Mimi Faust is not treating K. Michelle’s latest reality TV storm like a new chapter, because to her, the behavior has been familiar for years.
During a recent appearance on “The Morning Hustle,” the former “Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta” star was asked whether she thinks K. Michelle has grown since their VH1 days. Mimi did not soften the read.
“Absolutely not. Not an ounce,” she said. “Same person, different face. She’s a bully and then plays the victim. That’s Kay. She bully, bully, bullies people, and then she’ll turn around and cry, cry, cry and play the victim.”
Then came the line that made it clear this was not just casual shade.
“When I figured out who she was, I was like, I want no parts of this person,” Mimi said. She also brushed off K. Michelle mentioning her in recent conversations, adding, “I think it’s cute that she keeps talking about me. It’s real cute.”
The timing is doing half the talking. K. Michelle is now part of “The Real Housewives of Atlanta” Season 17, where Bravo’s own coverage says she claimed she uncovered a “plot” involving castmates and an old rumor. K. Michelle joined the season alongside returning and new faces including Porsha Williams, Phaedra Parks, Drew Sidora, Shamea Morton Mwangi, Angela Oakley, Kelli Ferrell, and Pinky Cole.
However, Mimi’s issue with K. Michelle goes back long before peach season. In 2012, the two were part of the original “Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta” wave, when the show introduced Mimi through her relationship with Stevie J while K. Michelle was rebuilding her music career after a difficult industry chapter. That same year, they even appeared connected through a Saving Our Daughters anti-violence PSA campaign, with K. Michelle saying she wanted to “take the power away from violence against women,” while Mimi said she wanted to “help stop the hurt.”
By 2013, that public alignment had cracked. BET reported that K. Michelle was leaving “Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta” and noted that viewers would see her clash with Mimi after Mimi had a bouquet of flowers thrown in her face during K. Michelle’s New York concert. K. Michelle acknowledged speaking with Mimi and said, “I did apologize to her because at no means is it ever appropriate to slap somebody.”
Urban Belle later reported Mimi’s side through her representative, who said Mimi was unharmed, did not go to the hospital, and was hit with flowers after asking about earlier comments K. Michelle allegedly made about Mimi’s then-boyfriend Nikko’s sexuality. Mimi also said at the time, “Recalling all of the past incidents with K. Michelle and other cast members, she never seems to wants to talk things out; the end results are always violent. That’s not the type of person I am and to continue to fight with K. Michelle would have been pointless.”
The bad blood did not disappear with time. In 2020, MadameNoire covered Mimi reacting to an old “Love & Hip Hop” candle-throwing scene involving K. Michelle and Rasheeda at Mimi’s housewarming. Mimi said the clip brought back “bad memories,” complained that wax was left around her home, and took more jabs at K. Michelle while watching the throwback footage.
So now, as K. Michelle’s “RHOA” debut brings fresh conflict and accusations of sabotage, Mimi is framing it less like new drama and more like a rerun with better lighting. In her view, the issue was never one argument, one bouquet, or one scene. It was the pattern she says made her walk away.
