Host Andy Cohen called out a major backstage change at the Married to Medicine reunion that marked a surprising first for Drs. Jackie Walters and Simone Whitmore.
Before the two-part special officially kicked off, Andy made his rounds backstage and was stunned to learn that Jackie and Simone were using separate dressing rooms for glam amid an apparent friendship rift that ignited after Season 12 wrapped filming.
“I was really surprised when I walked into Simone’s room today, and you and Jackie were not sharing, as you’ve done, I think, every year,” the Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen host remarked on the reunion stage, before asking, “Why is that, Simone?”
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“Um, I needed Jackie; she failed to deliver,” Dr. Simone vaguely explained. “And so, I just wanted to be in a room by myself.”
After promising to delve more fully into the subject later on, Andy replied, “I’m really hoping that we can get this to a better place, and I’m confident that we can.”
Simone Whitmore’s issue with Jackie Walters, explained
Backstage, the first details of what happened between Simone and Jackie to cause the reunion switch-up had already begun to trickle out. As Simone’s makeup artist pointed out, it was the first time in five years that she and Jackie hadn’t shared a room.
“Well, I think, as my friend of almost 30 years, if you really can’t stand up and speak the truth…” Simone began, before a clip rolled from Jackie’s WWHL appearance two nights earlier, adding more insight into what led to the fractured state of their friendship.
In the video, Andy asked Jackie to weigh in on whether or not Dr. Heavenly Kimes was “overexaggerating” what happened between her and Simone at Angel Love Davis’ scrubs launch event. She initially responded that she “wasn’t there to see it.” However, when Andy countered that she “saw the footage,” Jackie said only that Heavenly and Simone had both “misinterpreted what was happening.”
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“You’ve got to stay neutral for some bulls–t?” Dr. Simone asked backstage at the reunion. “I don’t need those types of friends. I just don’t.”
When Andy stopped by her dressing room and remarked to Simone that the rift seemed to be “deep,” the Atlanta-area OB-GYN declared, “You saved me from a divorce once. I don’t know if you can help again.”
Separately, the WWHL host caught up with Dr. Jackie, who told him she was “sad” about the situation with Simone, adding, “I don’t like thinking that I hurt her.”
Drs. Jackie Walters and Simone Whitmore unpack the WWHL drama
Toward the end Married to Med‘s Reunion Part I, Andy revisited the fact that Simone “felt unsupported by Jackie” during her recent WWHL appearance.
“It wasn’t even about needing support in that moment,” Simone explained. “It was about right is right; wrong is wrong. After you saw the footage, after the tape was rolled, for anybody sitting here to continue a narrative that just wasn’t true, to stand behind a false allegation, means that I have to take another look at you and your morals, your character.”
After more discussion on the matter, Jackie insisted that she was only “trying to be a good friend” to both Simone and Heavenly while answering Andy’s question about their feud on WWHL.
Addressing her fellow OB-GYN directly, Jackie, later, added, “Simone, because this is important to me today, this is not a show. We have been through a lot for 30 years. And I’ve always felt like you were safe, and I was a safety to you. So, today, I want this about you and I. …. I need to know from you that if I have let you down and betrayed you, I want to fix it.”
Unable to break through the arguing between some of the other women, Jackie crossed the stage and sat down next to Simone, who had tears streaming down her face. The two further unpacked their drama, but Simone still appeared to be opposed to a reconciliation, citing the potential professional implications of Jackie not having her back amid Heavenly’s accusations toward her.
“We are never going to end up back together again,” Simone concluded. “You take my word for it. I can’t move forward. Don’t want to, can’t do it.”
As you wait to see if Andy can help Simone and Jackie reach a resolution on Part 2 of the reunion, don’t miss exclusive updates on the Married to Medicine cast’s lives after Season 12 wrapped filming.
