Nene Leakes opened up about her experience as an original member of “The Real Housewives of Atlanta” in a sit-down interview with former “RHOA” executive producer Carlos King.
The former “RHOA” star was (and still is) a favorite from the franchise. Her comedic relief, vibrant personality and laser-sharp clapbacks were part of the reason the franchise gained its massive success, and arguably became the face of the entire “Real Housewives” universe.
It broke many viewers’ hearts to see her departure after Season 12, but Leakes has since popped up in other TV series, and most recently made a cameo in rapper Bia’s music video for “Millions.” While fans don’t see her in the “Real Housewives” realm anymore, Leakes has never been afraid to discuss what it was like when she was a regular cast member.
In this most recent tell-all, the former reality TV star spilled details about how she helped stop Porsha Williams from getting kicked off the show, how storylines became overly-produced once Kenya Moore and Phaedra Parks were cast, and how she always knew Shereé Whitfield left her off her the guest list in that infamous Season 1 party.
Read on for more “RHOA” deets, courtesy of NeNe.
Nene Leakes said she made $10,000 from the first season of “The Real Housewives of Atlanta.”
While Nene Leakes made her exit from “The Real Housewives of Atlanta” franchise after Season 12, her time on the series goes back even before the launch of the first season, as she was part of the show’s pilot as well.
During the interview, she said the show paid the ladies $10,000 for the first season, plus a $5,000 check for taping the reunion episode. Leakes mentioned the cast was so fresh and new to the job that they didn’t understand what all went into how they were paid. However, Leakes said after the first season the cast worked with one attorney who helped them attain $50,000 for the second season. For Season 3, Leakes, Zolciak and Whitfield were all paid the same amount, which was $150,000.
Carlos King, who served as Leakes’ producer in Season 1 and made his way up to executive producer, referred to Leakes as the “anchor” of the series. Leakes reflected on her first few weeks shooting, saying she didn’t know the show would be as successful as it turned out. She added that she hasn’t watched the show since she left, but does see clips from time to time online.
“As far as I’m concerned, they’re all sitting in my house,” Leakes said. “The house that I built, and it seems like it’s tumbling down.”
Nene Leakes felt the format of the show shifted during and after Season 4…when Phaedra Parks and Kenya Moore joined the show.
Every reality series has a little bit of production value added, but Leakes felt things were taken to new levels during Season 4. Leakes suggested forced and fake relationships, storylines and romances began when newcomers Phaedra Parks (who joined Season 4) and Kenya Moore (who joined Season 5) entered the scene.
“When me, Lisa [Wu Hartwell], DeShawn [Snow] and Shereé, all of us started, they were our real husbands, our real boyfriends,” Leakes said. “Shereé was really married to Bob [Whitfield] and they were really going through a divorce. DeShawn was really married to Eric [Snow], and they started to have their issues. Lisa was really with Ed Hartwell. I was really with Greg. Kim was really with Big Papa. Our stories were real. Everything we talked about and did was real. When we had disagreements they were real. We didn’t pretend we had a boyfriend and we didn’t have one.”
While Leakes doesn’t feel Moore and Parks were responsible for the show’s new model, she does believe the transition happened they joined.
Nene Leakes appreciated Shereé Whitfield leaving her off her birthday list because it made her “bigger than ever.”
During Season 1 of “The Real Housewives of Atlanta,” Shereé Whitfield’s security turned Leakes away from attending Whitfield’s birthday party because her name wasn’t on the guest list — an act Whitfield has since admitted to doing intentionally due to their sour relationship at the time. All these years later, Leakes said she always knew Whitfield intentionally removed her.
“I always knew she purposely left me off the list,” Leakes said. “Now the question would be, ‘Why? Why leave me off the list, honey? Without me, there’s no you.’”
Former “RHOA” producer Carlos King said producers pressured Whitfield to invite Leakes despite their rocky relationship at the time. Nevertheless, Leakes said Whitfield’s decision made her platform “bigger than ever.”
Leakes doesn’t know why she and Whitfield have never “clicked,” as they they used to go out as couples with their now-late and ex-husbands. She doesn’t dislike her former costar but mentioned that she felt the cast turned against her as she gained more fame.
Nene Leakes said she and Kandi Burress saved Porsha Williams from getting cut from the show’s sixth season.
Nene Leakes thought Kenya Moore and Porsha Williams were great additions to the series, but revealed producers considered axing Williams after her Season 5 debut. At the time, Williams was married to former NFL player Kordell Stewart. As the season aired, snippets of Williams and Stewart’s crumbling relationship were revealed. Leakes said she felt Stewart was only holding Williams back on the show, and that she and “RHOA” castmate Kandi Burress had to convince producers to keep her for the next season. Former “RHOA” producer Carlos King confirmed Williams was “100% percent on the chopping block.”
“Kandi and I, I can’t remember if it was anyone else, but I know it was Kandi and I, we called and talked to production and the network about keeping Porsha because Porsha was going through a divorce and we were like, ‘You guys can’t get rid of her right now. She really needs this show. Just let her stay and see how it works. We went to full-on bat for Porsha, and Porsha stayed on the show. You know, sometimes people forget who goes to bat for them, honey.”
And Williams’ return did work. “RHOA” had what King called the best cast “Real Housewives” has ever seen, and the sixth season broke records with a 4.5 million viewership. Additionally, it made history, as King was the first Black man to executive produce the show. “Everyone stepped up to their role,” Leakes said.
Nene Leakes said Cynthia Bailey tried to get her removed from “The Real Housewives of Atlanta,” and because of that they will “never” be friends again.
One of the closest friendships in the “The Real Housewives of Atlanta” franchise was between Nene Leakes and Cynthia Bailey, but the decline of their camaraderie became more visible as seasons passed. And though Leakes said she missed the relationship they once had, she knew it could never be the same after she felt Bailey plotted to get her taken off the show. Leakes added that she thinks people tried to convince Bailey that she was Leakes’ follower.
“I loved Cynthia like she was my sister. We had a great friendship,” Leakes said, saying moments later that she doesn’t think they could ever rekindle their relationship. “I know some of the things that she has done behind the scenes that I just could never, ever, ever respect. Now, I can’t respect them, but that does’t mean I couldn’t work with her. I could work with her, but I couldn’t respect some of the stuff that I know for certain that she did.”
Leakes said Bailey aligned herself with producers, housewives and the Bravo network to put an end to Leakes’ being on the show.
When former “RHOA” producer Carlos King questioned if Leakes really believed her speculation, Leakes replied, “Absolutely.”
King’s second installment of his exclusive interview with Leakes airs on Tuesday, Aug. 1 at 9 a.m. EST.
Watch the full interview below.
