The door is OPEN, and NeNe Leakes is coming back to Bravo! After weeks of rumors, TMZ has confirmed that The Real Housewives of Atlanta O.G. will indeed star in the newly announced The Real Housewives: Ultimate Road Trip.
Source: Prince Williams / Getty
Citing production sources, the outlet reports that NeNe is expected to have a notable presence when the series stops in Atlanta, appearing only during that leg of the trip.
In the months leading up to the confirmation, signs of a reconciliation had already begun to surface. Bravo executive Frances Berwick previously acknowledged that the door was open for NeNe’s return, while NeNe herself confirmed to BOSSIP that she and NBC Universal were on better terms after settling her 2022 lawsuit.
“I see the clips, and I see the comments that people make—people think that I’m in a bad place with Bravo or NBC, and that is just not the case,” said NeNe to Managing Editor, Dani Canada. “There’s been so much talk. We’ve actually cleared all of our disagreements; we’ve actually sat at the same table and worked through these things. We’ve worked with all of that stuff.”
She continued,
“And then sometimes I think people are not thinking I’m working for NBC. You know, when you see me hosting the Oscars or the Emmys on the red carpet, they own those carpets, and if we were in some sort of beef, they would not have me on their carpets. I just think that people don’t really see it like that. They don’t really get that. NBC owns Bravo, and we are in an okay place. We are dating, so I think it’s slow, but so far, all is well.”
Not only that, but The Neighborhood Talk previously reported that the The Real Housewives of Atlanta alum was in negotiations to reenter the Real Housewives universe via The Real Housewives: Ultimate Road Trip, alongside Gizelle Bryant, who was said to be the first committed cast member, with Monique Samuels also rumored to be in early discussions.
NeNe announced her exit from The Real Housewives Of Atlanta in September 2020 citing failed contract negotians.
“I have made the very hard and difficult decision to not be a part of Real Housewives of Atlanta” season 13,” said the O.G. at the time while seemingly holding back tears and calling it “not an easy decision.” “I started on the Real Housewives of Atlanta in 2008. We took off like a rocket, you could have never told me that I would star ton this little show and it still be going strong 13, 14, years later. It has been hard, I’m just so happy that I can say that I was part of a genre that opened up doors for black ensemble reality shows to step up and be a part of what we all now love so much—reality TV.”
She went on to sue Bravo, NBCUniversal and the production companies behind #RHOA, citing claims of racism and a hostile workplace. The lawsuit was withdrawn later that summer, as the matter was moved to arbitration by mutual agreement.
The Real Housewives: Ultimate Road Trip Was Announced At BravoCon, Rumors Swirl That Mary Cosby Joined The Cast
The Real Housewives Ultimate Road Trip, slated to debut in 2026, was announced by Andy Cohen at BravoCon 2025 as a strategic evolution of the widely popular Ultimate Girls Trip.
Now, rather than luxe international getaways, Ultimate Road Trip will send iconic Housewives of past and present across the country to landmark cities within the franchise’s 20-year history.
In addition to NeNe, Gizelle and Monique rumored to appear on the series, Mary Cosby of The Real Housewives Of Salt Lake City is rumored to join alongside the likes of Gizelle Bryant, Alexia Napola and Countess Luann Luann de Lesseps.
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