NeNe Leakes has certainly made a name for herself as a star on The Real Housewives of Atlanta (RHOA). Whether it’s the pop culture hits like “Whew chile, the ghetto!” (and her hilarious disdain for white refrigerators) or “I said what I said!” Leakes will always be remembered for her outspoken quips.
Last month, Leakes announced on her YouTube channel that she will be leaving RHOA.
On a recent episode of his show Watch What Happens Live, Real Housewives franchise executive producer Andy Cohen discussed Leakes’ exit with Wendy Williams, who considers Leakes a friend (she noted on the show that she knows Leakes by her birth name, Linnethia).
People Magazine breaks down the exchange:
“NeNe has quit the show several times and you’ll have her back,” she added. “NeNe likes attention, dramatic attention. I don’t know what NeNe’s going to be doing for money, I’m not trying to count coins, but the Housewives is that one thing that all the girls use to promote their other stuff.”
Williams also rattled off ideas for spinoffs surrounding Leakes, deeming them all “boring.”
“And what are they gonna do? Is it gonna be Gregg and NeNe, you’re gonna give them another reality show? That’s boring,” she said. “How about it NeNe being a grandmother? That’s boring. NeNe and her own kids, that’s boring. NeNe trying to figure out Hollywood, that’s boring.”
“Listen, she probably has a lot of opportunities and hopefully she will come back at some point,” Cohen said.
“She did say that the phone is ringing,” Williams pointed out.
“Yeah, I don’t doubt it,” the host added. “I think her phone is always ringing, she’s done a million other shows.”
Well, according to Leakes, that isn’t quite an accurate story.
“I will ALWAYS eat and eat good! Believe that,” Leakes tweeted on Sunday. “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.”
The “cocaine head” was seemingly directed to Williams (who has previously discussed her past addiction to the substance) and the “racist” was meant for Cohen.
Leakes added to the Cohen call-out tweeting, “The racist is the master manipulator! They using me for ratings like they have always done.”
Leakes claimed that the reason she decided to leave the franchise was because she wasn’t offered a full season like her white Real Housewives franchise counterparts, specifically the “OGs” such as Kyle Richards (The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills), Ramona Singer (The Real Housewives of New York) and Teresa Giudice (The Real Housewives of New Jersey).
“We strictly talking the OGs,” Leakes tweeted with a graphic showing that she was only offered half a season. “I was the ONLY BLACK OG. My white counterparts were elevated and given full season episodes EVERY season. Each season I was given less & less. Don’t ask me, @ Andy and @ Bravo and ask them why.”
According to People, Williams, Cohen and Bravo had no comment on the matter.