The Audacity of Nene Leakes

I love taking people to Buckhead Village! It’s this really fancy shopping area on Peachtree Road, full of high-end stores that make you want everything. The buildings all have this Italian look, and there’s a beautiful walkway that always reminds me of a movie set – super clean and polished, like it’s waiting for a chase scene. It’s become a popular spot for filming, a more affordable “European” look right here in Georgia, especially if you watch reality TV. Just the other day, my Lyft driver, Bill, asked if I was headed to where they film Love & Hip-Hop – that’s how well-known it is!

Just after 3:15 PM on a Friday in early April, reality TV star Nene Leakes pulled up to Buckhead Village and handed her keys to the valet. She briefly chatted with the restaurant manager, sporting a striking look – a long, blonde wig reminiscent of Cher, and a shimmering Alexander Wang tracksuit that matched her glowing skin. While a table had been reserved inside, Leakes decided she’d rather sit outside. She told the maître d’ with a playful wink, “I think we might stay out here and people-watch, because there’s nothing exciting happening inside, honey.”

 

The head waiter found a cozy spot for us overlooking the courtyard. I’ve often seen scenes like this play out: two women starting with polite chatter, knowing a deeper conversation is coming. NeNe Leakes, 58, recently announced she’s returning to Real Housewives of Atlanta after a six-year absence from the show and a four-year legal battle with Bravo. She believes her own contributions were key to the network’s success.

She explains that she feels like others often take credit for paving the way for reality TV success. Before she appeared on television, shows like Basketball Wives, Love & Hip Hop, Hollywood Exes, and The Braxtons didn’t exist. Bravo was a small network, and she believes she was instrumental in its growth, particularly with the discovery of Nene Leakes. A Bravo casting director chose her from a group of Atlanta socialites, and she then helped build the first season of RHOA by providing producers with contacts and persuading her friends to participate, assuring them that Bravo was a legitimate network. She confidently asks, “Can anyone name a Housewives cast member she didn’t help get on the show?”

While the Real Housewives series had started in Orange County and New York City, it was the Atlanta version (RHOA) that truly became a phenomenon. The original cast – NeNe Leakes, Shereé Whitfield, DeShawn Snow, Kim Zolciak, and Lisa Wu – instantly captivated audiences. The first episode in October 2008 attracted around 656,000 viewers, and by the reunion show, that number jumped to 2.82 million. NeNe Leakes quickly became the breakout star, known for her uniquely expressive reactions to the drama around her. Screenshots of her facial expressions, paired with instantly quotable lines like “I am very rich bitch” and “Whew chile, the ghetto!”, spread rapidly online and remain popular even today. Leakes essentially pioneered many of the tropes we now see in reality TV – from her iconic nonverbal expressions and knowing looks to the camera, to the way she handled apologies and conflicts. She elevated the show and everyone around her.

As someone who’s followed Nene Leakes for a while, I can definitely see what Carlos King means when he says she really knows how to command a room. He was one of the first people to work with her on Real Housewives of Atlanta, and he explained that Nene is amazing at making sure everyone gets a chance to be heard, and that people are held accountable for what they say. He even called her a ‘force multiplier’ – basically, she makes everyone around her better and more engaged. It’s true, she really knows how to work a crowd!

As a longtime reality TV fan, I remember when RHOA‘s seventh season premiered in 2014 – a whopping 3.8 million people tuned in, which was huge for Bravo at the time! NeNe Leakes really parlayed that reality TV fame into some serious celebrity status. She started popping up everywhere – Ryan Murphy shows, movies, even on Broadway and at Kim Kardashian’s baby shower! She even did a stint on HSN. It was fascinating to watch, especially considering she came from a small town and was relatively new to wealth. As someone who followed RHOA from the beginning, I definitely noticed when NeNe started appearing less and less. There were whispers about contract issues and problems with the show’s producers. She actually talked about it with Tamron Hall in 2020, saying they offered her a deal for only six episodes – a big drop from the 18-23 she usually did – even though she was making over $2 million for season 12!

NeNe Leakes last appeared on the show in May 2020, leaving a virtual reunion after feeling unfairly questioned by producers and Andy Cohen compared to her co-stars. In 2022, she filed a lawsuit against the network and the show’s production companies, claiming they violated employment and anti-discrimination laws by allowing a workplace culture that tolerated—and even encouraged—racially insensitive behavior. The lawsuit detailed years of complaints she’d made about alleged racism from co-star Kim Zolciak, which she felt were ignored. However, she later dropped the lawsuit, leaving the possibility of refiling it in the future.

