Last night’s episode of The Real Housewives of Atlanta featured an emotional scene in which Kenya Moore revealed to cast mates Kandi Burruss and Cynthia Bailey that her dog of seven years, a little Yorkie named Velvet (with Kenya above), had died after being viciously attacked by a neighbor’s dog. Though it’s been more than five months since the emotional scene was filmed, Kenya is obviously still struggling with it because she tweeted prior to last night’s show, “#Teamtwirl I can’t tweet tonight as I’m not strong enough yet 2 watch the upcoming episodes or talk about them. I thank u 4 your love #RHOA”
Imagine the shock earlier today when gossip site Media Takeout posted a story alleging that Kenya’s dog wasn’t dead at all, and was, in fact, alive and well living on the west coast with Kenya’s pal Brandon DeShazer!
The site had a reader from Los Angeles who tipped them off. “Kenya’s BFF Brandon showed up with a LITTLE YORKIE about six months ago,” the site says of the reader’s claim. “And that Yorkie looked SURPRISINGLY SIMILAR to Kenya’s dog. We’re told that TO THIS DAY . . . Brandon still as [sic] that dog.”
As evidence supporting their Velvetgate claims, Media Takeout mentioned a photo posted by Brandon on instagram a few months ago (long after the emotional scene was filmed) that included little Velvet riding with another dog. Brandon captioned the photo, “Duke and Velvet! Road dogs! #family #cousins #smiling”
Kenya Moore has yet to return to Twitter since her tweet prior to the show last night, but Brandon has not been quiet in the least!
. @Its__Jess well they are insensitive idiots. smh this is the only picture that I have of both. was take in March 2013…check my timeline.
— Brandon DeShazer (@BrandonDeShay) April 7, 2014
He then reposted the photo of Velvet and Duke and tweeted, “Throwback pick from MARCH 2013. Check THOSE receipts before you go posting vile and insensitive stories.”
And then:
I want a retraction from them. That picture is from March 23rd 2013 and they know it. NO HEART!
— Brandon DeShazer (@BrandonDeShay) April 7, 2014
Brandon then posted this photo message on instagram along with the caption, “This is what you call RECEIPTS. Very hurt.”
We did what Brandon suggested and sure enough, the photo was there. Here is his March 23, 2013 tweet:
Cousins, Lady Velvet and Sir Duke riding down the 405. @kenyamoore pic.twitter.com/QJt0vsmlo7
— Brandon DeShazer (@BrandonDeShay) March 23, 2013
As of the time of this post the Media Takeout article is still up and unchanged.
Here’s a Velvet tribute video put together by Bravo with Kenya Moore talking about the “puppy love of her life” as well as some unseen footage of little Velvet being little Velvet — including a hilarious seen with the seemingly puppy-averse NeNe Leakes:
R.I.P. Velvet.
