A Real Housewives of Atlanta return may be just the flavor the Bravo franchise needs to stay fresh. Last week, The Root reported the cast for the 14th season of the show—including a return by alum Shereé Whitfield, the overdue promotion of perpetual guest star Marlo Hampton, and a spinoff for the ever-controversial Porsha Williams.
That’s all peachy, but the possible return of a prodigal franchise favorite overshadows all of that juicy news. As reported by Page Six, NeNe Leakes may return to the show, pending “a sit-down and talk” with creator and producer Andy Cohen.
“Yeah, sure, I’ll return to the show,” said the recently widowed Leakes on a Thursday appearance on The Real, speaking with co-hosts Loni Love and Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Garcelle Beauvais. “I’m OK with returning to the show as long as we can work through a few things.
“I’m happy to return to the show,” she added. “And besides, I have a lot of unfinished business with a couple of them that they confirmed on the show [last season].”
The intrigue!
Season 14 has reportedly already started filming, but no doubt a return by NeNe, who announced her second departure from the franchise in September 2020 after being the unequivocal star of the series from seasons 1 through 7 and 10 through 12, could be a ratings boost. Of course, that would require reconciling with Cohen, who Leakes inferred was “racist” during her departure last year, tweeting:
“I have ALWAYS believed in multiple streams of income so the Leakes are good you ole cocaine head and you ole racist. No one knew you until YOU knew me. Remember I’m ICON. Don’t forget.”
“Keep trying me sir and imma let the world know who you really are,” read a prior tweet, while a subsequent post read: “The racist is the master manipulator! They using me for ratings like they have always done.”
Her tone had softened significantly as she reflected on the man who helped bring her iconic personality to TV screens in America and beyond. “I think Andy and I were really close for a really, really long time, and I love [Cohen’s son] Benny boo, and I helped pay for his baby shower and all those things,” the 53-year-old told The Real. “I think that Andy and I need to have a sit-down and talk, and then we’re off to the races.”
As for Cohen, he has lamented the demise of his relationship with Leakes, sharing that he was “really sad about how [his] relationship with NeNe played out” in the recent Housewives chronicle Not All Diamonds and Rosé.
“The year 2020 was a horrible year for so many reasons, but the dissolution of my friendship with NeNe was absolutely heartbreaking to me,” Cohen added in the book.
Sounds like this peach may still have life in it yet—stay tuned.