NeNe Leakes isn’t discussing the recent lawsuit, simply stating, “It is what it is.” She maintains that all involved parties have agreed to move on. (Bravo and Andy Cohen’s representatives declined to comment on the suit or how it was resolved.) Now, Leakes is scheduled to appear on the 2026 season of The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip: Roaring 20th, a special all-star season celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Real Housewives franchise. The season will also include Vicki Gunvalson, Luann de Lesseps, Porsha Williams, Teresa Giudice, and other former cast members traveling to various locations connected to the Housewives series. Bravo approached Leakes about participating, with Cohen explaining they felt it would be a treat for fans to see her involved, and she accepted. Neither side is sharing further details about the decision to reunite.

This is NeNe Leakes’s first project with Bravo since 2020, and it’s being executive produced by Andy Cohen, who she used to be very close to. She says they’ve exchanged texts since their legal dispute, but haven’t actually talked. When asked what it would take for them to reconcile, she flipped the question around, asking what it would take for him to want that. Leakes believes time helps heal wounds, and while she doesn’t need to be best friends with anyone, she prefers to move forward and avoid holding onto negativity.

Wow, it’s been a really tough six years for NeNe Leakes. As a fan, you kinda forget how much real life happens off camera. In 2021, she lost her husband, Gregg, to colon cancer, which was heartbreaking. Then, just a year later, her youngest son, Brentt, had a stroke and suffered heart failure at only 23. It was scary! And the struggles kept coming – her oldest son, Bryson, got arrested in 2023. Thankfully, he ended up pleading guilty to a lesser charge. But the biggest thing? Brentt needed a heart transplant in 2024 – a 14-hour surgery! He had to relearn how to walk and talk, and he’s now back home with her. She’s told me that her life has really become about routines, just constantly checking on Brentt, making sure he’s okay and taking his medication. It’s a far cry from the glamorous stuff you see on reality TV, honestly. It’s just… a lot.

Despite leaving RHOA, NeNe Leakes continued to appear on various reality shows, including College Hill: Celebrity Edition where she earned a certificate from Texas Southern University, Celebrity Ghost Stories, where she discussed hearing children’s voices with a psychic, and as a reunion host on Baddies, a show similar to Bad Girls Club. She briefly owned a nightclub, the Linnethia Lounge, but sold it quickly. Mostly, though, she observed the changes happening on RHOA. The show began featuring new cast members and utilizing “friends of the show”—recurring characters who weren’t full-time cast members. NeNe felt that promoting these “friends” to main cast roles was a mistake. “If someone started as a ‘friend,’ I don’t understand why they’d then become a Housewife. It made the show less interesting,” she explained. “I’m not saying Marlo or Shamea aren’t good for the show, but that wasn’t the approach I would have taken.” She described watching the changes as if her “baby” had been taken from her, comparing it to being “trafficked.”

NeNe Leakes made sure I understood this wasn’t her top choice for a restaurant, but it’s popular in Atlanta. We both ordered French 76 cocktails, even though I’ve mostly stopped drinking. She asked for caviar, but they didn’t have any, so she got a charcuterie board instead. I had some quinoa. She said it was ‘okay’ a few times, then mentioned she’d have caviar later at her apartment nearby.

This restaurant is a favorite of NeNe Leakes’s boyfriend. She describes him as African, specifically Liberian, though many assume he’s Nigerian due to his appearance. She’s chosen not to share his name publicly, even though it’s well-known to followers of The Shade Room and People magazine. Later, she explained her reluctance to feature him stems from a concern that he might exploit any publicity they receive if they were to split up. She jokingly warned that bringing a boyfriend on TV can make him more desirable to other women, which wouldn’t be advantageous for her. As we were finishing lunch, she expressed worry that paparazzi might be nearby, pointing out someone she thought was filming from a distance.

NeNe Leakes was born in Queens, New York, in 1967. Though she grew up known as Linnethia Monique Johnson, she later discovered her birth name was Lenithia Bonita Smith. When she was three years old, she and her brother, Anthony, moved to Athens, Georgia, to be near family. Raised largely by her Aunt Nena (known as Nellie) and Uncle Bobby, as her father wasn’t present (her search for him is shown in the early seasons of RHOA), Leakes fondly remembers Nellie’s work as a cook and seamstress, creating beautiful window treatments for people in town. Even as a young child, friends loved watching Leakes perform. “They’d put on music, and I’d do all the latest dances,” she recalls. From a very young age, she was known for her outgoing personality and considered herself the star of the show, often participating in pageants.

