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NeNe Leakes appears to have officially closed the door on The Real Housewives of Atlanta — and this time, she’s leaving little room for interpretation.
During a recent appearance as guest host on Atlanta’s V-103 Big Tigger Morning Show with Francesca Amiker, the original RHOA star was asked about returning to the franchise full-time. She shut it down.
NeNe Leakes on Returning to RHOA: ‘That’s Not Where I Want To Be’
“That’s not where I wanna be,” Leakes said. She added that she doesn’t see herself ever coming back and doesn’t want to be part of “that.” She described herself as healed from the chapter and made it clear a full-time peach is not in her plans.
The comments come after months of speculation. Leakes, who left the show after Season 12 in 2020 following a bitter contract fight, later sued Bravo and Andy Cohen, alleging a hostile and racially insensitive work environment. The suit was dropped. In 2026 she returned to the Bravo universe for The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip: Roaring 20th, the franchise’s 20th-anniversary all-star trip — a limited appearance that fans treated as a possible first step back. It wasn’t.
Andy Cohen has said the current RHOA lineup is “pretty stacked” and that the network is focused on the group already in place. Rumors that Leakes was being offered a Season 18 contract circulated earlier this year; Cohen publicly called similar reports untrue.
Leakes has long said that if she ever returned, it would not be as a “friend of.” In this interview she went further: she doesn’t want the main-cast role either.
On Shamea Morton and the state of RHOA marriages
Hosts also asked whether Shamea Morton should leave the show. Leakes was cautious but pointed.
“I don’t see it being positive in her marriage,” she said. She noted how few intact marriages remain on the franchise and added that she couldn’t tell Shamea what to do — but she clearly sees the cost. “Where are the marriages?” she asked.
On dating in Atlanta and keeping her relationship private
Leakes also talked about her personal life and her boyfriend, Nyonisela Sioh (often called Nyoni), whom she has been seen with publicly in recent months.
“People in Atlanta don’t respect relationships,” she said. She described dating as on-and-off in the city, said she had rarely gone public with anyone before, and made it clear she prefers to keep this relationship private.
Why this lands differently
Leakes is still one of the most important figures the Housewives franchise ever produced. RHOA became Bravo’s flagship in large part because of her. The tension of the last six years — the exit, the lawsuit, the slow thaw, the Girls Trip cameo, the return rumors — made every interview feel like it might be the one where she said yes.
This time she said no.
Some fans heard self-protection. Others heard unfinished business. A few replies to the original clip argued the show is still the platform that made her, and that walking away for good is leaving money and cultural real estate on the table. Others said she’s earned the right to stop giving the franchise her energy.
Leakes has other lanes: her own interviews and YouTube show, acting, business, and the limited Bravo reunion she already did. For now, she’s treating RHOA as a closed chapter.
Whether Bravo ever tries again is another question. Based on what she said on V-103, the answer from her side is already in.
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After a six-year hiatus from the Bravo universe following her dramatic exit from The Real Housewives of Atlanta (RHOA) after Season 12 in 2020, the iconic “Queen of Shade,” NeNe Leakes, is officially back. The longtime fan favorite will appear in the highly anticipated franchise celebration spinoff, The Real Housewives: Ultimate Road Trip (working title: The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip: Roaring 20th).
The special follows a core group of Housewives — Vicki Gunvalson (RHOC), Luann de Lesseps (RHONY), Porsha Williams (RHOA), Teresa Giudice (RHONJ), Kyle Richards (RHOBH), Gizelle Bryant (RHOP), and Lisa Barlow (RHOSLC) — on a cross-country road trip hitting iconic cities tied to the franchise’s history: Orange County, Beverly Hills, Atlanta, Miami, and New York City. It features dozens of cameos from across the Bravoverse (over 80 stars total) to mark 20 years of The Real Housewives.
NeNe’s return was first teased and confirmed in mid-January 2026 by Andy Cohen, who noted it would be “hard not to” include the Atlanta OG in a 20th-anniversary celebration.
