NeNe Leakes Files Suit Alleging Racism on ‘Real Housewives of Atlanta’

NeNe Leakes Files Lawsuit Alleging Executives on ‘Real Housewives of Atlanta’ Tolerated Racist Comments and Behavior on Set

An Atlanta Housewife is filing a lawsuit alleging executives allowed racial comments and innuendos that created a hostile work environment while filming the television series.

According to Page Six, reality TV star, NeNe Leakes, who is no stranger to controversy, has sued the production companies and the network behind the reality TV show, The Real Housewives of Atlanta on Wednesday. In the paperwork filed, Leakes is stating that they enabled and tolerated a hostile and racist work environment.

Leakes filed the lawsuit in a federal court in Atlanta. She alleges that she has complained to television executives about years of racist comments from her fellow castmate, Kim Zolciak-Biermann, who is white. No action was taken against Zolciak-Biermann, yet Leakes claims she suffered consequences.

The defendants named in the lawsuit are NBCUniversal, Bravo, production companies True Entertainment and Truly Original, executives from the companies and “Housewives” executive producer Andy Cohen.

The 54-year-old Leakes has been on the show for seven seasons between the years of 2008 and 2020.

In a written statement from her attorney, David deRubertis, he stated, “From the day the series began filming, NeNe was the target of systemic racism from co-star Kim Zolciak-Biermann, which was tolerated by Bravo executive producer Andy Cohen and other executives.”

The lawsuit states that because of her complaints of racism, are part of the reason Leakes was forced off the show in 2020 before its 13th season.

Although her former co-star isn’t named in the lawsuit, it alleges that during the first season in 2008, the cast was planning to go to a barbecue, and Zolciak-Biermann, in response to the idea allegedly said with “words to the effect of: ‘I don’t want to sit around with NeNe and eat chicken.’” That statement uttered, “perpetuated an offensive stereotype about African-Americans.”

The lawsuit also states that in 2012 during the fifth season, Zolciak-Biermann, once again, made “racially offensive and stereotypical” comments about the new home of fellow housewife Kandi Burruss. She remarked that Burruss’ neighborhood was in a “ghetto” and perpetuated a racial stereotype in an offensive statement about whether the former Xscape singer needed a swimming pool.

Leakes’ complaints fell on deaf ears to the executives overseeing the show. They “did not terminate their relationship with Zolciak-Biermann, nor take any other meaningful action to put an end to her racially-offensive behavior,” yet, they rewarded her by giving her her own spinoff show.

Stop harassing me, my business and my family! Stop having me followed, stop blacklisting black women for speaking the truth, stop paying off attorneys to not file discrimination claims! STOP IT

— NeNe Leakes (@NeNeLeakes) April 12, 2022