TikTok started circulating a Fox Soul clip from about four years ago after Claudia Jordan spent Carlos King’s Monday Night Live telling Porsha Williams to show Shamea Morton some empathy. Reunion Part 3: Shamea said the surrogate miscarried the last male embryo. The stitch making the rounds is Claudia saying if she doesn’t like someone and they lose somebody, she usually isn’t going to say anything. That’s the quiet Porsha sat in. Here’s the thing: the full segment was about NeNe Leakes after Greg G. Leakes died, a $200 bouquet the Housewives pitched in on, and whether that was thought or performance. The line is real. The context is longer than the stitch.
They Pitched In Because They Don’t Like You
Look, the panel was reacting to NeNe on B103 Atlanta after Greg passed. She said Cynthia Bailey didn’t show until a week later, every Housewife did reach out, and she questioned why they pitched in on a $200 bouquet instead of buying their own. How do you guys feel about that — thought, or the dollar amount? Claudia didn’t wait. They pitched in because they don’t like you. They haven’t liked you since you left. One person spearheaded it, Cash App forty, names on one card: performative. Greg passing, she said, ain’t got nothing to do with the fact they still don’t really mess with you. Sidebar: this tape is four years old. Al on the panel said he was at the celebration — Cynthia’s lounge, when it was open — and the Atlanta ladies were there except Cynthia. He didn’t think group flowers meant they didn’t like NeNe. Coordination. He also told Claudia on that live that NeNe did get her flowers, and to say thank you. Maybe NeNe had already told her. Maybe he wanted it public. Who knows. Funky Dineva called the week-later line a nice-nasty dog whistle. There was already a video from that era of NeNe calling Cynthia out for not showing day one. Rest in peace to Greg. Just saying.
“If I don’t like someone and then they lose someone, usually I’m just not going to say anything.”
Hold Up — No One Owes You Anything
This is the part that got clipped. Claudia said it’s no secret she and NeNe aren’t cool, aren’t friends, are nothing — but out of respect for Greg she sent condolences and never made it public. She felt triggered. Hold up. No one owes you anything. She didn’t have to spend a dollar. It had nothing to do with NeNe and everything to do with paying respect to a man who stayed a class act even when people were beefing with his wife. She can’t tell NeNe how to grieve. She’s never lost a husband. She called it tacky to Google how much the flowers cost. The things NeNe said about other people — you’re lucky anyone even showed up. Then the line the internet wanted: if I don’t like someone and they lose someone, usually I’m just not going to say anything. That’s what Porsha did. The context matters. She was talking about work relationships and show friendships, not a fifteen-year best-friendship. Funky, who lost both parents, said the people who called a week or two later had the biggest impact, because the funeral crowd forgets you. That same beat came up covering Malcolm-Jamal Warner’s widow. Take a listen to the full tape, stop-and-go, fair use. The stitch is not the segment.
Same Through-Line, Different Woman
I’m not going to rehash everybody else on that Carlos King live. The recent clip is Claudia saying Porsha and Shamea’s negative is a drop in the bucket next to years of friendship. She found grace for a woman who dragged her all season — made fun of her sexual abuse — when that woman’s mom was sick. Care package. After Season 7 with NeNe they went at it, and when NeNe had a reunion breakdown Claudia still said something kind. NeNe emailed. Grown-woman stuff. She thinks Porsha missed a leadership word: I feel for you. Period. No fake speech. People called the Fox Soul tape a gotcha. This is not a big gotcha moment. Even back then, even though she didn’t fw NeNe, she still sent flowers. Four years later she’s arguing the same thing: even if I don’t fw you, show some empathy. Last week she explained why she could never see it for Porsha — the Cordell-era friend, the origin story. So if Porsha had offered a word, the same crowd would have called her fake. Two things can be true: the through-line is consistent, and Claudia still can’t see it for this one woman. Can we talk about the hypocrisy on Pinky’s pregnancy leak from the last recap? That’s still sitting there. This Fox Soul tape is not that.
Fake Empathy Still Isn’t the Flex
Look, twerk on the fence. Personally, even with someone you don’t rock with, reaching out after a close relative is the move. If someone decides not to, people are going to react differently. A fake “I’m so sorry” is not required. Keep the same energy. We don’t know the depth of Porsha and Shamea’s families. That’s why you really can’t be team anyone — an edited, abridged version of what happened between them and their mothers, and we probably will never know, and that’s okay. It doesn’t affect us. Sitting there with no reaction is fine. A shady face would have had the internet on her neck. Claudia is allowed her feelings. A lot of people understand where she’s coming from. The four-year-old tape is not the aha that she’s been inconsistent, if you listen to the full context. This is what real journalism looks like. Being facetious. How do y’all feel about that — speech, silence, or a clip that still ends with flowers? It’s a debate, not a fight. Don’t attack people in the comments for their opinions. What we don’t do over here is moderate adults. Empire After Dark hits The Green Room 42 on September 25. Here we go.
Disclaimer: This post is based on publicly available information and credited sources. All allegations are unproven
