Kandi Burruss DepartsThe Real Housewives of AtlantaAhead of Season 16: 'I'm Going to Take a Break'

Mar. 15, 2025

Kandi Burruss.Photo: Leon Bennett/GettyKandi Burrussis putting herself on pause.The Xscape singer revealed on Sunday’s 2024 Grammys that she won’t be returning toThe Real Housewives of Atlantafor its upcoming 16th season.“I decided I’m not coming back this year,” she toldVariety’s Marc Malkin on the red carpet.A source confirms to PEOPLE that Burruss was offered a contract to return, but turned it down.Burruss, 47, has been a staple onRHOAsince joining the Bravo reality series during its second season, which aired in 2009. Throughout her time on the series, she met her husband, Todd Tucker, and welcomed two children: sonAce Wells, 7, and daughterBlaze, 3 (the couple each have one other daughter from their previous relationships).Explaining why she decided to leaveRHOA, Burruss said the well-documented delay in production gave her time to really think.“A friend of mine was like, ‘Why do you keep doing it?’ And I was like, ‘Well, I think because I’ve just been doing it so long, feels weird to think not to do it?’ " said Burruss. “So I was just like, ‘You know what? I’m going to take a break, I’m going to take a moment.““It’s been 14 seasons, and they allowed us to sit around for a little too long,” Burruss also noted. “But during that time I had started working on a lot of other things, and I got some nice big projects coming soon, so I’m super excited about those things.“Kandi Burruss at the 2024 Grammys.Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagicNever miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.As a songwriter, Burruss has received writing credits onDestiny’s Child’s “Bills, Bills, Bills,“Pink’s “There You Go,“Ariana Grande’s “Break Up with Your Girlfriend, I’m Bored” andEd Sheeran’s “Shape of You,” among others.She won a best R&B song Grammy in 2000 for penning TLC’s hit song “No Scrubs.“Currently, Burruss and Tucker are producers onThe Wiz, the iconic 1970s musical which is returning to Broadway for the first time in over 40 years.Drew Sidora, Marlo Hampton, Shereé Whitfield, Kandi Burruss, Kenya Moore, Sanya Richards-Ross.AB+DM/Bravo via GettyAt BravoCon 2023,Real Housewivesexecutive producerAndy Cohenspoke out about the status ofRHOA,explaining that production was on hold as the network reworked the cast. He assured fans that the show wouldn’t be undergoing a full reboot, asThe Real Housewives of New York Cityhad experienced, but that they would instead be structuring the show around the “building blocks” they have among the Atlanta Housewives roster.Aside from Burruss, season 15 of the series featuredDrew Sidora,Marlo Hampton,Shereé Whitfield,Kenya MooreandSanya Richards-Ross.Every season ofThe Real Housewives of Atlantacan be streamed on Peacock.

