The Truth About NeNe Leakes' Lawsuit Against Andy Cohen And Bravo
Bravo's "Real Housewives" give the world plenty to talk about with every season. There are a whopping 10 different reality series that follow affluent women in different cities around the U.S., not to mention the numerous spinoffs and global iterations. Thanks to the franchise's worldwide success, many of its stars have found fame in their own right. One such housewife to have found a spot in the limelight is NeNe Leakes of "The Real Housewives of Atlanta."
Leakes made her "Housewives" debut as an original cast member on "RHOA" when it premiered in 2008. She was a regular for seven seasons before going part-time on Season 8. Then Leakes returned to the drama full-time in Season 10. Ultimately, Leakes decided to quit "RHOA" ahead of Season 13 in 2020 after struggling with contract negotiations.
Now two years after Leakes has left "RHOA," the reality star is taking action against Bravo for what actually went down during her time on the hit show.
NeNe Leakes claims Bravo allowed a racist work environment
On April 20, NeNe Leakes filed a lawsuit against Bravo, "Real Housewives of Atlanta" executive producer Andy Cohen, and production companies True Entertainment and Truly Original for an alleged racist work environment. The suit claimed, "NBC, Bravo and True foster a corporate and workplace culture in which racially-insensitive and inappropriate behavior is tolerated — if not, encouraged," per The Hollywood Reporter.
The suit also insinuates that Leakes suffered racist comments from fellow housewife Kim Zolciak-Biermann for years, however, she's the one who dealt with the consequences. While the companies behind "RHOA" are named as defendants, Zolciak-Biermann is not. Leakes lawsuit specifically mentions a moment from Season 10 when Zolciak-Biermann told fellow housewife, Kandi Burruss, that she lived in the "hood" and said Leakes "lives in a f**king roach nest." Her comments sparked such an issue that fans started calling it #Roachgate, plus it was the most-talked-about moment on the Season 10 "RHOA" reunion episode. In her defense, Zolciak-Biermann said (via People), "You're reaching. Reaching. Don't try it. It has nothing to do with the projects or none of that s**t. A roach is a roach."
Leakes is now seeking monetary damages in the lawsuit, claiming "RHOA" violated federal employment and anti-discrimination laws.