The Real Reason Why Kenya Moore And Marc Daly Split Up
Many Real Housewives of Atlanta fans assumed beauty queen Kenya Moore had finally found true love when she tied the knot with restaurateur Marc Daly in June 2017. Moore's supporters were especially thrilled because she'd experienced many disappointments in love before meeting Daly — a misfortune her castmates didn't mind exploiting. But the reality star's fortune changed for the better after marrying Daly in a secret island ceremony, followed by a pregnancy announcement in April 2018. Moore was 47 at the time of her daughter's birth that November, proving that it's never too late to give up on your dreams.
Although Moore left RHOA and fame behind before her baby's arrival, the TV personality's life seemed to be on an upswing ... until she announced her split from Daly in September 2019, that is. The Michigan native shared a cryptic statement in light of the breakup, noting that the former couple would go their separate ways due to "recent and ongoing circumstances" (via People). Of course, this only intensified the curiosity surrounding her divorce, and fans became even more invested amid Moore's return to RHOA – a development that might have affected her marriage.
So, why did Moore call it quits just two years after saying "I do"? Buckle up for a lot of drama folks, because the real reason why Kenya Moore and Marc Daly split up is incredibly juicy.
Kenya Moore and Marc Daly's marriage was rumored to be fake from the jump
With rumors circulating that their nuptials were fake, Kenya Moore and Marc Daly's marriage didn't start off on the right foot. The suspicion was a bit understandable considering Moore had never mentioned Daly on RHOA before tying the knot. Not to mention, the details surrounding the secret ceremony were very hush, hush. Even Moore's RHOA castmates added fuel to the speculation, with Marlo Hampton telling TMZ, "I'm trying to help her save this peach with this fake marriage."
Other co-stars also insinuated Moore's husband was fake, making jokes at her expense during a surprise "wedding" they threw in her honor in an episode of RHOA (via People). The only cast member who wasn't in it for the drama was Cynthia Bailey, who defended Moore's decision to initially keep the identity of her then-hubby private. "We all know very clearly that Kenya gets scrutinized the most about her relationships. It's always like, 'Oh you got a fake boyfriend,'" she said. "I do want to meet him, but I don't want to press her to do it."
Although Moore is a strong woman, we imagine these rumors might have negatively impacted her marriage. A partnership can only endure so much, and it's possible these two got tired of defending their union to others.
Kenya Moore supposedly felt like a single parent
After the birth of Kenya Moore's daughter, Brooklyn, in November 2018, the new mom appeared to be overflowing with happiness. "My heart is so full at the abundance of love for our family!" she wrote on Instagram following the delivery. But motherhood is no easy feat, especially when you feel like you're going it alone. And this is supposedly what Moore felt in the months leading up to her split from Brooklyn's dad, Marc Daly.
"Kenya had a meltdown," an insider cited by Radar Online claimed about Moore's alleged frustrations. "She is really struggling being basically a single mom." As for what led to Moore's supposed discontent? Daly apparently never moved to Atlanta from his home base in New York after Brooklyn's birth, reportedly creating a situation where Moore was essentially parenting solo. "Marc has only been to Atlanta a few times to film with Kenya and the baby, but he doesn't live there and he isn't there full-time," the source added. "Kenya is in a long distance relationship and that is hard as a mom, as a wife, and as someone on a reality show."
There's a chance Moore might have become fed up with Daly's supposed absence. No one should have to feel abandoned by their partner, after all.
A long-distance romance with no end in sight
Kenya Moore and Marc Daly supposedly never lived with one another full-time. That's because Moore's life is in Atlanta, Ga., while Daly holds things down in Brooklyn, N.Y.
However, it's important to note here that Daly had a good reason for not leaving NYC in a hurry, as he runs a very popular restaurant there called Soco. The eatery has rave reviews on Yelp, and Moore gave it a shoutout in March 2018 for receiving a prestigious nod. "Congratulations to my hubby owner of @socobk for being selected by @travelnoire for being one of the 50 best black owned restaurants in the country!" she penned. "Not to mention editor's choice and fan favorite! So proud of you. Keep shining!"
In Moore's case, she returned to RHOA in June 2019, making it difficult for her to travel to New York or move there permanently. Long-distance relationships can be tough, to say the least, especially if there's no end in sight. Perhaps this former couple got tired of the back-and-forth, which would be totally reasonable.
Did Kenya Moore choose RHOA over Marc Daly?
Although Kenya Moore voluntarily walked away from RHOA in July 2018, she never ruled out a return to the hit Bravo series. So, when Moore revealed her plans for a comeback in June 2019, some viewers weren't too shocked. But what is surprising? The rumor that Moore chose reality TV fame over her marriage.
It all started when the new mom was reportedly pressured to feature her love story on camera, something she had refused to do before. "Producers asked Kenya to renew her vows for the show," a source claimed to Radar Online. "She told them she had to ask Marc." Moore supposedly went through with the request because the insider went on to note, "She's not going to put her job in jeopardy again." The source also alleged, "Kenya is doing all the right things to stay on the show," even though Daly apparently didn't like to film. "Marc just doesn't want to be on TV," another insider later claimed to the gossip rag. "It is plain and simple."