It wasn’t easy for NeNe Leakes to turn her charisma into a lasting career. She faced hardship early in life. While attending Morris Brown College in Atlanta, she met the father of her son, Bryson. In her memoir, Never Make the Same Mistake Twice, she details accusations of abuse, including an incident where he allegedly held her at gunpoint. To help finance Bryson’s schooling during the 1990s, she worked as a dancer for three years. It was during this time she met Gregg Leakes, a real estate investor who encouraged her to transition from dancing to hosting events. They eventually married, leading to her role as a housewife.

Nene Leakes also became serious about acting. In her book, she describes already feeling like a star, confidently believing people should recognize her talent. Despite not living in Los Angeles, where most auditions took place, casting director Robi Reed remembers Leakes making the effort to travel to California for callbacks. She’d tell them, “Just give me a little notice, and I’ll be there.” Reed eventually gave Leakes her first major role in the 2003 film The Fighting Temptations, a Beyoncé movie centered around church choir competitions. Reed explains that Leakes possessed a natural comedic timing that couldn’t be taught – she was simply born with it.

Although a scene from Fighting Temptations didn’t make the final cut of the movie, she earned her Screen Actors Guild card thanks to the small speaking role she had. She auditioned for Girlfriends but wasn’t cast. Eventually, she landed a minor part on The Parkers, a spin-off of Moesha. In a 2000 episode, NeNe Leakes appears in a scene where Kim Parker watches a Dallas marathon and gets the idea for a Black version of the soap opera, which she names Hotlanta. This fictional show within the show is filled with drama, betrayal, and people trying to become the wealthiest in the Black community, all set in a luxurious mansion with Cadillacs parked outside. Leakes appears briefly as a background character in Kim’s fantasy, a slim and elegant woman in a shimmering gray dress with a hairstyle similar to Anita Baker or Halle Berry. Her most memorable moment is reacting with shock and exchanging glances when the head of the Hotlanta family pretends to die. Interestingly, this episode foreshadows The Real Housewives of Atlanta, with one key difference: in this fictional world, Leakes is a supporting character, while in reality, she’s the star.

When The Real Housewives of Atlanta first aired, it challenged traditional portrayals of housewives on American television. Before RHOA, Black women on TV were usually depicted as either single mothers or highly successful professionals. As NeNe Leakes explains, the show focused on women who had married successful men and were choosing to stay home to raise their families and manage their households. The show’s debut coincided with Barack Obama’s first presidential campaign and term, and the concept of a reality show centered around Black housewives was just as groundbreaking as Michelle Obama becoming First Lady. Seeing Black women associated with leisure and luxury was particularly new. The women of RHOA were glamorous, and the show captured their lively interactions – their arguments, playful teasing, secrets, excitement, and vulnerability – all while living seemingly comfortable lives.

Though seemingly lighthearted, the show touched on deeper issues reflecting the national mood. A key storyline in seasons three and four revolved around the dynamic between Kim Zolciak, the only white cast member on RHOA, and her Black assistant, Sweetie. NeNe Leakes confronted Zolciak about her treatment of Sweetie, accusing her of behaving like a slave owner, using harsh language and demanding service. Later, fellow cast member Kenya Moore’s frequent declaration of being “Gone With the Wind fabulous” became iconic, even earning a shout-out from Beyoncé – a moment that felt connected to the Zolciak-Sweetie storyline. Over the seasons, the show foreshadowed larger cultural shifts: Apollo Nida’s story hinted at the rise of deceptive celebrities, the feud between Shereé Whitfield and Kenya Moore reflected the impact of the housing crisis, and a rumor spread by Phaedra Parks about Kandi Burruss and Porsha Williams surfaced just before the #MeToo movement gained momentum. In the summer before season 13, Porsha Williams, known for a misunderstanding about the Underground Railroad, participated in a Black Lives Matter protest.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=watch?v=b_jaT6VxvEs

Currently, The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City and The Real Housewives of Potomac are two of Bravo’s most popular shows, consistently making news with storylines about religion and politics while also establishing their stars. The Real Housewives of Rhode Island premiered in April 2026, aiming to attract loyal fans who appreciate both familiarity and fresh content. Nene Leakes believes the show has changed significantly from its earlier seasons. While she admits she doesn’t actively watch the current Housewives shows – she sees clips on social media – she firmly believes her seasons set the standard. “We were the original,” she says, “and they’ve since altered that formula. I’m not sure where I would fit in now.”

