NeNe Leakes

Early life

Linnethia Monique Johnson was born in Queens, New York City. One of five children, she and one of her brothers were sent to live with an aunt in Athens, Georgia, while the other three children stayed with her mother. It was believed that her mother could not take care of all five. After graduating from Clarke Central High School in Athens, she decided to further her formal education at Morris Brown College in Atlanta for two years before becoming pregnant.

Career

Before Leakes met the producers of The Real Housewives of Atlanta, she had appeared on TV shows like* The Parkers* thanks to meeting casting director Robi Reed-Humes. In 2003, she landed a minor role as a stripper in the film The Fighting Temptations, starring Cuba Gooding, Jr. and Beyoncé. However, none of her scenes are present in the final edit of the movie.

In 2008, Leakes made her first appearance on The Real Housewives of Atlanta as an original cast member. After the first season, she co-wrote the book Never Make The Same Mistake Twice with Denene Millner*.* Leakes was a main cast member for the first seven seasons. In June 2015, Leakes announced that she would not be returning for the show's eighth season. However, Leakes was featured in season 8 of The Real Housewives of Atlanta in a supporting role, reportedly earning her full salary from the previous seven seasons. Leakes later returned to the show as a full-time housewife for the tenth through twelfth seasons (2017–20).

In 2020, Leakes announced that she would not return to The Real Housewives of Atlanta for its thirteenth season.

Leakes also transitioned into scripted television, playing the secretary Rocky Roades in the NBC comedy The New Normal. Ryan Murphy cast Leakes in his series Glee in the third season in a recurring role as synchronized swim coach and Olympic bronze-medalist Roz Washington. In 2011, Leakes was a contestant in the eleventh instalment of Donald Trump's NBC series Celebrity Apprentice. During the tenth episode of Celebrity Apprentice*,* after arguments with fellow cast member Star Jones, Leakes walked off the show.

Leakes has guest-hosted Anderson Live, The Talk, and appeared in Betty White's Off Their Rockers and The Price Is Right. On March 4, 2014, she was announced as one of the celebrities who would compete in Dancing with the Stars (American TV series) season 18 of Dancing with the Stars. She was paired with professional dancer, Tony Dovolani. Leakes and Dovolani were eliminated in Week 7 of competition (Latin Night) on April 28, 2014, finishing in 7th place.

Leakes played the Mistress of Sensuality in Las Vegas for resident show Cirque du Soleil: Zumanity. She made her Broadway debut on November 25, 2014, as Madame in Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella. She played the role until the production closed on January 3, 2015. In November 2015, she was cast as Matron "Mama" Morton in Chicago on Broadway for four weeks.

Leakes released a song, entitled "Come and Get This Hunni", in April 2020.

In January 2024, Leakes was announced as a co-host on Zeus Network's Baddies East reunion by cast member Natalie Nunn. In March 2024, Leakes starred in Hunting Housewives, opposite Denise Richards, Melyssa Ford, and Kym Johnson-Herjavec for Lifetime.

Other ventures

Production

Leakes founded NeNe Leakes Entertainment, a television production company. The company produced Leakes' spin-off series I Dream of NeNe: The Wedding alongside True Entertainment, which premiered on September 17, 2013.

Fashion line

In February 2014, Leakes announced that she would be launching a clothing line later in the year. On July 28, 2014, Leakes launched the Nene Leakes Collection for the Home Shopping Network (HSN).

Comedy

In March 2016, Leakes announced that she would be touring the United States in a one-woman comedy tour called "So Nasty, So Rude," named after one of her catchphrases. The tour started in April, with many shows sold out.

Boutiques

Leakes opened the first SWAGG Boutique location in Duluth, Georgia in November 2017, and it closed in August 2020. She then expanded SWAGG Boutique to the MGM National Harbor in Maryland and to Miami Beach, with these locations still open and operating.

Lounge

In October 2020, Leakes posted on Instagram that she would be opening a lounge in Duluth, Georgia. The Linnethia Lounge, named after Leakes' birth name, opened in May 2021. Singers such as KeKe Wyatt and Tamar Braxton have made appearances and performed concerts.

Personal life

Leakes resides in Duluth, Georgia, a suburb of Atlanta. Her home is known as "Casa Leakes". Leakes listed the home for sale in October 2021.

She and husband Gregg Leakes separated in 2010, and she filed for divorce on April 29, 2010. The divorce was finalized September 29, 2011, after season four of The Real Housewives had finished shooting. NeNe and Gregg Leakes reunited and announced that they were engaged in January 2013. Bravo filmed their wedding planning and ceremony for a spin-off entitled I Dream of NeNe: The Wedding. NeNe and Gregg remarried on June 22, 2013, at the InterContinental Buckhead Hotel in Atlanta. In June 2018, she revealed that Gregg had stage 3 colon cancer but announced in May 2019 that he was cancer-free. In June 2021, she announced that the cancer recurred and that he was in the hospital recovering after surgery. Gregg Leakes died from colon cancer on September 1, 2021, at the age of 66.

On April 16, 2022, Leakes filed a federal lawsuit against NBCUniversal, Bravo, production companies True Entertainment and Truly Original, and Real Housewives producer Andy Cohen for violating federal employment and anti-discrimination laws. She dismissed the action and claims on August 19, 2022.

