Getty Drew Sidora
Fans of “The Real Housewives of Atlanta” saw some moments of foreshadowing in the Sunday, August 13 episode, as cast member Drew Sidora and her husband Ralph Pittman’s relationship troubles were on display in the weeks leading up to the two each filing for divorce in February 2023.
After a date night that Sidora said “spiraled into a disagreement”, viewers saw Pittman arrive at a mental health retreat held by his wife. After Sidora greeted fellow castmate Sanya Richards-Ross before him, Pittman passed Sidora, ignoring her and instead opting to greet all of her castmates with a hug, which Sidora called “embarrassing” in a confessional.
Now, in the Monday, August 14 episode of the “Behind the Velvet Rope” podcast, “friend of the Housewives” Courtney Rhodes (who discovered she was Pittman’s cousin in the premiere episode of the season), weighed in on the couple’s relationship and divorce, and alleged that RHOA may have been a contributing factor to their marriage’s downfall.
Courtney Rhodes Says Drew Sidora Knew Where Ralph Pittman Was in Tampa
“There is this image to uphold, and there are these storylines,” Rhodes told “Behind the Velvet Rope” host David Yontef about the pressures being on a reality show adds to a relationship, “And you have to come with a juicy storyline, and I think that Drew loves to self-produce her scenes. And I think the lines may have gotten blurred in that marriage between reality television and the core and the foundation of a real, loving, supportive relationship with young children involved.”
One storyline that Rhodes accused Sidora of “self-producing” was from Sidora’s first year on the show in season 13. During her premiere season, Sidora questioned Pittman multiple times about what he did during a spontaneous three-day trip to Tampa, and each time her husband remained tight-lipped, causing tension between the two and leaving Sidora with questions about her husbands fidelity.
By the reunion, Pittman explained that he had gone to Tampa to be alone, and Sidora confirmed that he had since shown her hotel and restaurant receipts to prove that he was alone for the duration of his trip.
Rhodes, in her podcast interview, resurfaced the Tampa storyline, saying Sidora knew where her husband was the entire time. “I learned about what happened in Tampa, and how certain things were filmed that of course never aired,” Rhodes said, “And Drew knew where he was, and they were actually on the verge of getting divorced then which is why he was in Tampa.”
Rhodes said that she had since spoken with her cousin Pittman about this, asking him, “‘Ralph why are you okay with running with that storyline’, and he was like ‘Well, Drew thought it would be good for the camera, I don’t think she realized how negatively it was going to affect me.'”
Why Did Drew Sidora & Ralph Pittman File for Divorce
Although fans can see the tension brewing between Sidora and Pittman on screen, the exact reason for the pair’s split has yet to be seen. After their original filings, both Sidora and Pittman released statements, with Sidora’s publicist telling Heavy, “Despite undeniable differences, they agree that their marriage is irretrievably broken and are going their separate ways.”
Rhodes said on her podcast appearance that while the pair’s divorce didn’t come as a surprise, the reason for the filing did. While she didn’t spoil anything yet, she assured podcast listeners that, “It’s going to all come out.”
READ NEXT: RHOSLC Star Says She Was Excommunicated From Mormon Church