Kim Zolciak Missing from Atlanta Housewives Season 5 Promo Photos

Bravo has just released its official cast photos for the new season of Real Housewives of Atlanta (premiering November 4), featuring Nene Leakes, Kandi Burruss, Phaedra Parks, Cynthia Bailey, and two new additions Kenya Moore and Porsha Stewart. Noticeably absent is Kim Zolciak.

While Kim’s bio is listed on the site, there have been rumors that she will have “an extremely limited role” this season in part due to her second pregnancy, but mostly because the other women supposedly refused to film with her because she was receiving “special circumstances.”

Interestingly, Nene tweeted a photo of the cast saying:

The Real Housewives Of Atlanta kicks off Sunday Nov 4th @ 9pm. The only original standing! That should tell u a LOT

Kim had been unusually silent about the new season on her own Twitter, and hasn’t mentioned the photos, but she did re-tweet a fan who said he wouldn’t watch the show without her, and added a wink emoticon. WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN?

Some are speculating that her diminished presence this season is evidence that her spinoff Don’t Be Tardy for the Wedding—which was originally intended as a one-off, but ended up being a huge hit in the ratings—has been picked up for another season.

A Bravo rep told us that Kim is, indeed, still a Real Housewife and that she’s not pictured in the photo because “she was getting very close to giving birth at the time” it was shot.

Regarding her storyline for this season, the site for the show says:

Our recently married Housewife Kim is also busy expanding her family, but manages to make it out for the ladies’ events — even ones where NeNe is the guest of honor. Will these two ever make up or will she further distance herself from the group in favor of her family and man?