Speak on it! NeNe Leakes addressed the low live ratings for RHOA Season 15 in a new interview, commenting on frenemy Kim Zolciack’s pending divorce and revealing she would “come back for the fans.”
“I don’t know how she’s doing overall. I just reached out to her because she reached out to me when I was going through something,” she told the TMZ photog when asked how Kim is doing as she navigates separating from Kroy Biermann, most likely referencing the passing of her husband and longtime RHOA fixture Gregg. “I would have to think that she’s taking it hard. Divorce… it’s not easy.”
NeNe was also asked about the potential of her and Kim returning to RHOA and her answer was classic NeNe. “Well I would just say check the ratings,” she said. That should give you an answer.”
When pushed about a potential return, NeNe was more clear than she has ever been. “I would come back for the fans because the fans are the ones that love me, they are the ones that love to see me in that position and I would do anything for them,” she explained.
Just a few weeks ago, Bravo and The Real Housewives of Atlanta made headlines when the network removed NeNe from a flashback in the show, editing her image out of the Season 3 and Season 4 intro. NeNe, for her part, saw that move exactly for what it was. (Bravo later re-edited the episode and removed the edit.)
“I thought that was funny,” she said. I thought that was kind of crazy to do. I also think that people sometimes use reverse psychology so maybe they were thinking if we edit her out, maybe that will make more people tune in next week.”
She continued, “I don’t know. I think it was a bad move to do.”
Many RHOA fans think it was production who was being shady towards NeNe but the longtime reality star says the decision would have been made above that pay grade. “I don’t even think it was production [being shady] because production only does what the orders are from the top,” she dished. “So someone from the top ordered that to be done and they did what they were told to do.”
WATCH! NeNe Leakes Addresses Low ‘RHOA’ Ratings, Says She Would “Come Back For The Fans”
Lawsuit and eventual dismissal
As previously reported, NeNe sued Bravo and Andy Cohen in early 2021 claiming that they helped foster a racist work environment on the set of RHOA.
In her claim, NeNe specifically mentioned former co-star Kim Zolciak-Biermann, but she was mysteriously left off the defendants list, making this suit even more confusing.
“The lawsuit filed in federal court in Atlanta says Leakes, who is Black, complained to executives about years of racist remarks from fellow housewife Kim Zolciak-Biermann, who is white, but that only Leakes suffered consequences,” reads a report from the Associated Press at the time.
According to NeNe’s suit, Kim had made multiple racist comments around and to her while filming the show, but the network never acted. “NBC, Bravo and True foster a corporate and workplace culture in which racially-insensitive and inappropriate behavior is tolerated – if not, encouraged,” the court documents stated.
While the network and NeNe jointly decided to drop the lawsuit and enter arbitration, the public has not been made aware of any resolution or the current status of their relationship, leaving fans to constantly question whether the iconic reality star will ever return to the network she helped make a hit.
The Real Housewives of Atlanta airs Sundays on Bravo.
