Linnethia “NeNe” Leakes is the OG of The Actual Housewives of Atlanta and the Queen Bee of Bravo. Followers have been shocked when she took her closing exit from the community in 2020 after Season 12.
Since leaving the present, she has been concerned in a heated social media alternate with each Bravo and their chief, Andy Cohen.
Now she has taken her feud to the following degree, submitting a lawsuit towards Bravo and Andy, alleging that they fostered and tolerated a hostile and racist work surroundings. The lawsuit filed Wednesday in federal courtroom in Atlanta claims NeNe complained to executives about years of racist remarks from fellow housewife Kim Zolciak-Biermann, however that solely NeNe suffered penalties.
What are the main points of NeNe’s lawsuit?
The lawsuit names NBCUniversal, Bravo, manufacturing firms True Leisure and Actually Authentic, executives from the businesses, and “Housewives” govt producer Andy Cohen as defendants, however not Kim. The swimsuit claims, “NBC, Bravo and True foster a company and office tradition through which racially-insensitive and inappropriate habits is tolerated – if not, inspired.”
An instance named for this habits occurred within the first season of RHOA, which aired in 2008. The forged deliberate to attend a barbecue, and Kim responded to the concept with “phrases to the impact of: ‘I don’t wish to sit round with NeNe and eat rooster.’” The swimsuit says the assertion “perpetuated an offensive stereotype about African-People.”
The swimsuit additionally claims that in 2012, throughout Season 5, Kim made “racially offensive and stereotypical” comments concerning the new house of housewife Kandi Burruss, calling her neighborhood a “ghetto” and perpetuating a racial stereotype in an offensive remark about whether or not Kandi wanted a swimming pool. That very same 12 months, the swimsuit says, Kim used the N-word to discuss with NeNe and different of the housewives after a dispute with them, and likewise alleges Kim falsely implied that NeNe used medication and referred to as her house a “roach nest.”
Two of NeNe’s attorneys have commented instantly. David deRubertis stated in a press release, “From the day the sequence started filming, NeNe was the goal of systemic racism from co-star Kim Zolciak-Biermann, which was tolerated by Bravo govt producer Andy Cohen and different executives.” Joe Habachy, one other of NeNe’s attorneys, stated through electronic mail that “not a day goes by that NeNe doesn’t get up with an onslaught of overwhelming feelings as a direct results of these unlucky and avoidable occurrences.”
The lawsuit claims that NeNe’s complaints led to her being compelled off of the sequence and that she didn’t voluntarily stop.
NeNe additionally claims the Black Lives Matter motion performed a component
NeNe’s lawsuit alleged that Bravo execs decreased her airtime in an effort to maintain her from selling the BLM motion. “Because the Black Lives Matter motion swept our nation, Mrs. Leakes — Bravo’s traditionally most profitable Black feminine expertise — ought to have been embraced by NBC, Bravo, and True,” the swimsuit says. “As an alternative, NBC, Bravo, and True compelled her out of the ‘home she constructed,’ denying her an everyday function.”
NeNe did say in an interview with the speak present The Actual in 2021 that she supposed to return to RHOA sooner or later. She additionally beforehand admitted to having issues with Andy and expressed how a lot she beloved him and his son, Ben. She stated she would like to have a sit down along with her former boss and return to her rightful place because the Queen of RHOA.
Not one of the events within the swimsuit have commented, together with Andy. Kim, who was not named within the swimsuit, has additionally not spoken on the difficulty.
The Actual Housewives of Atlanta is at present on hiatus.
