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The new trailer for the Feb. 8 episode of The Real Housewives of Atlanta shows the strain between Kandi Burruss‘ mother Joyce Jones and Kandi’s husband Todd Tucker, who she married in 2014, and now we’re learning exactly what’s causing it and why it’s bound to last. “This is not just for a storyline, it’s very real and not new. Kandi’s mom has never fully let go of her first impression of Todd,” a source EXCLUSIVELY told HollywoodLife, referring to Joyce’s initial judgement of her son-in-law. “She has done her best to get along with him because he is Kandi’s husband and the father of two of her grandchildren but it’s always bothered Kandi’s mom that she married a man with less money than her. There are certain things he’s done that didn’t go over well with her, like the way he handled the pre-nup, he made it a big fight and didn’t want to sign it. He signed it in the end but her mom was not happy he made it an issue.”
Another thing that caused Joyce to feel even further discomfort with Todd is the fact that he quit his job. “When Todd quit his job, that didn’t go over well with Kandi’s mom at all,” the source explained. “Even though Kandi totally encouraged him to quit and has no issues with it her mom doesn’t feel the same way. She’s not going to shut Todd out or accuse him of anything outright but the truth is she doesn’t fully trust him and probably never will.”
The up and down relationship between Joyce and Todd has understandably not been sitting well with 43-year-old Kandi and at this point, she just wishes her mom would understand the love she has with the father of her son Ace, 4, and two-month-old daughter Blaze. “Kandi is exhausted of always being stuck in the middle of the tension between Todd and Mama Joyce,” a second source EXCLUSIVELY told us. “At this point Kandi has no idea what it would ever take for her mom to just believe that Todd genuinely loves her and isn’t using her for clout or for her money. It adds unnecessary stress on things when they’re already trying to raise a newborn baby, in addition to Ace and their girls (Kandi also has daughter, Riley, 17, from a previous relationship and Todd has daughter Kaela, 23). Kandi knows Mama Joyce wants the best for her, but she also knows her mom has been like this with most of the men she has been with and it’s exhausting for Kandi. ‘Nobody will ever be good enough for Kandi’ is the mentality she’s had to deal with all her life which is sad but it’s true.”
![Joyce Jones](https://hollywoodlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/kandi-burruss-mom-joyce-todd-tucker-bravo-post.jpg)
Although having Ace helped to lessen the tension between Joyce and Todd, the recent issues that have been creeping up once again seem to prove that not all is well between them just yet and it’s not just for show. “The drama between Kandi, Todd and Joyce is real,” a third source confirmed. “There have been plenty of times Kandi has felt like she’s had to choose sides and someone is getting upset. Having Ace really did help bring Todd and Joyce to a better place but there still are issues there. Todd still does his best to respect Joyce and he feels defeated constantly no matter how hard he tries to provide for the family. He feels no matter what he’ll never be good enough for Joyce. It’s hard for Kandi and she does vent to her friends about it but Kandi is a strong woman and can make her own decisions.”
Despite the hardships, Kandi and Todd’s love is still strong and Joyce’s opinion is not changing her mind. “Their love is real and will be long lasting,” the source continued. “She does defend Todd constantly and will continue to do so. She’s aware of how opinionated her mom is. Despite everything, they’ve come a long way since they were dating when it comes to Mama Joyce.”
The episode of The Real Housewives of Atlanta that shows Joyce and Todd’s most recent tension will air on Feb. 8 on Bravo.