As Porsha Williams-Guobadia returns to the show that made her famous, “The Real Housewives of Atlanta,” her husband is rebounding from another rejection by the federal government to become a U.S. citizen.
According to legal documents obtained by The Jasmine Brand and The Neighborhood Talk, Simon Guobadia was denied American citizenship and naturalization due to his felony convictions for bank fraud, credit card fraud, identity fraud, and other legal transgressions that date back to the 1980s.
This information came to light after Williams’ husband filed a 13-page petition in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, Atlanta Division, in January 2024. The civil action filing was regarding Simon Iyore Guobadia against the Director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, UR Mendoza Jaddou, and the USCIS Atlanta Field Office Director Shineka Miller.
The documents state that Guobadia was again denied citizenship in July 2022, and his filing last month was a form of appeal. However, the U.S. government “reaffirmed” its decision, thereby subjecting Guobadia to possible deportation back to his native Nigeria.
Williams’ husband has reported history of corruption
The publications above list the legal documents outlining that Guobadia first came to the U.S. on August 11, 1982, and overstayed his visitor visa. In 1985, his citizenship application was denied, and he was declared deportable, so he voluntarily left America on December 28, 1985.
Guobadia returned to the United States in June 1986, and the documents state that he overstayed his 6-month visitor visa again.
In September 1987, Simon Guobadia was reportedly arrested for bank and credit card fraud and pleaded guilty to the felony. That, according to the documents, commenced a string of felony crimes:
- Guobadia was arrested in January 1989 for unauthorized use of a vehicle;
- Guobadia was arrested in May 1990 for fraud;
- Guobadia was apprehended in January 1991 for credit card fraud;
- Before his deportation on October 24, 1988, Guobadia was accused of using a different identity to seek temporary resident status under the Social Agricultural Worker (SAW) program.
Guobadia has tried repeatedly to appeal
In April 1991, an immigration judge ordered Guobadia to be deported, and he was physically removed from the United States.
The documents reportedly reveal that Guobadia tried repeatedly to gain permanent citizenship in the U.S. in 2016, 2020, and 2022. In November 2022, Guobadia appealed the denial for naturalization and citizenship, which was “reaffirmed” by the agency — the same month he married Williams.
On March 13, 2023, Guobadia reportedly filed an instant complaint, asking the Court to vacate the denial and grant him U.S. citizenship. But, on January 11, 2024, United States District Judge Steve C. Jones ordered that Guobadia’s case seeking naturalization be dismissed.
How this will impact Williams’ return to “RHOA” remains to be seen.