If reality TV truly created a wedge between the former couple, it sounds like Moore may have chosen fame over her husband. On the flip side, however, you could argue that Daly reportedly didn't support his wife's career. Either way, it's obvious these two had different priorities.
Marc Daly called Kenya Moore what?!
Marc Daly supposedly wasn't a fan of Kenya Moore's work on RHOA, but we had no idea how bad it really was until a September 2019 report surfaced claiming he'd called his then-wife a derogatory name due to her work on the show. The drama reportedly unfolded during an event that was filmed for the Bravo series, with Daly allegedly venting to castmate Eva Marcille's husband about Moore's supposed fame-hungry ways.
"Marc told Eva's husband that he is tired of Kenya's s**t," a source cited by Radar Online claimed. "He called her an attention whore." Yikes. Unfortunately, Moore apparently overheard Daly make the alleged remark, leading to a nasty confrontation. "Kenya aggressively confronted Marc at an event he was hosting," the insider continued. "And Bravo was filming." Speaking of filming, that in and of itself reportedly caused a major shift in Daly's behavior. "It has been coming ever since she started filming again," the source added. "Marc doesn't return her calls, he doesn't come to Atlanta, doesn't see their baby. It is all very upsetting to Kenya."
It sounds like these two might have some issues to sort out — at least for the sake of their daughter.
All about Marc Daly's alleged double life
In an especially salacious report, gossip site All About The Tea claimed Marc Daly had led a double life in New York while he was married to Kenya Moore. "Kenya and Marc have been fighting since after they got married," a source alleged to the site. "Marc has always been distant from Kenya and she assumed it was because he lived in Brooklyn but found out that he's been seeing another woman that he has kids with."
Apparently, Daly was only with Moore for the money. "Marc has been seeing this woman for years and loves her very much," the insider claimed. "He hooked up with Kenya because she was so willing to pay for everything and helped him get out of debt and pay his bills." What's more? The reality TV star is supposedly "too much drama" for Daly. "After filming that [TV] show, [Marc] was done with [Kenya]. He did not want to do the show but Kenya demanded that he help her get back on [TV]."
Of course, we can't say for certain whether this report is true. However, it would be devastating if so, because no one deserves to be lied to.
Did arguing overshadow their marriage?
In the days leading up to Kenya Moore and Marc Daly's divorce, the soon-to-be exes shared a video of themselves arguing. Although the clip was intended to be a lighthearted discussion about posting photos on Instagram, it quickly turns tense. As the two drive around in a car, Moore tells viewers about how Daly "was not happy" with her for "posting a semi-nude picture" of the dad "sleeping with the baby the other day." Daly then reprimands Moore for not asking for his "permission" to share the pic. "He said it was without his permission," the reality star replies amid laughter. "And I said, 'Report me to Instagram.'" Daly responds, "Ay, ay, ay. See what I have to live with?"
Moore seemingly picked up on how this exchange might look to viewers, so she clarified it was all in good fun. "If you guys are around us for five minutes, you know that we each have very sort of dry senses of humor," she explains. "And it's just funny. People always think we're arguing, but we're not arguing. We're just always like — we just have our own way of laughing and communicating with each other."
Still, we can't say this banter was a good look: If they were arguing over a simple photo in public, we can only imagine what they might have fought about behind closed doors. Hmm.
Kenya Moore's co-stars aren't buying the divorce either
There's no question that Kenya Moore's Real Housewives of Atlanta co-stars were suspicious about the legitimacy of her marriage to Marc Daly. They found the quickness of the nuptials odd, as well as Moore's initial secrecy surrounding her then-beau's identity. And apparently, her cast members felt similarly about the divorce.
"Kenya is in the hot seat about what is really happening with Marc," a source claimed to Radar Online. "The ladies are confused about why things went south so fast. They don't know what is real and what is fake with Kenya."
The RHOA ladies allegedly accused Moore of being "fake," suggesting that there might be more to this divorce than what meets the eye. Did Moore manufacture the breakup as a Bravo storyline, for instance? We don't want to point any fingers, but stranger things have happened. Either way, rest assured Moore will probably be in the hot seat throughout the upcoming seasons, as an insider told the media outlet, "NeNe had a lot of questions for Kenya."
Kenya Moore will be okay no matter what
Kenya Moore has weathered many storms in her life, from unstable relationships to an estrangement from her biological mother. So, when it comes to surviving this divorce from Marc Daly, you can bet your bottom dollar she'll be okay. Moore said as much in a September 2019 Instagram post with daughter Brooklyn by her side.
Captioning the snapshot of the mother-daughter duo set against a beautiful coastal backdrop with lyrics from Beyoncé's "Sorry," she penned: "Me and my baby, we gon' be alright / We gon' live a good life..." If you aren't familiar with this particular Queen Bey tune, it's essentially about finding your self-worth amid a breakup. It's an inspirational message, and it's obvious Moore has taken it to heart.
Fans connected with Moore's message, as one commenter wrote: "Yes you are. You got this mama. Keep your head up this too shall pass." Well said. No matter what happens from here on out, we have a feeling everything will be alright. Stay strong, mama!