Sanya Richards-Ross Talks Parenting on ‘RHOA’: “I Am Who I Am” (EXCLUSIVE)
Published Nov. 22 2023, 1:32 p.m. ET
The Gist:
- Sanya Richards-Ross, star of The Real Housewives of Atlanta, announced she would be a mother of two in 2023.
- Sanya shared with Distractify how bringing her family on reality TV changed her parenting style.
- Sanya Richards-Ross is making her family a “priority” as she takes on more projects outside of ‘RHOA.’
As a four-time Olympic medalist, wife, mother, entrepreneur, AND reality TV star, Sanya Richards-Ross is no stranger to juggling many tasks simultaneously.
Since announcing her pregnancy with her second baby with husband Aaron Ross, Sanya has proven she has no plans of slowing down as a mother of two. Throughout 2023, The Real Housewives of Atlanta star continued slaying a hot look, living her dream as a self-described “serial entrepreneur,” and made time to share memorable moments with her beautiful family.
In an exclusive interview with Distractify, Sanya tells us how she balances motherhood and her career and spills on how reality TV impacted her parenting practices.
Sanya Richards-Ross says ‘RHOA’ didn’t change how she parents her son, Aaron “Deucey” Jr.
When Sanya sprinted into the Real Housewives of Atlanta cast, she won Bravo fans’ hearts with her devotion to her family. Not only did Sanya’s parents, sister, and brother-in-law live with her until the end of RHOA Season 15, but she also showed her and her husband’s discussions about having another baby.
Sanya held nothing back again in Season 15 when she found out she was pregnant with another baby. Unfortunately, Sanya suffered a miscarriage with the baby, which she shared with RHOA fans during its September 2023 season finale. Following the miscarriage, Sanya revealed in July 2023 that she was pregnant again.
While some would be nervous about parenting two children in front of reality TV cameras, Sanya says she has nothing to fear since she’s been authentic about her and Deucey’s mother-son relationship from the beginning.
“One thing about me [that] I feel like is consistent [with me] is, I am who I am,” Sanya says. “So, I don't change up for the cameras. I wouldn't say that there's a big difference.”
“I think maybe for actors who have to leave home for a very long time. Those kinds of things can be different, but reality TV meets you in your home, right? For me, it was about really just showing up authentically as our family and showing that Black love and that good energy on the platform.”
Sanya says the most significant challenge regarding her ‘RHOA’ fame is convincing her son that he’s not a peach holder.
Sanya says the “funniest thing” about her fame is her son now believes he’s the “famous” one in the Ross clan after two seasons on RHOA. And, honestly, who can blame him?!
“My son thinks he's famous,” Sanya says with laughter. “The other day to me, he was like, ‘Mommy, am I more famous than you?’ And I'm like, ‘When did you think you got famous?’ So I think he's starting to feel like, you know, he's the superstar of the family.”
Sanya stresses the importance of making family a “priority” with a busy schedule.
Although Deucey thinks he’s his family’s “superstar,” his mommy is doing big things outside the household. In addition to reality TV, Sanya has several business ventures, including her and Ross’s rental car company, Ross Elite, and her platform for moms, Mommi Nation.
Additionally, Sanya’s partnership with Wells Fargo – The Bank of Doing, the Russell Innovation Center for Entrepreneurs, and Congresswoman Nikema Williams at a pop-up market to help Black entrepreneurs in Atlanta kick off the holiday season has kept her busy. The collaboration came after Sanya launched her family pajama line, Coordinates.
Sanya’s various gigs come amid speculation she may not return to RHOA when the series drops Season 16 in 2024. No matter where her career takes her, Sanya says her “priority” will always be her family and the life she’s building with them by her side.
“I think the biggest lesson I've learned being a mom in business and a wife is how important it is to prioritize,” she explains. “I think that sometimes we can get so quickly caught up and carried away with all the things that we have going on. So I do my best just to pause and to make sure that my family is always good.”
“If I can bring them when I'm traveling for work, or if I need to take a break from work to make sure that my son knows that I'm there,[sic] because it's nothing [that] replaces time.”