Cohen doesn’t think so either. When a colleague asked if Nene Leakes’ appearance on Ultimate Girls Trip signals a plan for her to return to The Real Housewives of Atlanta, Cohen responded that they’ve worked hard to build a strong and well-received cast for the Atlanta show. He’s focused on getting the show back to its previous high quality, and feels they’re finally succeeding. He says the new season is off to a great start after just three episodes.

“It’s been so long since she was on TV, I’m not even sure what role she’d have now,” Latham explains. “I mean, we didn’t know what her role was when she started, did we?” He thought for a moment. “Perhaps her place in reality television is as someone who paved the way for others.”

NeNe Leakes doesn’t want to discuss Donald Trump when asked about him and their time together on The Celebrity Apprentice. Back in 2011, she appeared on the show, famously debating Dionne Warwick and Star Jones, and playfully comparing La Toya Jackson to the ghost Casper. She consistently tells anyone who asks that she and Trump always had a good relationship. She even believes he was a fan, which is why he asked her to be a judge at Miss USA – and she accepted. Trump also introduced her to John Kolaj, the owner of Famous Famiglia Pizza, who gifted her a Rolex in 2012, leading to a viral and somewhat awkward moment. Leakes believes Trump is adaptable and able to handle any situation.

She quickly clarifies she didn’t vote for him, explaining she’s not a Republican. Growing up poor, her family has always been Democratic. She doesn’t think the current economic situation is good for anyone, and points to the high price of gas – she recently paid $115 to fill up her car. She expresses a desire for things to be better, repeating, “I wish we were in a better place,” a sentiment that feels familiar given the current challenges. Ultimately, she feels helpless to change things, believing they’re in a difficult and unchangeable situation.

We ordered another round, and Nene seemed to be getting a little quieter, almost shutting down. She turned to me at one point and spoke like she was talking through a car window – I started to wonder if I was boring her, or if she was lost in thought about Brentt. But then I remembered something King said about her: Nene doesn’t fall silent because she’s empty, she’s just thinking, really processing things. I was curious about the intense energy she brings to everything, and wondered if that’s what Trump saw in her. I also asked if her acting experience helped her on RHOA. She quickly dismissed that idea. “Housewives is something completely different,” she explained. “It’s about showing your real life, your family, your home… it’s a lot to put out there.”

One of the most talked-about moments on The Real Housewives of Atlanta happened when Kandi Burruss and Porsha Williams unexpectedly entered NeNe Leakes’s private walk-in closet. This occurred during season 11, near the end of Leakes’s time on the show. She had always been very protective of the closet’s contents, keeping them private. The scene unfolded after Leakes had hosted a party celebrating natural hair and was already tired, especially since her husband, Gregg, had recently been hospitalized with a blood clot. She was upset when her castmates ignored her wishes and went into the closet, and things quickly escalated when a cameraman followed them. Leakes jumped up, grabbed the cameraman, and ripped his shirt. She describes her bedroom as her “place of peace” and explains that allowing cameras into her home felt intrusive. While she had shown the closet on a house tour years earlier, she and Gregg had agreed it was off-limits to the Housewives. The cameraman entering felt like both a physical invasion and a lack of respect. Leakes left the show after the following season.

When NeNe Leakes decided to step back, King thought it was a positive move. He explains, “I realized she needed some time to herself to sort things out.” He’s always acknowledged her unique position, telling her, “I can’t imagine what it’s like to be in your place—to be one of the most successful Black women on reality television.”

After a two-year break from reality television, NeNe Leakes returned with a role on the BET+ series, College Hill: Celebrity Edition. She also received an offer from Baddies, but didn’t get any further offers from major networks like Bravo. “I feel like I deserved more opportunities,” Leakes explains. “I should have been consistently working – you know, always out there and visible. I imagined myself constantly busy, even doing everyday things like going to the bank and waving to fans. It should have been a steady stream of work, not just these small, infrequent projects.”

She explains that her break from public life wasn’t due to a lack of creativity – she has plenty of ideas, including concepts for new reality shows. However, she’s hesitant to share them, fearing they’ll be stolen. She’s constantly wondering who she can trust with her concepts, someone she could collaborate with and ensure the idea comes to fruition. She admits she can’t think of anyone. She’s also understandably protective of her public image, especially how it’s been used in online memes. While she understands others enjoy the memes, she doesn’t like being defined by them. She specifically dislikes seeing old photos used in memes, particularly a hairstyle she didn’t even like, recirculated and making her appear ‘crazy.’

