ATLANTA — Toya Bush-Harris is one of the five original cast members of the Bravo show "Married to Medicine," which plays off the "Real Housewives" template with a wee bit more class and far more stability. She is back for Season 9, which returned on Sunday.
Of those five originals, only one has gotten divorced since the show began in 2013: Quad Webb. Over the years, Bush-Harris has been the dedicated wife of Dr. Eugene Harris, an emergency room doctor, and has two sons.
She has regularly clashed with some of the other ladies, often regarding her finances, while providing enough interesting storylines to stay employed.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution spoke to Bush-Harris earlier this month and here are some highlights.
—Would she ever voluntarily leave the show? "I've never wanted to walk away. Last year, it was a little overwhelming. But if my family loves it and we're happy, I'm happy to be there. They film us for four or five months out of the year. The rest of the year, I can spend time with my children and my husband. The show is a blessing."
—How she handles her time off: "It's always intense. It takes the rest of the year to get back to normal. I've started doing a detox as soon as the reunion show is over. I spend a few days just doing my favorite things like play tennis and going to the spa."
—The presence of Anila Sajja, the first Indian American, who joined the cast in Season 8: "We needed a change of pace. She brings a different dynamic. It's a different culture. I think sometimes you get stuck in seeing the same things that happen in African American households. It's nice to be able to incorporate different nationalities. ... She's a neighbor of mine, which can be a nightmare in and of itself because the housewives where I live are so cliquey."
—Her housing situation: She spent years building what was termed her "dream house," but not long after moving in, she and her husband sold it for nearly $3 million for a massive profit. "It was the perfect scenario to sell the house," she said. "You can't beat the community. It's private. It's gated." She is now renting a home down the street as they build yet another dream home, which recently broke ground in Suwanee. "The last home was already designed. This one, we are designing from scratch," she said. "The neighborhood is also closer to the boys' school and more culturally diverse."
On her husband's work situation: "He's working hard. You're going to see some changes. Last year you saw how stressful things were for him with COVID. There weren't enough nurses. He was overworked."
On Webb returning full time after working part-time in Season 8: "At the beginning of shooting this season, I was excited to see Quad back. I'm all about the show. If you're entertaining and people love you, why not? Toward the end of the season, after working with her again, it got stressful."
—On Dr. Contessa Metcalfe almost divorcing her husband, Scott, last season before deciding to use therapy to keep things together: "I applaud Scott and Contessa for sticking it out and working it out. Nothing is ever perfect. It's not perfect in our household but we've stuck it out and kept it working."
—On Dr. Heavenly Kimes being super shady on social media against her and others: "She is always messy. If she doesn't look in the mirror, there's a problem. We haven't seen much growth in her over the years. She contradicts what I stand for as far as friendship. I pride myself on being a loyal friend. When I'm around people whose actions and words don't match up, problems arise."
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'MARRIED TO MEDICINE'
Rating: TV-14
How to watch: Season 9 premiered Sunday on Bravo; episodes available Monday on Peacock, where the first eight seasons are streaming.
