The former 'The Real Housewives of Atlanta' star also discusses her feud with Andy Cohen, admitting that she hopes to be working on their relationship with the Bravo executive producer in the future.
- Oct 2, 2020
AceShowbiz - NeNe Leakes has shared more details about her departure from "The Real Housewives of Atlanta" ahead of season 13. Speaking with Entertainment Tonight, the reality TV star detailed on Thursday, October 1 why she made the shocking decision.
"I left the show," NeNe shared. "I had an offer on the table. I did not think the offer was a fair offer." When asked if she's open to return to the Bravo show, NeNe appeared to shut down the possibility. "I wish them all the best, really, I do. But I don't think that's the place for me," she responded.
In the new interview, NeNe also discussed her feud with "RHOA" executive producer Andy Cohen. "Well, I thought that we had a relationship and a great relationship. But maybe we didn't. I don't know," she admitted. "You know, you don't turn off your feelings for someone because you had an argument."
She continued, "I've always loved Andy like he was a family member of mine. I worked with him for a very long time so I have a lot of love for him, so, you know, you can't just turn your feelings off because you had an argument."
Despite the current tension, the 52-year-old expressed her hopes in working on their relationship with Andy in the future. "I mean, again, I consider him to be like family, families argue. Families fight. Families come back together," she divulged. "I have nothing but love for him and I'm certain that we will talk. We just texted right after that happened."
She later admitted to struggling amid the drama surrounding her exit. "It is heavy," she said. "It's public and it's heavy. But, I'm gonna be fine. It's just a lot. You know, I'm gonna get through it."
On Saturday, NeNe accused Bravo of forcing her out of the series. "Nene! Can @BravoTV give you the spinoff you deserve? #LifeOfLeakes #RHOA #Bravo #WWHL," one fan asked her on Twitter. To the question, NeNe responded, "They don't think i deserve to work at all in any compactly."
Another fan later chimed in, writing, "@NeNeLeakes that's Maliki it sound like they forced you out! Is that the story you want out there. 'They didn't want u to work in any capacity?' " NeNe confirmed, "They definitely did."
NeNe announced her departure from "RHOA" in a video on her YouTube channel on Thursday, September 17. "I have been on an extremely, extremely long, exhausting, tiring, emotional negotiation," she shared. "There's been a lot of emotion flying from both sides. It has been hard, and I have made the very hard and very difficult decision to not be a part of 'Real Housewives of Atlanta' season 13. It wasn't an easy decision for me. It was hard."
"I'm just so happy that I can say that I was a part of a genre that opened up doors for black ensemble reality shows," NeNe, who is among the OG Housewives of the show that premiered in 2008, continued.
