NeNe Leakes may be back in the Bravo universe, but that doesn’t mean she’s ready to reclaim her peach.
“The Real Housewives of Atlanta” alum recently made her long-awaited return to the network on “The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip: Roaring 20th,” marking her first Bravo appearance in years. Naturally, the reunion immediately revived one of the biggest questions surrounding the longtime RHOA star: Could a full-time comeback be next?
According to Leakes, fans shouldn’t count on it.
During a new interview with Atlanta’s “Big Tigger Morning Show,” Leakes made it clear that while she’s open to spending time with her former castmates and making appearances, returning to the day-to-day demands of being a full-time Housewife isn’t something she wants at this point in her life.
“I’ll go and play with them, but as far as me actually holding a peach and all over here with y’all sitting on the couch… uh, no girl,” Leakes said. “I can’t do that. That’ll drive me crazy.”
NeNe Leakes Says She’s in a Different Place Today
Leakes, who helped launch RHOA in 2008, explained that her decision isn’t about holding onto resentment over her complicated history with the franchise.
She said she has moved beyond those feelings.
“As I said before, they did what they did, and I did what I did,” Leakes explained. “And I’m not holding any grudges. At first I felt some kind of way for a while, because you have to get over things, right? But I have healed from that. I have moved on.”
Instead, Leakes suggested that the full-time Housewives experience simply no longer fits where she is in her life.
“I know being on the show there’s a lot of arguing, there’s a lot of disagreeing, there’s a lot of ganging up, there’s a lot of alliances, and I don’t want to be a part of that,” she said. “I’m just not that right now in my life. I’m not there. That’s not where I want to be, right?”
That doesn’t mean Leakes wants to close the Bravo door altogether. She floated a much different arrangement, saying she would enjoy joining the women for a trip, having fun and then heading home rather than signing up for an entire season and reunion.
NeNe Leakes Recently Made Her Long-Awaited Bravo Return
The timing makes her comments particularly noteworthy.
Leakes’ appearance on “RHUGT: Roaring 20th” marked her first time back on Bravo since leaving RHOA after Season 12 in 2020. As one of the franchise’s original cast members and most recognizable personalities, her return inevitably prompted speculation about whether it could pave the way for something more permanent.
Leakes was a central figure on “The Real Housewives of Atlanta” for much of its first 12 seasons, although she stepped away from the series at different points during that run.
For now, however, Leakes seems to have found the boundary that works for her: She’ll visit, but she isn’t looking to move back in.
