NeNe Leakes Is Open To An RHOA Return But Why Did She Leave In The First Place?

The Real Housewives of Atlanta hasn't been the same since NeNe Leakes left the show in 2020 after Season 12. Of course, her departure was nothing short of drama. There were rumors that she was fired (she wasn't).

The self-proclaimed "rich b***h," who's still the second-richest among the RHOA cast members, also sued Bravo and Andy Cohen. Fans have continued to follow NeNe's life via social media since then, including her major transformation after extensive plastic surgery.

So her followers were thrilled when NeNe said she was open to returning to RHOA in January 2025. Here's what the reality TV star has said about the show, as well as her current relationship with her former co-stars.

NeNe Leakes Will Consider An RHOA Return For The Right Price

NeNe Leakes Has "Moved Forward" With Bravo

During her appearance on the Tamron Hall Show in January 2025, Nene said she would consider returning to RHOA... for the right price, of course. "If [Bravo] called, I would answer," she told Tamron. "I would need to hear what they have to say."

Referring to her dismissed lawsuit against Andy and Bravo (we'll get to that in a bit), NeNe said she and the RHOA producers "have put a lot of things behind us that some people know, some people don't know... We've moved forward."

Within the same week, NeNe told the Associated Press that she "could never say never" to an RHOA comeback. However, she "just [doesn't] know" for certain because the series is "different" from when she started.

"I don't even know where my place would be on the show," NeNe explained. "You know, what would I be doing with those girls?

However, NeNe assured her fans that her "life is very interesting right now." But she would surely consider "if the right offer came along" saying: "Check, check, check. Zero, zero, zero, zero, zero, zeros...."

NeNe's press tour in early 2025 was for the promotion of her new Me & My Homegirl podcast alongside Sierra Gates (Sierra Glamshop) of Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta.

While NeNe clarified that she wasn't "on meetings" with the network about a possible return, she admitted on The Breakfast Club that same month: "I do miss the trips, I do miss the check. I don't miss the arguments."

NeNe Leakes Quit RHOA Due To Contract Disputes And Alleged Racist Work Environment

NeNe Leakes Demanded A Higher Salary Then Sued Bravo And Andy Cohen

In September 2020, NeNe announced her exit from RHOA in a YouTube video after an "extremely, extremely long, exhausting, tiring, emotional negotiation [with Bravo]." When a fan suggested a spin-off on X (then Twitter), she replied: "They don't think I deserve to work at all in any capacity."

While she wasn't fired, NeNe agreed when a fan tweeted that Bravo "forced her out," saying, "They definitely did." A month later, she told ET: "I had an offer on the table. I did not think the offer was a fair offer." NeNe also confirmed her falling out with Andy at that time.

"Well, I thought that we had a relationship and a great relationship. But maybe we didn't," NeNe said of Andy. "I don't know."

Fast-forward to April 2022, NeNe sued Bravo, Andy, and other RHOA producers over an alleged racist work environment. She dismissed the lawsuit in August that year without publicly disclosing the reason.

During BravoCon 2023, Andy emotionally acknowledged that he and NeNe "came up together" so "there's always room in my heart" for her. He added that in the last few years, he'd been respecting her wishes "to keep her name out of my mouth."

NeNe Leakes Stopped Feuding With Her Former RHOA Co-Stars After Leaving The Show

NeNe Leakes "Genuinely Likes" Her Former RHOA Co-Stars Off-Screen

During the first episode of her Me & My Homegirl podcast, NeNe said she's on good terms with her former RHOA co-stars. "I don't have any beef now because we've not been on the show together in so many years," she told her co-host, Sierra.

According to E! News, NeNe remains close friends with her former RHOA co-stars:

• Kenya Moore
• Porsha Williams
• Phaedra Parks
• Shereé Whitfield
• Marlo Hampton
• NeNe is also friends with Drew Sidora, who joined in Season 13 after the former left

NeNe also clarified that she "genuinely likes" her former co-stars despite their many onscreen dramas. "One of the things I would say is that if we weren't all cast on this show together, and we met in real life, we'd all be real good friends," she reflected.

Don't get her wrong, the Atlanta businesswoman knows there was true "hater" energy among her former castmates. NeNe believes "we (Freudian slip?)—uhm, I think they don't like to see certain girls rise" on RHOA.