Among a franchise of starry casts like Beverly Hills and cult favorites like Salt Lake City, it’s The Real Housewives of Potomac that is often considered Bravo’s unsung crown jewel.
Across eight seasons, the antics of Maryland’s razor-tongued Housewives (the capital H is warranted) have come to include tax evasion rumors, smashed wine glasses, and perhaps most puzzlingly, a supposed hex conjured by the mother of castmate Wendy Osefo.
That storyline has begun to rear its head on the current season of RHOP, following new Housewife Nneka Ihim’s claims that the Osefo family partook in voodoo-like prayer sessions to wish ill of Nneka (she even said there was a shrine involved). It ranks among The Real Housewives’ more eyebrow-raising accusations, which is saying something for a franchise that has elsewhere dealt in topics of faked cancer and money laundering schemes.
As Bravo fanatics eagerly await the fallout of the accusation, attention has turned to the subject of the supposed voodoo. While fans are still acquainting themselves with Nneka Ihim, we do know that RHOP’s newest Housewife is a first-generation Nigerian American. Originally from Wisconsin, Nneka has been a practising lawyer, founded an alcohol brand, and worked for a financial technology company.
She is also married to a physician, but who exactly is Nneka Ihim’s husband, Dr. Ikenna?
‘RHOP’: Who is Nneka Ihim’s husband, Dr. Ikenna?
Nneka first met her husband, Dr. Ikenna Ihim, while she was living in Los Angeles, where she resided for 10 years before moving back to the East Coast. The pair met after Dr. Ikenna slid into Nneka’s DMs, and she agreed to go on a date with him on Christmas Day. The couple have been married for two years, and — as seen on RHOP — recently purchased a new home in Potomac.
Ikenna obtained his biology degree at the University of Maryland, College Park, and studied medicine at St. Matthew’s University. He became certified and began practising after completing at Coney Island Hospital, and is now best known for his work in nasogastric intubation. Ikenna is reportedly a child of generational wealth, with a chieftaincy title as Nze Ikeoha 1 of Nkwerre and a business magnate father.
On his Instagram, Ikenna describes himself as an influencer, and regularly shares skits of his work within the healthcare field. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Ikenna posted educational videos about the virus to his social media, including advocacy around its effects on the Black community, which earned him recognition and saw him host live discussions with a sizable audience.
While we’ve only seen glimpses of Ikenna during Nneka’s debut RHOP season, it’s safe to assume the doctor will appear more frequently on the series given the supposed hex placed on his wife. New episodes of The Real Housewives of Potomac air every Sunday on Bravo.