NeNe Leakes, the original icon of The Real Housewives of Atlanta, is stepping back onto Bravo airwaves. This news isstirring equal parts excitement and disbelief among longtime followers.
Nene Leakes’ return is set for the upcoming anniversary spinoff, The Real Housewives: Ultimate Road Trip, and it marks a dramatic turn in ‘The Real Housewives’ story
According to sources speaking to TMZ, Nene will not be a full-time cast member of the traveling series. Instead, she will make a “notable appearance” when the caravan of Housewives from various cities rolls into Atlanta. It’s a homecoming, albeit a limited one. The show, announced by executive producer Andy Cohen last fall, is designed to celebrate the franchise’s 20th anniversary by mashing up personalities from different cities on a cross-country journey.
This moment is layered with more history than a reunion show recap. NeNe Leakes hasn’t been a housewife since 2020. Her departure from RHOA was messy and loud. She described feeling systematically forced out, famously comparing her reduced role to a McDonald’s worker having their hours slashed until they quit. The conflict didn’t end there. In 2022, she escalated the matter by filing a federal lawsuit against Bravo, NBCUniversal, and the production companies. She alleged a hostile and racist work environment, claims that sent shockwaves through the reality TV landscape. That legal action made many assume the bridge between Nene and the network was not just burned, but ashes scattered to the wind.
Yet here we are. The details of how this reconciliation occurred remain behind the scenes. Has the lawsuit been settled? Were there quiet negotiations? The reports do not say. What is clear is that both sides see value in this reappearance.
The reaction from fans is somewhat mixed. There is pure joy from those who have missed her unmatched one-liners and larger-than-life confidence. But there is also skepticism.
Can Nene Leakes’ return be anything more than a fleeting cameo?
