Should your boyfriend pay the bill for the entire table at your birthday dinner? This is a real thing that the Real Housewives of Atlanta are arguing about right now. On Season 15, Episode 14, Sanya Richards-Ross let it slip that at Shereé Whitfield’s birthday dinner, her boyfriend Martell Holt asked everyone to pitch in towards the $1,500 bill.
The CashApp request at the birthday dinner became fodder for the Housewives to talk about Martell — as if they needed more reasons to gossip about him. The moment was a quick blip in the latest episode of RHOA. However, on the After Show, Sanya and Shereé went head to head on whether or not Martell was following the proper birthday dinner etiquette. To chip in, or not to chip in, that is the question.
Sanya and Shereé face off
They didn’t actually show Shereé’s birthday dinner on RHOA, but through word of mouth, we learned that she invited a bunch of the RHOA cast (except for Kandi Burruss and Drew Sidora) for dinner at Nobu. Later, with cameras rolling, Sanya and Marlo Hampton laughed with the other ladies about the awkward moment when Martell started asking everyone for money to contribute towards the bill.
On the After Show, Shereé argued that it was a little unreasonable for her friends to attend the birthday dinner expecting a free meal on Martell’s dime. She explained, “At the end of the day, it was just a little much for anybody to think that they were going to come to my birthday party, and not bring me a gift, and not do this and that, and then you think you’re gonna get your meal paid.” Shereé continued, “You know, we’re not married or anything like that.”
So, perhaps if Martell and Shereé were married, he would have paid for the meal? Not quite. Shereé argued that it isn’t customary for a husband or partner to pay for a birthday meal. She believes everyone should chip in — especially if you didn’t bring a gift.
Sanya said that she initially expected Martell to pay for the meal. But she also admitted that she wasn’t considering how new the relationship was at the time. Either way, she wasn’t thrilled with how Shereé threw her under the bus for not bringing a gift to the party. So, she had to clap back at the RHOA OG. Where has this Sanya been for the last two seasons?
Sanya clapped back and said, “I literally found out about your birthday party the day before. You’re not five years old. I’m not going to run to the store and buy you a gift like a kid.”
That shade got Shereé activated, and she tried to act like Sanya and Ross showed up at the party empty-handed and expecting a free meal. Shereé retorted, “Ross shouldn’t even want a man paying for him and his wife.”
They spent a solid 90 seconds talking over each other, and Marlo tried to play referee. Ultimately, the two Housewives agreed to disagree. If Martell and Shereé had been together for a long time, maybe Martell would have paid. And perhaps if Sanya had known about the party sooner, she would have brought a gift. Everyone learned a lesson today.
Keep learning about birthday party etiquette as Season 15 of Real Housewives of Atlanta continues on Bravo. Catch it Sunday nights at 8/7c.
TELL US – IS IT PROPER ETIQUETTE FOR EVERYONE TO CONTRIBUTE TO A BIRTHDAY DINNER, OR SHOULD MARTELL HAVE PAID? ARE YOU SURPRISED TO SEE SANYA HOLDING HER OWN AGAINST SHEREE?