Filmography

Film

Television

Music videos

Video games

Producer

• I Dream of NeNe: The Wedding (TV Series) (executive producer)

Theatre

References

References

1. (December 19, 2017). "Watching NeNe Leakes Serenade Gregg Leakes at Her Holiday-Birthday Party Gives Us All the Feels". [[Bravo (US TV network).
2. (31 March 2021). "Ranked: All 100+ 'Real Housewives' From Worst to Best".
3. (11 April 2016). "All 115 Real Housewives, Ranked".
4. (10 March 2014). "A Definitive Ranking of Every 'Real Housewife' Ever".
5. "NeNe Leaks". [[TV Guide.
6. (May 11, 2015). "The Real Story With NeNe Leakes' Mother". AllThingsRH.com.
7. (November 16, 2012). "NeNe Leakes Talks Stripper Past & Says It Was a Great Hustle". Urban Belle Magazine.
8. (March 2, 2014). "Where Did NeNe Leakes Go to College?".
9. "Ebony Cover With NeNe Leakes Unleashes a Firestorm of Criticism". The Daily Beast.
10. (June 26, 2008). "Bravo's Hit Franchise Docu-Series "The Real Housewives" Heads South for "The Real Housewives of Atlanta"". The Futon Critic.
11. (March 30, 2015). "NeNe Leakes and Kim Zolciak Biermann Are Teaming Up for a New Bravo Show and We're Already Obsessed". E! Online.
12. "NeNe Leakes Is Not Returning to The Real Housewives of Atlanta". People.
13. Stasi, Linda. (September 11, 2012). "Best part of 'New Normal' is the cast". New York Post.
14. Goldberg, Lesley. (January 14, 2013). "'The New Normal': Nene Leakes Puts 'Sing' Star in Her Place". The Hollywood Reporter.
15. Ho, Rodney. (December 20, 2011). "NeNe Leakes joins 'Glee' for a few episodes". Access Atlanta.
16. Hines, Ree. (December 20, 2011). "'Housewives' star NeNe Leakes gets recurring role on 'Glee'". TODAY.
17. Brown, Laurel. (March 7, 2013). "'Glee' scoop: NeNe Leakes will return in Season 4 as Coach Roz". Zap2it.
18. Goldberg, Lesley. (December 20, 2011). "'Glee' Enlists 'Real Housewives of Atlanta's' Nene Leakes". The Hollywood Reporter.
19. Nudd, Tim. (May 11, 2011). "NeNe Leakes: Celebrity Apprentice Was 'Toxic' for Me". People.
20. (May 9, 2011). "NeNe Leakes: Why I Quit Celebrity Apprentice". Us Weekly.
21. (May 9, 2011). "NeNe Leakes Slams 'Celebrity Apprentice' After Quitting". Access Hollywood.
22. Nessif, Bruna. (November 18, 2013). "Rosie O'Donnell & NeNe Leakes to Guest Cohost Anderson Cooper's Talk Show". E! News.
23. Beard, Lanford. (January 28, 2013). "Bloop! NeNe Leakes gives Betty White wine-tossing tips".
24. Wieselman, Jarett. (February 18, 2013). "NeNe Comes To 'The Price Is Right'". Entertainment Tonight.
25. (March 4, 2014). "Dancing With the Stars Cast Revealed! Cody Simpson, Nene Leakes and James Maslow Are Among the Names—See the Full List! | E! Online UK". Eonline.com.
26. (March 31, 2014). "NeNe Leakes joins Zumanity!". [[Cirque Du Soleil]].
27. "[Replacement and/or Transfer Information]. ''Rodgers + Hammerstein's Cinderella''". [[Internet Broadway Database]] ([[The Broadway League]]).
28. (November 24, 2015). "Say Hello to a New Mama! "Real Housewives" Star NeNe Leakes Takes Her First Bows in Chicago".
29. Chung, Gabrielle. (April 3, 2020). "'Real Housewives of Atlanta' Star NeNe Leakes Teases Her New Song 'Come and Get This, Hunni'".
30. Sanders, Shamika. (January 18, 2024). "NeNe Leakes Hosts 'Baddies East' Reunion".
31. Gajewski, Ryan. (February 1, 2024). "Denise Richards, NeNe Leakes to Star in Lifetime Movie 'Hunting Housewives'".
32. Sara Bibel. (September 18, 2013). "Tuesday Cable Ratings: 'Sons of Anarchy' Wins Night, 'Tosh.0', 'Suits', 'Amish Mafia', 'Face Off' & More". TV by the Numbers. Zap2It.
33. (March 31, 2016). "NeNe Leakes kicks off stand up comedy tour in Charlotte in April". realitytea.com.
34. "NeNe Leakes House Pictures". CelebrityHousePictures.com.
35. Ho, Rodney. (April 11, 2012). "UPDATED: NeNe is indeed divorced". Access Atlanta.
36. (January 8, 2013). "Nene Leakes Engaged To Ex: 'Real Housewives of Atlanta' Star Gets Back With Ex-Husband Gregg". Huffington Post.
37. Alyssa Toomey. (January 8, 2013). "NeNe Leakes "Definitely Back Together" With Ex-Husband Gregg Leakes, Stays Mum on Wedding Rumors". E!.
38. Goldberg, Lesley. (April 18, 2013). "Nene Leakes Wedding Spinoff Nabs Series Order at Bravo". [[The Hollywood Reporter]].
39. Coughlan, Maggie. (June 22, 2013}}{{dead link). "NeNe Leakes Marries Gregg Leakes for a Second Time". People.
40. "NeNe Leakes Reveals Husband Gregg Leakes' Cancer Has Returned: 'It's Difficult'".
41. (September 1, 2021). "NeNe Leakes' Husband Gregg Leakes Dead from Colon Cancer at 66". [[People (magazine).
42. (April 20, 2022). "NeNe Leakes sues saying racism accepted on 'Real Housewives'".
43. Jackson, Dory. (August 22, 2022). "NeNe Leakes Dismisses Discrimination Lawsuit Against Bravo".
44. (March 7, 2019). "'How High 2': Mike Epps To Reprise Baby Powder Role In MTV Sequel; Premiere Date Set". [[Deadline Hollywood]].