Kandi Burruss recently shared that her Aunt Bertha Jones has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.
The Real Housewives of Atlanta alum appeared on an Amazon Live stream on Wednesday, May 21, where she gave an update on the Old Lady Gang, comprised of her mom, Mama Joyce Jones, and her aunts, Bertha and Nora Wilcox. “The Old Lady Gang, they are, they’re not really — I don’t know how you discuss things like this,” she said, continuing, “We’re having a really hard time because my Aunt Bertha has Alzheimer’s. So, you know, trying to manage that.”
Kandi continued, noting the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s has been hard for everyone in the family to come to terms with. “If anybody’s ever dealt with somebody in your family going through that, and it gets worse, and then everybody is like, you know, it’s not easy,” she said. “It’s a time, it’s a time.”
According to the Mayo Clinic, Alzheimer’s disease is a degenerative brain disease, which is the most common form of dementia. Kandi noted during the live stream, that the diagnosis was “sad” for her and her family and has made her “emotional.”
Who is Kandi Burruss’ aunt, Bertha Jones?
Bertha is one of 14 siblings to Kandi’s mom, Joyce. She is also one of the ladies the Old Lady Gang restaurant, that Kandi and her husband, Todd Tucker, opened in Atlanta 2017, is named for. “Five years ago, my husband Todd wanted to open a family restaurant called the Old Lady Gang,” she explained during Season 1 Episode 1 of Kandi & the Gang.
She is the woman behind the Old Lady Gang’s dish, Aunt Bertha’s fried chicken, which is a staple on the menu at the Georgia eatery. She is also described as the “sassy” “side-eye queen” who “speaks her mind” in the first episode of Kandi & the Gang.
“These are not your typical old ladies,” Kandi said during a confessional in the episode about the trio.
Kandi Burruss opens up about her relationship with her aunts
In a 2022 interview with The Daily Dish, Kandi revealed how her aunts have influenced her growing up, noting that her Aunt Bertha used to teach her “a lot of cooking tips growing up.” “I think I definitely am a mixture of all of them,” she said. “Cause all of them are similar. They are all outspoken and kind of can be a little verbally abrasive at times. Very honest. I feel like I got it from them, for sure.”
Learn more about the Old Lady Gang restaurants and what’s next for Kandi and Todd in their restaurant empire.
