Sheree Whitfield celebrated her 53rd birthday on Sunday’s Real Housewives of Atlanta episode with some of her co-stars, and afterward, she addressed the controversy surrounding why her boyfriend, Martell Holt, 41, didn’t pay.
After Kenya Moore, 52, noted that Martell had asked for Cash app donations from those who attended the dinner, Sheree argued with Sanya Richards-Ross, 38, who initially believed Martell should’ve picked up the bill, and discussed the guest list for the event.
“Everybody could not make the list. I’m sorry,” Sheree said on the August 13 episode of the RHOA: After Show. “I know some people were upset… [Kandi Burruss, 47], she’s always saying she’s so busy, so I didn’t think she’d be unbusy to come to little old me, my birthday.”
In addition to Kandi, Drew Sidora, 38, was left off the list. But she didn’t mind the snub, saying, “It was fine,” and noting that she “didn’t take any drama towards it.” Meanwhile, Kandi felt she should’ve been on the list.
“It wouldn’t be the first birthday dinner that I missed of hers. She’ll say, ‘Oh, well, you know, I knew you guys are busy and it was last minute.’ But [Marlo Hampton, 47] was there. Even [Cynthia Bailey, 56] was there, and Cynthia just got to town. Sanya [was] there… Was [Courtney Rhodes, 48] there? I guess I missed the memo on this one,” Kandi shared.
Then, after signaling to potential “collusion,” Kandi said certain cast members have accused her of “not being a friend” — all while leaving her out.
“They always try to act like I’m not being a friend to them, but realistically, they don’t invite me to a lot of their events,” she pointed out. “I just was like, ‘I see what’s going on,’ but it’s cool. At least I didn’t have to be a part of how we’re splitting the bill.”
And speaking of the bill, Kenya said in another segment of the RHOA: After Show that “everyone thought [Martel] should’ve picked up the bill,” including Marlo and Sanya.
“Marlo and Sanya also thought it, and they were laughing behind Sheree’s back,” she noted.
And Kandi agreed, saying, “They hanging right under your neck. They are making you think that they are so cool with you, they don’t really care about you the way that you think.”
As for Sheree, she brought up “a conversation” Marlo and Sanya had about the topic behind her back.
“I’mma tell you who I heard it was. I heard it was Courtney,” Marlo alleged as she and Sanya denied any potential trash-talking.
But despite the criticism, Sheree said Martell should’ve never been expected to pick up the bill for her birthday dinner with her castmates.
“At the end of the day, it was just a little much for anybody to think they were gonna come to my birthday party and not bring me a gift and not do this and think you’re gonna get your meal paid. We’re not married or anything like that,” she explained. “I have not been to dinner with anyone whose guy paid for me, period, by myself, any of you guys. Typically, when it’s a birthday party, people chip in for the birthday girl, especially if you ain’t bringing a gift.”
“Y’all have not been together that long for him to pay the bill that we had for that whole table,” Marlo agreed.
According to Sanya, she originally thought Martell would pay — but only because she didn’t realize how new Sheree’s relationship with Martell, who she was first linked to in July 2022, was.
“The thing is, Sheree, when we first thought we were gonna have the dinner, I thought it was gonna be just me you and Ross,” Sanya told Sheree.
“But when you got there and figured it out, you wanted your meal to be paid for? When you got there… empty handed?” Sheree replied, signaling to the fact that Sanya didn’t bring a gift.
“Empty-handed? I literally found out about your birthday party the day before. You’re not 5-years-old. I’m not gonna run to the store to go buy you a gift. You’re grown,” Sanya clapped back.
But their dispute continued, with Sheree wanting to know why she would pay for Sanya and her husband Aaron Ross’ dinner.
“I paid for y’all to eat at Ross’ birthday party. I didn’t ask y’all to chip,” Sanya reasoned.
Then, when Sheree stated that she should not be expected to pay for anything on her birthday, Sanya clarified that she thought Martell would pay for her.
At that point, Sheree threw shade at Aaron, accusing him of wanting Martell to pay for his meal.
“Why would he pay for you and your husband?” she asked. “Ross shouldn’t even want a man paying for him and his wife. That is your husband. Your husband shouldn’t even want another man paying for you.”
Right away, Sanya said it was she who expected Martell to pay, not Aaron.
“I have been to many birthday dinners where the man has paid for everybody,” she added, noting that Aaron actually tried to pay for the dinner but was informed that someone already had.
“I have too when it’s all girls. But why would you want a man to pay for you and your own husband? You expected them to,” Sheree fired back.
When Sayna then argued that she’s been on dates where a man paid, signaling to past outings with Kandi and Todd Tucker, 50, in which Todd paid, Sheree argued that she was referring to outings between just four people and Sanya said it was actually “eight.”
Continuing on, Sanya attempted to drive home the fact that she didn’t initially factor in the length of Sheree and Martell’s romance and defended herself against Sheree’s gift-shaming.
“I’m shaming everybody. Y’all came [expecting free dinner]… It’s my birthday,” Sheree declared.
In response, Sanya alleged that Sheree had failed to get her a birthday gift on two separate occasions and added that she got Sheree a gift for her birthday the previous year.
“My birthday has past two times. You never got me a gift … [And] I bought you a gift last year. I got you some like Versace slippers or something last year for your birthday … We got you some bedroom slippers, they were either Gucci or Versace.”
As Sheree denied having the items, Marlo stepped in to cool things off between the women, saying, “Well I love you guys. We love each other.”
And both Sheree and Sanya agreed.
“I don’t have no beef I’m just trying to clear it up,” Sanya noted.
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