Cynthia Bailey Freaks Out After Discovering Kathy Ireland Follows Her On Instagram

Instagram/@cynthiabailey

Cynthia Bailey, The Real Housewives of Atlanta alum, really went bonkers with joy on an episode of her Humble Brag podcast on learning Kathy Ireland followed her on Instagram. The gorgeous moment went viral, for fans truly adored Bailey’s unbridled excitement about unexpected recognition from a woman who has been her idol for so long.

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Minkoff and Bailey were waxing lyrical about Ireland’s mega business achievements when Minkoff blurted out, “Oh, and she actually follows you on Instagram.” What followed for several more minutes was uncut excitement, with Bailey soaking in that information with the energy of a teenager finding out her crush likes her back.

Kathy Ireland first hit the big time as a 1980s Sports Illustrated Swimsuit model and then parlayed that into a billion-dollar business empire with clever licensing deals and product endorsements. Bailey has watched Ireland’s career evolving since her own days in modeling and calls her “the most underrated, most not talked about billionaire boss entrepreneur.”

The clip shows Bailey wildly losing it, screaming “Oh my God!” several times, acting like she was passing out, fanning herself in recovery. She even joked about needing a cocktail to cool down at one point. Then, filming through the camera, she extends various invitations through to lunch, dinner, or even to move in together, declaring, “we are your girls,” despite never having met Ireland.

The comment section exploded over this scrumptious meltdown. One person commented, “Like two teenage girls finding out the popular girl knows who they are,” a pretty accurate assessment of the atmosphere. Another wrote: “This was a moment. Loved listening. Seeing this clip was great.” Others chimed with, “That was the cutest thing ever.”

That being said, a few were not so kind, calling out Ireland’s political views with one calling her a “pro life nazi billionaire,” while another assured she is a Trump supporter. Yet another user took issue with the whole billionaire idolization thing outright, “we should not be idolizing billionaires. They shouldn’t exist in a world where so many people don’t have even their most basic needs met.”

But by and large, the rest of the reactions celebrated this joyous moment. Many first-time commenters stated their own admiration for Ireland; one called her “the kindest, most generous soul” and “the classiest of acts.” A couple of fans begged Ireland to appear on the podcast, with one saying, “Come on Kathy Ireland, hit our girl up!”

The episode especially brings about those moments when even celebrities become starstruck fans upon meeting their idols. Because of Bailey’s unpolished, genuine reaction, the listeners who had such moments of acting like a full-fledged fangirl in their own life could relate. Whether Ireland will do something to reciprocate is another story, but that viral moment has put a spotlight on Bailey’s podcast.

Bailey’s Catwalk-to-Real-TV-star-to-podcaster story also runs a little bit parallel with Ireland’s own career trajectory, albeit on a much smaller scale. Her admiration for Ireland’s business capabilities perhaps insinuates that Bailey has quite bigger entrepreneurial sights on her own. If Bailey truly follows Ireland’s pattern of just never discounting any opportunity, we surely haven’t heard the last of Bailey in business.

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For now, all full fans can do is laugh while watching their usually composed reality star completely losing it big time over an Instagram follow. In a world that has mastered hiding real human emotions, Bailey’s excitement was a breath of fresh air that viewers felt a strong connection with. It just goes to show that no matter how far someone went up the ladder, there is someone who can bring back those childhood bright moments.