Cynthia Bailey is being feted this week after announcing her surprise engagement to boyfriend Mike Hill. But Radar Online says that the happy news isn’t entirely on the up and up. A source told the news outlet that Bailey promised Bravo an engagement in order to secure her spot on the hit show.
As The Inquisitr previously reported, Bailey revealed that the TV sportscaster popped the question on one knee with a giant diamond ring. Bailey’s daughter Noelle Robinson, 19, and Hill’s two daughters Kayla, 17, and Ashlee, 19, along with several of her co-stars on The Real Housewives of Atlanta were all present for the big surprise event at her store, Bailey’s Wine Cellar. The only missing housewife was NeNe Leakes.
“Cynthia promised an engagement to get her contract this season,” a source said. “Cynthia has this mapped out after she almost lost her job last season.”
The engagement wasn’t exactly staged for the show, but the timeline was shifted forward in order to help her nab her contract, according to the source.
“She sped it up so she could keep her job,” the source added.
Apparently, it worked, because Bailey was able to nab a whopping $1.8 million contract for the show’s upcoming season.
Bailey and Hill aren’t racing down the aisle anytime soon, however.
“Cynthia and Mike really like each other and seem very happy so they’re not rushing down the aisle,” the source said.
Real Housewives of Orange County star Vicky Gunvalson reportedly pulled a similar tactic for the same reason earlier this year. As Radar reported, the OG Housewife had cameras surrounding her to capture the moment when boyfriend Steve Lodge popped the question. The star had reportedly told Bravo execs that she would nab the ring to liven up her storyline to keep her position in the show.
In her case, the ploy didn’t pay off, because Vicky returned for the new season of the show as a friend rather than an official housewife. But the star has said that she will let the network film her wedding for the following season of the show, so it may have helped her keep a place — even in a diminished role — on the show.
Meanwhile, Bailey says that she is excited to get hitched to her “soulmate” and that the pair had discussed marriage frequently.
This will be the second marriage for both Bailey and Hill, and they are making sure that they had learned from their previous experiences to make the most of this time around.