46-year-old Marlo Hampton may be unleashing her claws with Kenya Moore on Season 14 of Real Housewives of Atlanta but she has also let viewers into her sweet side with family.
Marlo has stepped it up as a “munty” (a combination of a mother and an auntie) for her nephews, 13-year-old William and 15-year-old Michael while their mother was receiving mental health help, and later, became incarcerated.
Marlo got custody of William and Michael in 2019 after their mother entered a facility to treat bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. After that, she was arrested for a traffic violation. As Marlo recounted on the show, when the judge saw her sister’s mental health history, he offered her inpatient treatment instead of jail. Every time they go to trial or court, the judge recognizes she has mental issues and just sends her back to jail. She refused, however, and instead wants to go to trial, which could mean she could be jailed for a year.
During a previous RHOA episode, Marlo opened up about not being able to have children of her own. She also revealed that she has 14 more nieces and nephews besides Michael and William. “I wasn’t going to speak,” Marlo said at an event hosted by Porsha Williams. “I love children. I have 16 nieces and nephews. Of course, how would I not want a child of my own? Things that have happened to me in my past made that a problem. I’ve had two ectopic pregnancies and I was so mad at God for so long like, ‘Why me? Why can’t I have a baby? Why can’t I have someone to love me forever?’”
Spending time caretaking for Michael and William have given Marlo that sense of family that she longed for and given her an opportunity to grow.
This week Marlo threw a bash in Houston, TX for Michael’s 15th birthday.
It’s unknown if the two boys will stay with Marlo Hampton long-term, but they have certainly had an opportunity to bond as a family. Even though the children aren’t currently living with their mother, Marlo makes sure they remain in contact with each other during these trying times.
Marlo certainly understands how important it is for others to step up when parents need help caring for their children. At one point in her life, Marlo was in the foster care system. She went on to call her foster mother, who passed away in 2020 at age 103, “Grannie Arrie.”
“You showed me an unconditional Love like I knew before,” Marlo wrote in a tribute to Grannie Arrie. “I will never forget everything you taught me and ALL the things you did for me over the years.”
[NOTE: The original post misidentified the mother of Marlo’s nephews’ mom as her sister Crystal, but their mother is a different sister of Marlo’s. The post was corrected.]
