Real Housewives Who are Actually Activists

Onscreen the Real Housewives know how to bring the glitz, glamour, and drama. (All the drama.) But in real life these ladies also balance personal and professional lives, are killing it with a variety of side hustles, and quite often, they’re also strong voices for important causes. From Porsha Williams’ arrest while protesting, to LeeAnne Locken highlighting LGBTQ issues, to many others who have stood up for what they believe in on-and off-screen over the years, here are the Housewives with causes who may be making a real-world difference with their advocacy.

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1 / 10

Porsha Williams

RHOA star Porsha made headlines last summer after she was arrested for protesting the killing of Breonna Taylor, proving that her activism stretches beyond the cameras (despite what Kenya Moore may publicly think). But activism is in Porsha’s blood: she is the granddaughter to late civil rights icon Hosea Williams, after all. That spirit seems to have been ignited even further following the death of George Floyd, and Porsha has been taking to the streets with fellow protestors ever since.

Lisa Vanderpump at a holiday dog rescue event

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2 / 10

Lisa Vanderpump

Vanderpump has always been crazy about dogs (just not bitches), and during her time on RHOBH she used her platform to help many animals in need. In particular she and her husband Ken called attention to the Yulin festival—an annual festival in China in which attendees feast on dog meat. The pair protested the practice and took their fight all the way to congress, where a resolution urging all countries to ban dog and cat meat was passed in 2018.

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3 / 10

Joanna Krupa

The Real Housewives of Miami may have been short-lived, but during her time on the show Joanna made sure to give a voice to voiceless animals everywhere through her rescue organization, Angels for Animals. She has also appeared in several ad campaigns for PETA and has a full house of fur babies herself, making her the real deal when it comes to fighting for the lives of furry friends everywhere.

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Braunwyn Windham-Burke

This RHOC star hasn’t always invoked her inner activist, but following the murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor she finally checked her privilege and made the choice to become an ally. Over the past year the personality has used her presence to amplify Black voices, call attention to racial injustice, and step out to some of the Black Lives Matter protests happening across America.

Garcelle Beauvais at the Billboard Music Awards

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Garcelle Beauvais

Fans have only had one short season to really get to know RHOBH star Garcelle, and even then much of her time on the show revolved around the Denise Richards drama. So people didn’t get to see the activist side of the latest leading lady, one that she has always invoked throughout her decades in the business. She has always fought for racial equality and other important issues, and in the past she was romantically linked to renowned activist Ted Bunch.

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Gizelle Bryant

RHOP’s Gizelle Bryant learned activism from her legendary father, Civil Rights activist Curtis Graves, and it has always been a part of her life. (Her second job out of school was working for the national headquarters of the NAACP.) This past year she has taken her activism even further though, by passing along the importance of using your voice to her daughters. She’s taken them to peaceful Black Lives Matter protests in the wake of George Floyd’s death, extending her dad’s legacy to a third generation.

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7 / 10

LeeAnne Locken

Life wasn’t always easy for this former RHOD star, who has had her fair share of ups and downs over the series. One thing that she did always try to do though was highlight social causes that are important to her. Over four seasons that included spreading awareness about AIDS activism and LGBTQ+ issues, and highlighting the very real and scary topic that is human trafficking.

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8 / 10

Leah McSweeney

Leah and her sober (but not-so-sober) ways made many headlines on her debut season of RHONY. But one thing she didn’t get to talk about much is her passion for fighting for what she believes in. This past year that has included being an ally in the Black Lives Matter movement. Not only has Leah used her social media platforms to support the movement, but she has also attended several protests… unlike some of her co-stars.

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Eboni K. Williams

Fans haven’t gotten to know the latest RHONY cast member just yet, but when the 13th season debuts it’s safe to say we’ll all learn plenty about the late-night talk show host. She has been open about using her platform for good in the past, discussing Black Lives Matter and other important issues at length on her series, State of the Culture. Undoubtedly she’ll continue those conversations on Housewives.

Phaedra Parks on Watch What Happens Live

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Phaedra Parks

Porsha isn’t the only RHOA cast member who has used her platform to speak out against racial injustices and other important social issues. Phaedra has also been busy protesting while continuing to work with her nonprofit organizations, The Phaedra Foundation and Save Our Sons. Through the latter she works with communities across America to highlight the importance of Black boys having positive male role models to look up to. So naturally, she has also been sure to involve her own sons in her activism throughout the years.