Cynthia Bailey says nasty brawl with Porsha Williams brought her closer to husband Peter Thomas on RHOA

Cynthia Bailey's blow-out fight with Porsha Williams on Sunday's episode of The Real Housewives Of Atlanta put a huge strain on her friendships.

But the nasty fight gave her a crucial lifeline in her marriage to Peter Thomas.

The booze cruise brawl became a huge point of gossip among the women, with Porsha showing off the bruises she said she got from being kicked by Cynthia who found herself nicknamed the Kung Fu Panda.

Silver lining: Cynthia Bailey found the silver lining in her brawl with Porsha Williams on Sunday's episode of The Real Housewives Of Atlanta

'This is being treated and analyzed like it's the JFK assassination,' new cast member Kim Fields said of the constant gossip about the fight in the days after it.

But while the relationships between the women grew more strained, Cynthia's low-point sparked an unexpected breakthrough in the crisis in her marriage to Peter.

'I really feel like it's not only made my marriage stronger, it's actually, in a crazy way, brought us closer,' she insisted to her fellow housewives.

Hugged it out: The reality star and her husband Peter Thomas hugged after their candid conversation

The initial spark came when she realized he was the first person she wanted to turn to, calling him and pleading: 'I need you to come home.'

She admitted: 'Peter and I are going through a tough time right now, but he's still my husband and he's still my rock.

'Peter and I have been just bumping heads for weeks now. But as soon as this whole mess happened he was the only one that I felt really comfortable talking to about it.'

Bumping heads: Cynthia turned to Peter in her time of need despite their recent rough patch

When he came home, their reunion initially started going downhill again, with Cynthia angry at Peter telling her she had 'hurt' Porsha.

But he put them back on the right path by making her realize that the fight was in fact just a reflection of what she was going through with him and their marriage.

'I don't want to talk about this girl anymore,' he told his wife of Porsha.

Rocky start: Their talk started rough as Cynthia got made at Peter for saying Porsha was hurt

Strong leg: Cynthia kicked Porsha away from her during their brawl

'I'm quite sure that al this emotional stuff that you're going through - it ain't about her. It's never happened 40-something years of your life, why is it happening now?,' Peter said.

'So when you see her later apologize to her. But we need to talk about where you at right now,' he added.

His observation seemed to flick a switch in her as Cynthia insisted she wanted to 'make more of an effort' and she 'just wanted you to be here.'

She's hurt: Porsha was injured in the brawl and recuperated at home

Bruised up: The reality star showed her bruises from the fight

Poor thing: Porsha was bruised all over the place

'If you're telling me you're willing to work on this - I'm more than willing to work on this,' Peter told her, with her replying 'I do' and giving him a hug.

The show saw more of the fight, with Porsha repeatedly calling Cynthia a bitch and getting pinned down by a staff member as she warned: 'I'm gonna catch that bitch.'

She was then heard yelling about Cynthia: 'She's losing her husband, she's lost business, she's lost everything she has - and now she on this boat and wants me to lose everything.'

Harsh words: Porsha got in Cynthia's face right before things got ugly

Cynthia told the others 'she had my hands so I just kicked her out the way. She was coming in my face - she was going to hit me.'

'I'm not about violence, I don't fight anybody, that's not who I am - but you're not going to come in my face like like you're going to attack me,' she insisted defiantly.

'This is crazy - I don't want to see these bitches again,' Porsha vowed as she was taken off the boat.

Smothered her: A boat staffer pinned Porsha down to stop the fighting

Kim got tearful as she called the fight 'the usual,' saying: 'And that's the thing - why do we go there? I'll take my kids and my book.

'The toughest thing for me in all that is they are both going to be so disappointed in themselves when they get to catch their breath,' she said.

And she appeared to be right - with Cynthia soon admitting she was 'a little uncomfortable' and 'embarrassed' over the fight.

Totally shocked: Kim Fields was shocked at the women's behaviour on the boat

Kenya Moore soon plotted to throw a lunch to get the girls together to try to talk through their differences - but not before teasing her and calling her 'Kung Fu Panda.'

'You know you have those slightly slanted eyes … maybe you just got confused,' she joked.

Cynthia insisted of the fight: 'That's not who I am and that's not who I want to become.

'I want to talk to her to accept responsibility for my part in the situation. When I think about it I feel that I may have overreacted.'

Maybe overreacted: Cynthia admitted that maybe she overreacted when Porsha called her a b****

Kenya met Porsha first to make sure they were 'on the same page' - and they soon clashed, sending a bad omen for the peace-making lunch ahead of them.

'I don't need you to speak to me like that, because for one, I don't trust you,' Porsha told Kenya, who replied: 'Now you're insulting me. It's unnecessary.'

'Listen, you don't have any compassion for me and I know that,' Porsha insisted.

Past history: Porsha famously brawled with Kenya Moore during a RHOA reunion show

But she insisted she was happy to talk it through with Cynthia, believing it was something that 'popped off' and not a sign of a relationship damaged beyond repair.

'Once it started it just snowballed and she and I couldn't stop it, we were just caught in the middle,' she said.

As the women all met for lunch, to avoid the awkward silence Porsha and Cynthia decided to step aside and discuss the fight in person rather than over brunch with the group.

Separated themselves: Cynthia and Porsha stepped away to hash out their differences

Cynthia looked genuinely concerned as she asked Porsha how she was, with her replying: 'Just bruising, so I took a couple days off from work. But emotionally, I was very bothered by the situation.'

Insisting that 'however I made you feel, that was not my intention behind it,' Porsha was the first to apologize.

'For something like wha happened on the boat, if an ''I'm sorry'' is what it needs to be for us to never have to go to that place, it's on the table,' she said.

Big move: Porsha actually offered up an apology and said she was sorry

Cynthia insisted it was more than she had expected to hear, telling Porsha: 'Honestly, I came here today to apologize for my part in it, I had no expectation from you whatsoever.'

They soon hugged - with Porsha tricking her friend into thinking that she was hurt by the hug because of all her bruises.

The women watching on from their table all cheered and clapped at the hug, with Kim saying later: 'Power of forgiveness amongst this group - this is magic!'

Making peace: Cynthia told Porsha that also wanted to apologize

It was then that Cynthia told her friends about the powerful effect the crisis had had in bringing her closer to her husband.

'I really feel like it's not only made my marriage stronger, it's actually, in a crazy way, brought us closer,' she insisted.

The drama continues next week on Bravo. 

Getting stronger: The brawl brought Cynthia and Peter closer together