NeNe Leakes Has Dropped Her Lawsuit Against Bravo

Things are far from ideal in the world of The Real Housewives of Atlanta right now. Fans are still bothered by the fact that OG NeNe Leakes is no longer on the hit series. Not to mention, in April 2022, NeNe decided to file a lawsuit against the companies behind the program, and the accusations she leveraged against them were pretty damning.

NeNe was very vocal about her decision to file the lawsuit against Bravo. However, it appears that the reality TV icon has recently had a change of heart. Reports share that NeNe has decided to drop the lawsuit.

So, what gives? And why did NeNe pursue a lawsuit against pretty much everyone who was affiliated with The Real Housewives of Atlanta in the first place? Let's unpack everything we know.

NeNe's efforts for monetary damages over claims that NBCUniversal, Bravo, True Entertainment, Truly Original, and various show executives' actions violated federal employment and anti-discrimination laws has come to an end — for now.

According to documents obtained by Page Six, NeNe filed to dismiss the case “without prejudice” in Georgia on Aug. 19, 2022. All parties named in the lawsuit have also agreed to not “seek recovery of costs or attorneys’ fees," per the outlet.

Keep in mind, the outlet shares that Andy Cohen, Bravo, NBC Universal, and NeNe, were allegedly making headway for a resolution outside of court.

What's more, Page Six shares that existing contract agreements between all parties state that any disputes between them were “subject to arbitration" in New York, which is something NeNe reportedly disagreed with at the time. So, it's safe to say that rocky negotiations may have led to NeNe dismissing the suit.

Interestingly, NeNe has opted to remind mum about dismissing the lawsuit — all without a peep on Instagram or Twitter.

In April 2022, The Hollywood Reporter shared that NeNe filed a lawsuit in Atlanta against NBCUniversal, Bravo, True Entertainment, Truly Original, and various show executives, including Andy Cohen. In the suit, NeNe alleged that The Real Housewives of Atlanta fostered a hostile and racist work environment.

NeNe, who is African American, noted that she endured years of racist remarks from fellow housewife Kim Zolciak-Biermann, who is white.

According to the suit, "NBC, Bravo, and True foster a corporate and workplace culture in which racially insensitive and inappropriate behavior is tolerated — if not, encouraged."

NeNe (real name is Linnethia Monique Leakes) starred on The Real Housewives of Atlanta for seven seasons between 2008 and 2020. In her lawsuit, NeNe provided several specific examples of racist behavior that she says she was subjected to while filming the show.

The first instance of Kim's alleged racist behavior came all the way back in 2008, when the cast was set to attend a barbecue together. According to court documents, Kim was displeased with the idea, saying "words to the effect of: 'I don’t want to sit around with NeNe and eat chicken.'" According to prosecutors, this "perpetuated an offensive stereotype about African Americans."

Another alleged instance of Kim's targeted behavior came in 2012, during the show's fifth season. When Housewife Kandi Burruss joined the cast, Kim made a "racially offensive and stereotypical" comment, according to the suit, calling Kandi's neighborhood "ghetto" and questioning if she needed a swimming pool, echoing an age-old racist trope.

The lawsuit also stated that in the same year, Kim used the N-word when discussing NeNe and some of the other stars of The Real Housewives of Atlanta. It alleges that Kim doubled down by claiming that NeNe's house was a "roach nest" and falsely implied that she was a drug user.

NeNe's lawyer, David deRubertis, said that even after all of those instances, Bravo "did not terminate their relationship with Zolciak-Biermann, nor take any other meaningful action to put an end to her racially offensive behavior."

"From the day the series began filming, NeNe was the target of systemic racism from co-star Kim Zolciak-Biermann," her lawyer added, "which was tolerated by Bravo executive producer Andy Cohen and other executives."

The lawsuit further claimed that NeNe was forced off the show in 2020 after she began speaking out against racism at the height of the Black Lives Matter movement.

"As the Black Lives Matter movement swept our nation, Mrs. Leakes — Bravo’s historically most successful Black female talent — should have been embraced by NBC, Bravo, and True," the suit reads. "Instead, NBC, Bravo, and True forced her out of the ‘house she built,’ denying her a regular role."