Cynthia Bailey Says She’s Been a ‘Mess’ Since Going Public with Her New Boyfriend LePrince

Going public with her new relationship hasn’t been easy for Cynthia Bailey.

The former Real Housewives of Atlanta star, 58, confessed that her life has been somewhat of “a mess” since her relationship with Amsterdam musician LePrince, 38, made headlines on March 4.

“Now, we can’t go anywhere, but you know what? The cat is out of the bag,” she told TMZ. “[We’re] still staying off social media. I personally just don’t feel like social media is a place that promotes love. It’s very toxic, and I’ve been through it.”

She continued, “I’ve been through marriages, through divorces, and I’ve met someone I really like, and I just really want a fair chance to just kind of get to know him, not in a public way.”

Though the couple wants to keep certain aspects of their relationship private, Bailey clarified that she had no plans to “hide” if people were to catch them living their lives outside. Before going public, the reality star and the musical artist kept their romance under wraps for nearly a year.

When asked how they kept their relationship a secret for so long, Bailey pointed out that the two were both public figures and learned to “move quietly” and “pick and choose where to go.”

“I wouldn’t have brought him on a red carpet back then and now that we’re out, you know, I have a big birthday party coming up, I’m on the cover of Bella Magazine, and we’re celebrating it, and he will be there,” she continued.

“It’s kind of a relief, because now we can just really be outside and not worry about like ducking anyone,” Bailey added. “We’re very free now, just not on social media.”

Earlier this month, the Bravolebrity was seen cozying with her new boyfriend, LePrince, at Los Angeles International Airport while catching a flight back to Atlanta. TMZ — with whom LePrince, 38, shared that he specializes in mixing reggae and electronic music and works as a singer, producer and DJ — captured the moment.

In a statement shared with PEOPLE thereafter, Bailey confirms: “I’ve been dating talented Amsterdam-based Reggatronic Hard Dance musician Le’Prince for nearly a year.”

“We’ve chosen to keep our relationship off social media to focus on each other without outside distractions,” she continued. “We’ve traveled a lot together, including my trips to Amsterdam and Switzerland to see him perform. We’re happy and excited to see where our relationship goes!”

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While speaking at a Bravo Fan Fest panel in November 2024, Bailey first revealed she was happily dating a younger man.

“I’m dating an amazing young guy, from Amsterdam,” she said at the time. “I wasn’t looking for a young guy. He found me.”