Did Apollo Nida Cheat On Phaedra Parks? ‘Real Housewives Of Atlanta’ Star’s Fiancée Reveals How Their Romance Started

Apollo Nida’s marriage to “Real Housewives of Atlanta” star Phaedra Parks was anything but perfect, especially toward the end. The pair filed for divorce in 2014, though it wasn’t finalized until years later.

Now, Apollo is behind bars and has found love again in an old friend. He and Sherien Almufti shocked the world by going public with their engagement in November 2016. Their relationship left “RHOA” fans questioning the timing, but Sherien assures those concerned that there was no cheating.

“I think the night we took him away [to prison] I felt something completely different,” she told Us Weekly, recalling the moment they went from friends to lovers.

Sherien couldn’t wrap her mind around what Apollo, who was facing nearly a decade in prison for fraud, was going through at the time. Still, she took the time to listen to him and support him. That, she told Us, is what pushed the boundaries of their friendship.

“He was just really emotional,” she recalled. “I can’t imagine what he was going through, obviously, because I’m not in that situation. But you could see it, like he was so torn — he was in prison, his marriage was falling apart, he was away from his children, it’s a laundry list of things — and at that time I was just a listening ear, and I was there and I just felt the connection.”

Not long after their engagement, which took place inside Fort Dix prison, photos from the big moment leaked. TMZ obtained and released the pictures, which showed the couple posing before a fake background. They were shown holding hands and smiling while posing for the camera.

Sherien wasn’t wearing an engagement ring in the photo, because Apollo wasn’t able to procure one from behind bars. The real estate agent joked about her marital bling on Instagram before the photo leak. She snapped a photo of her finger sporting a makeshift ring on Instagram, using hashtags like “#CantGetMyHandsWet #LoveHimStill #LOL.” She now has a very real ring, however.

At the time, there was buzz about Sherien joining the cast of “RHOA.” Neither she nor anyone associated with the show confirmed nor denied the rumors, reported by TMZ. Those who have been tuning into “RHOA” Season 9 on Bravo know that Sherien pops up during the season thanks to Kandi Burruss’ husband Todd Tucker, but is neither a permanent cast member nor a friend of the “Housewives.”

Viewers will have to tune in to the “RHOA” Season 9 reunion to find out whether Phaedra or her co-stars will discuss Apollo and/or his engagement during the four-part special.