Porsha Williams Goes Instagram-Official With Girlfriend Patrice "Sway" McKinney in Holiday Celebration

On November 28, 2025, Porsha Williams, the 44-year-old star of Bravo's "Real Housewives of Atlanta," made a significant personal announcement by going Instagram-official with her girlfriend, Patrice "Sway" McKinney. The relationship debut came through a carousel of intimate holiday photos shared to celebrate McKinney's birthday.

The opening image of the post captured Williams and McKinney standing together in front of a tall, glowing Christmas tree, with Williams wrapped tightly in her girlfriend's arms. The moment conveyed warmth and intimacy, presented confidently and publicly. In her caption, Williams kept the message sweet and playful, writing: "Happiest Birthday @sway_thepro Hope this year continues to bring you everything you want and more! 🥂🍾 Can't wait to act up saturday! "

McKinney responded quickly in the comments section, writing "Damn babe 😍Sweet af…Thank you again! "demonstrating the mutual affection between the couple.

While the Instagram debut occurred in late November, Williams' exploration of her sexuality had been unfolding for several months prior. In October 2025, during an appearance at New York City's CultureCon, Williams hinted at dating a woman for the first time publicly. When updating the audience on her love life, she shared that she was seeing two "nice"people and noted their genders without hesitation." Of the people I am talking to now… he is nice. And she is nice," she said, according to fan recordings of the event.

During that same CultureCon appearance, Williams explained that she had been adjusting to dating what she described as "normal people" following her split from Simon Guobadia. She revealed candidly: "I'm having a hard time opening up because they're not narcissists."

The timeline of Williams' personal journey extends back even further. In June 2025, she spoke with People magazine about her evolving understanding of her own sexuality. Following what she described as a "bad enough breakup" with Guobadia, Williams found herself questioning traditional assumptions about her romantic life. She wondered aloud whether she could "get with a woman" and expressed interest in finding someone who could help her reconnect with the emotional closeness she had once felt.

Williams' current relationship comes approximately five months after the finalization of her divorce from Simon Guobadia in June 2025. The marriage itself had been notably brief; Williams married Guobadia in 2022 and filed for divorce in February 2024, just 14 months after their wedding.

This is not Williams' first high-profile relationship. She shares a six-year-old daughter, Pilar Jhena "PJ" McKinley, with ex-fiancé Dennis McKinley. Prior to her relationships with McKinley and Guobadia, Williams was married to former NFL player Kordell Stewart from 2011 to 2013.

Patrice "Sway" McKinney is a salon owner who has now entered the public eye through her relationship with Williams. While limited biographical information has been publicly shared, McKinney maintains a social media presence under the handle @sway_thepro. The couple's public relationship debut suggests that both Williams and McKinney are comfortable with visibility and transparency regarding their partnership.

Williams' public relationship with McKinney represents an important moment in LGBTQ+ visibility within mainstream entertainment and reality television. As a prominent figure on a long-running Bravo series, Williams' willingness to openly share her relationship with a woman reaches a substantial audience and contributes to broader cultural conversations about sexuality, identity exploration, and self-acceptance.

The timing of the relationship announcement—during the holiday season—carries additional symbolic weight, as it positions Williams' new relationship within a context of joy, celebration, and family. The intimate holiday photos and birthday celebration framing suggest that Williams is moving forward with what she described in earlier interviews as "clarity, softness, and a little holiday sparkle."

Williams' public journey of self-discovery and her openness about exploring her sexuality after years of heterosexual relationships reflects a broader cultural shift toward greater acceptance and understanding of sexual fluidity and identity exploration at any stage of life. Her willingness to share this journey publicly, rather than keeping it private, demonstrates a commitment to authenticity and vulnerability that resonates with many people navigating similar experiences.

As Williams steps into this new chapter of her life, she appears to be doing so with intentionality and joy. The public nature of her relationship announcement suggests confidence in her partnership with McKinney and a desire to share this important aspect of her life with her community and fanbase. The couple's mutual affection, as evidenced by their social media exchanges, indicates a genuine connection built on care and respect.

For Williams, this relationship represents not only a romantic partnership but also a personal evolution—one that she has chosen to document and share openly with the world. In doing so, she contributes to a cultural landscape where LGBTQ+ relationships and identity exploration are increasingly visible, normalized, and celebrated within mainstream entertainment spaces.