Cynthia Bailey Explains Her Decision to Exit 'RHOA' After 11 Years (Exclusive)

Cynthia Bailey is stepping away from The Real Housewives of Atlanta after 11 years with the long-running franchise. Bailey spoke with ET's Kevin Frazier about her decision to exit RHOA and why she hasn't ruled out a return in the future.

"Honestly, I have had a good run. It has been 11 years, and it was just time, and I think not only was it time, it was the right time," Bailey explained.

As far as the potential new lineup of ladies for the show's upcoming season, the former supermodel told ET that she's "rooting for them."

"Look, I love the show. I am rooting for them. I will be tuned in, and I wish them all the best," she said.

But just because Bailey is leaving the show, doesn't mean she's stepping back from the Housewives altogether. When asked if she'd ever return to the series, she said "100 percent."

"Absolutely, 100 percent, and that is the great thing about the network, about Bravo," Bailey shared. "With the Housewives show, people come and go all the time, you have a peach one day, it is gone the next, they give it back to you, you are a friend of the show, it just keeps going."

Bailey announced her departure from the series on Instagram last month, calling the decision a "difficult" and "heartfelt" one.

"After much thought and consideration, I have made the very difficult and heartfelt decision not to return for the next season of Real Housewives of Atlanta," Bailey wrote. "Thank you NBCUniversal, Bravo, and Truly Original for over a decade of partnership. I can't wait to see what we do next!"

"Thank you to my Real Housewives of Atlanta castmates for eleven of the most unbelievable years of my life; and the most incredible & UNFORGETTABLE memories!" she continued. "I am so grateful to have had this amazing journey, and I am anxiously waiting to embark on new adventures. ... It's time to move on to my next chapter, and I look forward to sharing it with all of you."

The 54-year-old reality TV star is still in the Housewives world with the Peacock series The Real Housewives: Ultimate Girls Trip, which will feature her former RHOA co-star, Kenya Moore, along with The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills' Kyle Richards, The Real Housewives of New York City's Ramona Singer and Luann de Lesseps, and The Real Housewives of New Jersey's Melissa Gorga and Teresa Giudice as they embark on the girls trip of all girls trips.

"I am a little bit removed from the drama, but I have some different drama with some of the different ladies," she revealed. "It was a lot of fun. What I loved about it the most, was that it was not like Housewives, it was very different. I think Peacock wanted to focus on us just having fun again."

"Now, of course there was some drama, but I felt like we really...the balance was there. We really had a good time," Bailey added.

Whether it's returning to the Housewives or joining them for the girls trip of a lifetime, Bailey's husband, sportscaster Mike Hill, is here to "support her 100 percent."

"We discussed it, but at the end of the day, it is her decision, so whatever makes her happy I am going to support her 100 percent," Hill told ET. "If she wanted to go back, I was going to support her and be back there and hold her arm while she held her peach, but I am happy that she's looking forward to the future, because the brightest of her future is yet to come. I really feel like the next 10, 15 years of her life is going to be the best 10, 15 years of her life, not just because I am in it, but it helps. I am just saying I know her life is going to be taking off from here on out."

The Real Housewives: Ultimate Girls Trip is set to hit Peacock next month.

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