Over the weekend, I had a long conversation with Ron Poag, a close associate and friend of R&B legend Keith Sweat, who reached out to SR.com to dispel rumors and inaccurate information contained in my post on ‘The Real Housewives of Atlanta‘ show which premiered on Bravo last week.

Sweat, speaking through Poag, wanted to make it clear that he is very much heterosexual and loves the women. He also stated he did not sue his ex-wife Lisa Wu Hartwell — he sued the distribution company (SONY/RED distribution) which partnered with Wu in distributing the movie Black Ball, which Wu wrote, and Sweat executive produced.

Court documents indicate that during their marriage, Sweat invested $180,000 in Black Ball as executive producer of Black Ball. But when Black Ball was released in 2003 (after the couple divorced), Sweat was not credited nor did he receive any profits from the movie.

Court records show that in 2007 Lisa Wu filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy requesting full protection from her creditors. In court documents, Wu claimed she was destitute and couldn’t pay her debts.

But on Wu’s website, she lists at least 5 companies she owns or co-owns, which she calls her “Corporate Empire”. And on ‘Real Housewives,’ she and her husband, ex-NFL player Ed Hartwell, flaunt their extravagant lifestyle as if they are debt-free.

Real Housewives of Atlanta features 5 women — 4 black, 1 white — supposedly friends, who live in wealthy enclaves on the outskirts of Atlanta. The women drive fancy cars (some leased, some borrowed), floss their self-perceived wealth, spend recklessly, and curse like sailors. All while their whipped husbands look on with a nod of self-effacing approval.

Read more after the break…

In the midst of all this decadence are the innocent children, who watch from the sidelines as their narcissistic parents live out their full blown grandiose fantasies on national TV.

Ron Poag wanted to make it clear that Keith Sweat is a great father who was granted full custody of his two boys, Jordan, 13, and Justin, 11. He declined to discuss why Wu lost custody of her sons. “Mr. Sweat doesn’t wish to speak negatively about his ex-wife. He respects her as the mother of his children,” said Poag. “He’s a great father, he loves his children. They are his life. He wakes them up every morning, irons their clothes, takes them to school and picks them up every evening,” said Poag.

“[Wu] gets the boys every other weekend. She picks them up at 6 PM on Friday and returns them to Mr. Sweat at 6 PM on Sunday.”

In a posting on her website, Wu said Bravo arranged its shooting schedule around the boys’ visits.

Poag responded to allegations made by Wu that Sweat refused to sign a waiver allowing their their children to appear in ‘Real Housewives’.

“Yes [the boys] were a little upset, but their father knows what’s best for them,” said Poag. “He didn’t want his children appearing in an adult oriented show. If it was the Disney Channel or Nickelodeon, he wouldn’t have a problem with it.”

Keith Sweat did have this to say through Mr. Poag, “I don’t even know why my name was brought up in this. Lisa and I have been divorced for six years.”

Keith Sweat is now a popular radio personality who is heard in 40 markets on Clear Channel. When he’s not on the radio, Sweat is busy producing R&B group Dru Hill’s new album, and the group is currently shooting its own reality series which Sweat will appear in.