Entertainment Hollywood
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ByT'Keyah Hayes
Throughout Bravo's"Real Housewives of Atlanta" franchise, we've seen a plethora of housewives come and go throughout the seasons. Although we've seen some fan favorite veterans such as NeNe Leakes and Kim Zolciak-Biermann leave the franchise, we can't forget the OG housewives who had short-lived appearances on RHOA. If you remember the pilot season of RHOA, you may remember former housewives DeShawn Snow and Lisa Wu. Unlike DeShawn, who was fired after the first season of the show, Lisa's exit from the show was on her own terms.
Returning to reality TV to star on "Hollywood Divas," fans questioned why Lisa left the "Real Housewives" franchise after only two seasons. In a 2014 interview with TheJasmineBrand.com, Lisa explained that she left because the show stopped feeling genuine. "Well you know, it was just a difference of creativity," Lisa said. "And you know, my thing is because I write movies, I produce, I don't feel the need to perform and if you're telling me what I should be doing and what my storyline should be then it sounds scripted to me. If it's scripted, let me do d— scripted. If it's reality, let it be reality."
Since her departure from Bravo, Lisa's life hit a few dramatic road bumps, but she has managed to persevere and thrive regardless.
Lisa Wu is divorced from Ed Hartwell
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Following her exit from the "Real Housewives of Atlanta," Lisa Wu's storyline got pretty interesting behind the scenes. A lot has changed since the last time you've seen Lisa, including her relationship status. In 2011, the ex-reality separated from then-husband of six years, former NFL player Ed Hartwell for undisclosed reasons, per Us Weekly. Lisa confirmed the split via Twitter, and also slammed rumors about what ended it. "Sadly. We are separated but would NEVER be over money, That is so far from the truth," she tweeted. "Wish people could respect people's privacy during times like these."
After their divorce, Wu and Hartwell worked on their friendship in order to healthily co-parent their son, Edgerton Hartwell Jr. However, Hartwell's marriage to actor Keisha Knight-Pulliam in January 2016 had Wu feeling surprised. "I feel some kind of way that I had to find out about the situation, first being engaged to Keisha, then I had to find out about him getting married from EJ," Wu said on an episode of "Hollywood Divas." "It was disrespectful because we were best friends...You couldn't tell me or trust me to say, 'Hey, I'm about to get married'? We're better than that! And we're co-parenting, so that's a problem for me, dude... When you marry someone else, it changes the dynamics of how you deal with each other."
Hartwell and Knight-Pulliam split as quickly as they got together, and the messiness of it did not improve the situation with Wu. But hey, at least the ex-"RHOA" star had an impressive career to help cope with the drama.
Lisa Wu got the chance to act alongside her son
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After two seasons of "Real Housewives of Atlanta," three seasons of Hollywood Divas, and following the inactivity of her former fashion line, Lisa Wu took her talents to the big screen and the stage. Although the former Atlanta housewife's acting and writing debut began with 2003 film "Black Ball," her career reached new heights in 2010 after making an appearance in an episode of Tyler Perry's"Meet The Browns." Since then, Wu has landed nearly 20 acting gigs, per IMDb, including a role in Vince Vaughn's "The Internship." In July 2020, Wu landed a leading role in the Netflix film, "Professor Mack."
Of course, when in the midst of an acting grind, it is only fitting to sign on for a Christmas movie! Wu starred alongside Aaron D. Spears in "London Mitchell's Christmas" — a modern Scrooge-style family film from 2019. She shared on Instagramthat her son, Justin Sweat (pictured above left), also starred in the movie. Promoting its release on streaming services, the star described it as a "movie that puts the important things in perspective during challenging times."
From there, the former reality star's credits follow more of a dramatic theme. Wu appeared in the human trafficking drama "Stolen Lilies," played Detective Marsh in "Pinch," and is Supervisory Agent Greene in the thriller "Rift" from 2021. Keeping in line with her recent work, Wu's IMDb notes an upcoming action film titled "The Next 24" with Clifton Powell that also follows a human trafficking story. Her most popular work lately amongst fans, however, is a juicy television role.
Lisa Wu appears in a different kind of TV ensemble
Lisa Wu does not need reality television to fit in with a group of big personalities — in fact, it may even be more addicting to watch when the scandals are scripted. Wu joined the cast of "Saints & Sinners" as Felicia in 2021, replacing Tami Roman as the character. The cast is led by Vanessa Bell Calloway and Clifton Powell in an ensemble that also features Keith Robinson, J.D. Williams, and Jasmine Burke. To celebrate her arrival, co-star Tray Chaney posted a cheerful photo with Wu to Twitter and welcomed her to the family. "She kills it," he wrote, and fans had to weigh in. One viewer said, "I was in total shock when I saw her!" and another praised her addition by saying, "You right this young lady playing this role."
"Saints & Sinners" follows the crime, greed, and family chaos surrounding a Southern Baptist church in small town Georgia. The drama series will air its sixth and final season on Bounce in 2022, according to Deadline, closing the story with a huge clash of characters. Executive producer David Hudson stated in a press release that the show "has been a breakthrough success, attracting a huge and loyal fanbase and taking them on a rollercoaster ride every season."
As the show comes to a close, the excitement of her small role with excellent GIF-able moments is notable. Perhaps she will stay close to scripted television work in the future!
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