RHOA: Funeral Director Phaedra Parks Gives Grim COVID-19 Outlook

Former Real Housewives of Atlanta cast member Phaedra Parks, who is now a licensed funeral director, recently gave a grim outlook on COVID-19’s impact. The reality star appeared on Wednesday’s episode of We Hear, which is a Page Six podcast. She spoke about being on the front lines of the coronavirus crisis, and knows firsthand how troubling the public health crisis has been on families.

The former RHOA bad girl, who was fired from the reality show back in 2017, entered the funeral business as a way to solidify her family’s future and add an additional revenue stream to her lucrative roster of undertakings. Many fans were flummoxed when she decided to pivot from her law practice to learn how to run a funeral home. Parks was steadfast at the time that the business move was one with a huge return on investment. However, she never could have guessed that a nightmare like the coronavirus would shift her business prospects so dramatically. Parks noted that business has been nonstop due to the pandemic and was quite clear to listeners that they should take the stay-at-home orders and mask ordinances seriously.

“I tell people when they say, ‘Oh, you know, it’s a joke, it’s not that big of a deal,’ well, let me put it to you in real terms: I’m getting 17 calls a day for pickups and that’s at one location. Last week, all of the people were under 59 … those numbers are so low, it makes it extremely frightening.” Parks then explained the impact the virus has been having on households: “The pandemic really wreaks havoc on families. So we’ve buried 3-4 people in one immediate family which is really sad. It definitely takes a toll on you emotionally.” She added, “This pandemic is really serious and people should really realize that, because it’s not a joke.“

Parks recently tiptoed back into the limelight by appearing on the WE TV series Marriage Boot Camp with her beau of six months, Medina Islam. Her other previously high-profile relationship was with her ex-husband Apollo Nida, with whom she appeared on RHOA. They share two sons together. Parks, who is a devout Christian, and Islam completed their stint on Marriage Boot Camp with one distinction that likely sets them apart from their costars: The pair has never been physically intimate with each other. Not only that, but they’ve now been forced to resort to a long-distance romance due to the quarantine orders. Still, Parks has plenty on her plate to keep her busy and will continue to focus her dedication towards the families her business serves.

As if anyone needed a reminder that COVID-19 is serious business, Phaedra Parks has provided a unique insight into this global pandemic. Becoming a funeral director was a shrewd business move that has, coincidentally, made her wealthy during one of the worst medical crises this country has seen. For all the people who believe COVID-19 is a hoax, it’s not. There are too many families being ripped away from their loved ones without the benefit of saying one last goodbye. Parks is a testament to this. She and others in her profession should spend more time educating the masses about this virus so that hopefully, the last few detractors will understand that COVID-19 is nothing to take casually.

Source: Today

About The Author