The TV personality, who exited 'The Real Housewives of Atlanta' in September 2020, also names NBCUniversal and production companies True Entertainment and Truly Original as defendants.
- Apr 21, 2022
AceShowbiz - NeNe Leakes has taken legal action against "The Real Housewives of Atlanta" team. The reality star, who left "RHOA" back in September 2020, filed a lawsuit against Andy Cohen and Bravo as she accused them of "encouraging" racism on the show.
The 54-year-old TV personality, who is black, filed the suit in Atlanta federal court on Wednesday, April 20. In the docs, she alleged that the team ignored her complaints about years of racist remarks from her former co-star, Kim Zolciak-Biermann.
NeNe claimed in 2012 during the fifth season, Kim made "racially offensive and stereotypical" comments about her and Kandi Burruss, calling her neighborhood a "ghetto." At the same year, Kim reportedly used the N-word to refer to the "Glee" alum and other Black housewives in a dispute.
NeNe stated in the suit that she has complained to the executives about Kim's actions. However, they "did not terminate their relationship with Zolciak-Biermann, nor take any other meaningful action to put an end to her racially-offensive behavior" and rewarded her own spin-off series instead.
While she is not suing Kim, NeNe listed NBCUniversal, Bravo, production companies True Entertainment and Truly Original and Andy as defendants. "NBC, Bravo and True foster a corporate and workplace culture in which racially-insensitive and inappropriate behavior is tolerated - if not, encouraged," so read the suit.
According to the docs, the execs also tried to stop NeNe from showing her support for the Black Lives Matter movement by keeping her off episodes where the housewives addressed the matter. "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 said. "Instead, NBC, Bravo, and True forced her out of the 'house she built,' denying her a regular role."
NeNe is suing for an unspecified amount to be decided upon during trial. As for the defendants, they have yet to respond to the lawsuit.
