Cynthia Bailey Weighs In On Her Confrontation with Porsha Williams: 'I May Have Overreacted'

Bravo.com:

Bravotv.com: Why did you decide to open up to Kandi about your marriage?
Cynthia Bailey: I enjoy talking to Kandi because she is level headed, rational, and doesn't sensationalize things. I knew that Peter and I had just celebrated our five year anniversary, but did not think about the "five year hump" that marriages go through until Kandi brought it up. My conversation with her reminded me that no marriage is perfect, most have issues, and we were not alone in our struggles.

Bravotv.com: How do you know Tammy?
CB: Tammy and I have a mutual close friend in New York City, who thought we should meet. I love meeting new people, so I decided to invite her to Lake Lanier. I thought this would be a great opportunity for us to hang out and introduce her to my friends. That was our first time hanging out, and we are still getting to know each other.

Bravotv.com: Why were you offended when Porsha called you the B word on the boat?
CB: In my opinion, the word "bitch" can be used in fun as a term of endearment or disrespectfully as an insult. It depends on the tone and context in which it is used and interpreted. How did Porsha and I go from having fun and kicking it to a heated confrontation, when all I was attempting to do was try to prevent Kenya from kicking her friend Shamea off the boat? Was it wise to get caught in the line of fire to try to diffuse a bomb that was never intended for me? Looking back, probably not. Maybe I should have kept my big mouth shut, sat back with the other ladies, and watched the fireworks. Porsha and I were having a great time together until we had a breakdown in communication, which turned into a major misunderstanding. That combined with several cocktails and disrespect of personal space took the conversation somewhere it was never meant to go. When I walked away from everyone in pursuit of peace to speak with Kenya on behalf of Shamea, the last thing that I expected to hear from Porsha was "whatever bitch." I felt like my friendship with Kenya and my good intentions were being mocked when she called me a bitch in that moment. I perceived it to be disrespectful, whether that was her actual intent or not. Looking back, I think I may have misjudged Porsha's intentions and overreacted. The only thing that I was focused on was going to speak with Kenya to allow Shamea to remain on the boat.

Anyway, once the conversation escalated, I realized it was best for me to walk away to cool off. I assumed when Porsha joined me on my recliner, she had also done the same. In an attempt to revisit our earlier conversation, I tried to clarify to her why I was offended in the first place. My words were not received, and the conversation escalated once again. When Porsha made it clear that she did not feel the need to apologize to me or thank me for trying to help out in the situation, I became confused about her purpose. At that point, I repeatedly asked her to go back to the other side of the boat, because I did not want to continue to argue and insult each other. Our hands and fingers were all over the place, and the next thing I knew Porsha was straddling over me. As I was lying down looking up at her, I had a flashback of the physical altercation that she had with Kenya at the reunion. I began to feel threatened, and the situation became uncomfortable. I had to figure out how to protect myself, and my personal space.

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