in a way to educate whomever needs to be educated or schooled.
Period. You all were just in The Bahamas. How was that trip? Obviously, you can't give too much away, but what would you say has been your takeaway from the trip?
My takeaway from the trip in The Bahamas is that we all have pure intentions of being a family. And that may look rocky in some places, but we all are trying to get to know each other on a deeper level since we all have mixed friends in this group. And I think everybody has good intentions of trying to do that.
This interview has been edited for clarity and length.