She compares the situation to a bad record contract, explaining that companies are profiting from images of her face without offering her any compensation. “It feels unfair to have others make money from your likeness without even receiving a small share, like 50 cents, each time it’s used,” she says.

NeNe Leakes sees her appearance on Ultimate Girls Trip as a way to test the waters for a potential return to reality television. She describes it as a gentle re-entry, saying it allowed her to ‘dip her toe in.’ While she can’t reveal much about filming or the location, Leakes confirms Kim Zolciak was also there. She says the experience was positive, reminding her of the camaraderie she enjoyed in the past, as well as what she doesn’t miss – the drama and arguments.

NBCU, the company that owns Bravo, is currently facing increased competition as other networks rush to create shows similar to Traitors, which feature well-known reality TV personalities. NeNe Leakes believes that if Bravo didn’t re-sign her, another network definitely would have. She explains, “There’s definitely an audience for the original stars.” Viewers, she says, are particularly interested in what the established stars are up to. While people still enjoy the newer cast members, Leakes feels the connection with the original stars is different and stronger.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=watch?v=g0dK0CZBUmc

A little later, a man who had been watching Leakes from a nearby table came over to join our conversation. He began by apologizing for interrupting, saying, “I’m not sure if you recognize me…”

“I don’t,” Nene says, before he could jog her memory.

He recalls attending Toronto’s Caribbean carnival, also known as Caribana, when the cast of The Real Housewives of Atlanta visited the city during NeNe Leakes’s final season on the show.

She shook her head and said, “No.” Then, a look crossed Leakes’s face – it was hard to tell if she’d suddenly remembered something, or if she was just acting like she had.

“Oh, the Caribana,” she says in a pleasant deadpan. “The Housewives came.”

“Yeah, when you came.”

“The whole cast came.”

“Yes, the whole cast.”

“How are you?”

He asked how she was doing, replying that he was fine. He then wanted to show her an old photo of the two of them on his phone.

“Wow, that’s an old photo, isn’t it?” she commented, looking at a picture I couldn’t see. The man then apologized for bothering them and they exchanged greetings. Once she excused herself to use the restroom, I asked if I could see the picture. He turned his device around, and I couldn’t help but laugh. It showed them both in a hotel lobby, with her – wearing a striking red and black jacket and oversized sunglasses – bending down to hug him. He explained that when she’s on screen, she’s captivating. “I love how genuine and unfiltered she is – she’s just real. I don’t think the other cast members have that quality,” he said. As he walked away, he added, “They should bring her back on TV! I’d really enjoy seeing her again.”

Once Girls Trip is released, Nene Leakes faces a choice: step back from the spotlight or try to recapture her fame, even though many newcomers are now trying to follow in her footsteps. According to Latham, everyone wants to be like the ‘Nene Leakes character’ these days. However, no one has been able to replicate Leakes’ unique ability to be both relatable and exceptional, or to confidently stand out even when feeling like an outsider. If she decides to leave this kind of reality TV, is it any surprise? The cameras focused on her life when things were going well, but quickly shifted to newer, often younger, stars as her life became more challenging. Why would she want to give up control? She can simply observe and be observed from a patio in Buckhead Village.

She wonders aloud if there’s still a place for her on Housewives, acknowledging how much her life has changed since her time on RHOA. It’s unclear whether these changes would help or hinder a potential return. She points out that she’s now a widow, her youngest son received a heart transplant and recently became a father, her oldest son’s daughter is now a teenager, she’s moved from a suburban mansion to a city high-rise, and she’s dating someone of African descent.

She finally realized that if people truly wanted her to be included, they would make room for her. She believed her life story was just as compelling—and likely even more so—than it had been before.

Read More

• Gold Rate Forecast
• What is Omoggle? The AI face-rating platform taking over Twitch
• Man pulls car with his manhood while on fire to raise awareness for prostate cancer
• Elden Ring Is Back With A New Free Game, Thanks To The Fans
• Audible opens first ‘bookless bookstore’ in New York
• How To Grow Money Trees In Animal Crossing: New Horizons
• 10 Adorable Quotes from Diana in Pragmata
• Netflix’s Remake Of R-Rated Denzel Washington Classic Carries On A Rotten Tomatoes Trend
• Wartales Curse of Rigel DLC Guide – Best Tips, POIs & More
• Tom Hardy’s Best Performance is in Warrior

2026-05-05 16:01