NeNe herself broke the news on Instagram with an emotional video, saying: “This has been a really long, long journey, and gosh, I’m happy, overjoyed to say that I will be returning to Bravo. I almost can’t believe the words that are coming out of my mouth. I’m so happy. I’m excited to see all of you girls… It’s going to be a time. Yes! Bitches, I am back. Now pick your faces off the floor. OK!? See you on Bravo. Love you.”
Andy replied to her post: “Couldn’t celebrate 20 years without you.”NeNe’s Role and Atlanta ScenesUnlike the core traveling cast, NeNe is not a full-time participant. She makes a notable appearance specifically during the Atlanta leg of the trip, where the group reunites with local legends and creates nostalgic, high-drama moments.
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A behind-the-scenes photo released by Bravo in late January 2026 captures the excitement: NeNe stands front and center in a striking silver velvet one-piece bodysuit with a fur collar and lace-up details, flanked by Porsha Williams, Phaedra Parks, Vicki Gunvalson, Kyle Richards, Teresa Giudice, Luann de Lesseps, Gizelle Bryant, and Lisa Barlow. The vibe is pure reunion energy — glamorous, joyful, and full of “gag” reactions from the group (Porsha commented “Gag” with flame emojis; Phaedra quipped “Not [Bravo] leaking Ms. Leakes”).Fans can expect classic NeNe moments in Atlanta:
- Heartfelt and humorous reunions with fellow RHOA OGs like Porsha Williams and Phaedra Parks.
- Nostalgic group scenes celebrating the franchise’s legacy, likely including toasts, throwback stories, and signature NeNe shade and one-liners.
- A teased tense confrontation with former RHOA castmate Lisa Wu. The recently dropped trailer highlights a charged moment between the two Atlanta originals, with reports from filming suggesting drama erupted during a speech or gathering where NeNe shouted out fellow OGs, leading to a confrontation (allegedly involving Lisa Wu, with NeNe reportedly clapping back in her signature style). instagram.com
These Atlanta sequences promise the perfect mix of nostalgia, laughter, and the unfiltered drama that made NeNe a household name.
Why This Return Matters
NeNe’s departure from RHOA in 2020 was contentious, followed by a 2022 lawsuit against Bravo (later dropped for arbitration) alleging a hostile work environment. Her return signals that past tensions are behind them, at least publicly. Andy Cohen later described the experience as “very positive,” and NeNe’s own words reflect genuine excitement about reconnecting with the network and the “girls.
”The full trailer for The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip: Roaring 20th dropped in late June 2026, building massive hype with glamorous group shots, cross-franchise clashes (including Teresa Giudice drama), and plenty of OG cameos — with NeNe’s Atlanta appearance standing out as one of the most anticipated.Premiere details: The supersized episodes premiere Sunday, August 9, 2026, at 9/8c on Bravo, with episodes streaming the next day on Peacock.NeNe Leakes’ comeback is more than just a cameo — it’s a full-circle moment for one of reality TV’s most iconic personalities. Whether she’s delivering shade, sharing laughs with old friends, or stirring the pot with Lisa Wu, her Atlanta scenes are sure to be some of the most talked-about moments of the season. “Bitches, I am back” indeed — and Bravo fans couldn’t be happier. Stay tuned for more updates as the August premiere approaches!
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“Real Housewives of Atlanta” star NeNe Leakes is in the news again, this time for sharing her thoughts on the cast and who needs to be gone.
“If I had it my way, I would get rid of two girls,” Leakes told TooFab. Everyone who watches the show knows that she and Porsha Williams have been at odds since the start of Season 10.
“In my opinion, yes — the cast should be changed up a bit,” NeNe told TooFab in a recent interview. “If I had it my way, I would get rid of two girls and bring in two new ones for excitement. You know, after a while with some of the girls, they just don’t have anything going on exciting enough to be a main cast member.”
“But I better keep who I think should go to myself because the moment I say anything, all hell breaks loose,” she said.
She’s right. We’ll see how this goes over with the rest of the cast members.