Kandi Burruss.Photo: Leon Bennett/Getty

Kandi Burrussis putting herself on pause.The Xscape singer revealed on Sunday’s 2024 Grammys that she won’t be returning toThe Real Housewives of Atlantafor its upcoming 16th season.“I decided I’m not coming back this year,” she toldVariety’s Marc Malkin on the red carpet.A source confirms to PEOPLE that Burruss was offered a contract to return, but turned it down.Burruss, 47, has been a staple onRHOAsince joining the Bravo reality series during its second season, which aired in 2009. Throughout her time on the series, she met her husband, Todd Tucker, and welcomed two children: sonAce Wells, 7, and daughterBlaze, 3 (the couple each have one other daughter from their previous relationships).Explaining why she decided to leaveRHOA, Burruss said the well-documented delay in production gave her time to really think.“A friend of mine was like, ‘Why do you keep doing it?’ And I was like, ‘Well, I think because I’ve just been doing it so long, feels weird to think not to do it?’ " said Burruss. “So I was just like, ‘You know what? I’m going to take a break, I’m going to take a moment.““It’s been 14 seasons, and they allowed us to sit around for a little too long,” Burruss also noted. “But during that time I had started working on a lot of other things, and I got some nice big projects coming soon, so I’m super excited about those things.“Kandi Burruss at the 2024 Grammys.Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagicNever miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.As a songwriter, Burruss has received writing credits onDestiny’s Child’s “Bills, Bills, Bills,“Pink’s “There You Go,“Ariana Grande’s “Break Up with Your Girlfriend, I’m Bored” andEd Sheeran’s “Shape of You,” among others.She won a best R&B song Grammy in 2000 for penning TLC’s hit song “No Scrubs.“Currently, Burruss and Tucker are producers onThe Wiz, the iconic 1970s musical which is returning to Broadway for the first time in over 40 years.Drew Sidora, Marlo Hampton, Shereé Whitfield, Kandi Burruss, Kenya Moore, Sanya Richards-Ross.AB+DM/Bravo via GettyAt BravoCon 2023,Real Housewivesexecutive producerAndy Cohenspoke out about the status ofRHOA,explaining that production was on hold as the network reworked the cast. He assured fans that the show wouldn’t be undergoing a full reboot, asThe Real Housewives of New York Cityhad experienced, but that they would instead be structuring the show around the “building blocks” they have among the Atlanta Housewives roster.Aside from Burruss, season 15 of the series featuredDrew Sidora,Marlo Hampton,Shereé Whitfield,Kenya MooreandSanya Richards-Ross.Every season ofThe Real Housewives of Atlantacan be streamed on Peacock.

Kandi Burrussis putting herself on pause.

The Xscape singer revealed on Sunday’s 2024 Grammys that she won’t be returning toThe Real Housewives of Atlantafor its upcoming 16th season.

“I decided I’m not coming back this year,” she toldVariety’s Marc Malkin on the red carpet.

A source confirms to PEOPLE that Burruss was offered a contract to return, but turned it down.

Burruss, 47, has been a staple onRHOAsince joining the Bravo reality series during its second season, which aired in 2009. Throughout her time on the series, she met her husband, Todd Tucker, and welcomed two children: sonAce Wells, 7, and daughterBlaze, 3 (the couple each have one other daughter from their previous relationships).

Explaining why she decided to leaveRHOA, Burruss said the well-documented delay in production gave her time to really think.

“A friend of mine was like, ‘Why do you keep doing it?’ And I was like, ‘Well, I think because I’ve just been doing it so long, feels weird to think not to do it?’ " said Burruss. “So I was just like, ‘You know what? I’m going to take a break, I’m going to take a moment.”

“It’s been 14 seasons, and they allowed us to sit around for a little too long,” Burruss also noted. “But during that time I had started working on a lot of other things, and I got some nice big projects coming soon, so I’m super excited about those things.”

Kandi Burruss at the 2024 Grammys.Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic

Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

As a songwriter, Burruss has received writing credits onDestiny’s Child’s “Bills, Bills, Bills,“Pink’s “There You Go,“Ariana Grande’s “Break Up with Your Girlfriend, I’m Bored” andEd Sheeran’s “Shape of You,” among others.

She won a best R&B song Grammy in 2000 for penning TLC’s hit song “No Scrubs.”

Currently, Burruss and Tucker are producers onThe Wiz, the iconic 1970s musical which is returning to Broadway for the first time in over 40 years.

Drew Sidora, Marlo Hampton, Shereé Whitfield, Kandi Burruss, Kenya Moore, Sanya Richards-Ross.AB+DM/Bravo via Getty

AB+DM/Bravo via Getty

At BravoCon 2023,Real Housewivesexecutive producerAndy Cohenspoke out about the status ofRHOA,explaining that production was on hold as the network reworked the cast. He assured fans that the show wouldn’t be undergoing a full reboot, asThe Real Housewives of New York Cityhad experienced, but that they would instead be structuring the show around the “building blocks” they have among the Atlanta Housewives roster.

Aside from Burruss, season 15 of the series featuredDrew Sidora,Marlo Hampton,Shereé Whitfield,Kenya MooreandSanya Richards-Ross.

Every season ofThe Real Housewives of Atlantacan be streamed on Peacock.

source: people.com