Everybody one-time favorite housewife, star of the “Real Housewives of Atlanta who abruptly left the show leaving it near free fall is telling all about the fiasco that lead up to her departure.
Former executive producer of The Real Housewives of Atlanta Carlos King sat down with the indomitable Leakes an original cast member and a long time fan favorite to get her side of the events and some insight into the contentious relationship between Leakes, Bravo and show producer Andy Cohen.
In part two of Carlos King’s, RHOA’s then executive producer, Leakes discusses unfair treatment she experienced and a general lack of respect for her although she was the most likely fans ytuned in weekly to watch the high-spirited and unabashedly candid star.
The interview kicks off with the question on everyone’s mind, why did NeNe file a discrimination suit against Cohen and Bravo in 2022?
After running around the answer and repeatedly saying the words “unfair treatment,” Leakes ultimately said that the network never respected her, although she has been part of the cast since the show’s pilot in 2008.
When asked by King if the lawsuit ramped up because of a rumored contract agreement gone wrong, Leakes denied it, saying she’s felt the “unfair treatment” for a long time and was getting “phased out” by production. When she was asked to return for season 13 of the show, she was only proposed to film six episodes of the show, although there are usually around 20 episodes in a season.
“I’m unhappy that I got 6 episodes, I mean shouldn’t I get more than six episodes?” She continued her rant saying, “When there are other girls who aren’t the same complexion as me and started out as an original on Housewives, why are they being offered 18 episodes? What did I do? I don’t know anything that I’ve done ever on this show that no other housewife in this franchise has not done.”
Racial divide with Housewives’ opportunities
NeNe told King she believes white former housewives like Bethenny Frankel and Kim Zolciak got opportunities to speak out and ask for better treatment (from pay amounts to filming schedules), while she and the other Black housewives were criticized for asking. Frankel, who is outspoken about her disdain for Housewives, still gets to return to the network and laugh with Andy Cohen. Kim Zolciak was able to leave a season of RHOA in the middle of production and got her own spin-off show in return.
No hard feelings against Andy Cohen
King gave NeNe the floor to address Cohen, who she used to be extremely close to. She confirmed that she doesn’t have any hard feelings towards Andy and is not going to hold grudges against him, but is not “an ass kisser,” saying, “I hate that we’re in this place. I really wish it was a way for us to find our way back to each other because life is short.”
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