NeNe Leakes' Discrimination Lawsuit Against 'RHOA' Was Delayed For This Reason
By Fiyin Olowokandi on May 10, 2022 at 1:00 PM EDT
NeNe Leakes is popularly known for her feature on the American reality television series, "The Real Housewives of Atlanta."
Leakes was one of the original housewives previously included in the program before her exit in 2020 due to allegedly being a victim of racial prejudice.
The discrimination led her to file a lawsuit against the production's company; however, the proceedings were delayed as she was reportedly 'blacklisted' by the show's executives.
NeNe Leakes Says She Was Constantly Being Silenced By "RHOA" Showrunners
Being a key feature on "RHOA" did not guarantee that Leakes would be shielded from racism, as she claimed that she was a victim of discrimination on the show.
As TMZ shared, the onscreen personality had always wanted to file a lawsuit against the production years ago regarding discrimination. However, she was silenced, which prevented her from taking any legal action.
When asked why she recently decided to file the discrimination lawsuit, she replied that she genuinely "felt like it was the right time…a few years ago."
Leakes further explained, "I was constantly being retaliated against, being blacklisted, not able to work, being silenced, and so, you know, it was difficult to do."
She did not give any explicit detail about how Bravo, the show's company, reportedly "blacklisted" or "silenced" her.
The presenter went on to tell the outlet that the claims about her filing a lawsuit because she did not get a spinoff show were "ridiculous."
She also interestingly noted that she had lots of opportunities to have her own program, but she "never" wanted one. "It's discrimination – that's just what it is," she added.
The actress hoped to help stop unfairness against black women with the lawsuit. She also believed being referred to as a black woman with blonde hair was highly improper.
The OG Housewife Sued Bravo And 'RHOA' Production Companies
In a previous report by The Blast, the 'RHOA' alum filed the lawsuit in a federal court in Atlanta, where she accused the showrunners of ignoring her complaints about being an object of racist comments from fellow white castmate Kim Zolciak-Biermann.
Biermann was not sued; however, the obtained legal documents showed Leakes' claims about the fellow housewife making "racially offensive and stereotypical comments" directed towards her and Kandi Burruss severally.
Even after complaining about the alleged remarks to the show's executives, the 54-year-old revealed that Biermann was not penalized but was instead given her own follow-up series.
The documents further indicated that the "RHOA" directors violated employment and anti-discrimination law and are being targeted for damages.
The lawsuit's timing seemed suspicious as Leakes previously hinted last November that she would make a comeback on the show, provided that specific changes were made.
As you may know, "The New Normal" star announced her exit from "RHOA" in a brief statement shared in 2020.
In her words, "It wasn't an easy decision for me. It was hard. I'm just happy that I can say that I was part of a genre that opened doors for Black ensemble reality shows. I want to thank everybody that has looked up to me over the years."
However, months after her withdrawal from the show, she slammed "RHOA" for being a racist program that did not promote black women but demoted them.
She later urged her fans to stay away from the show last December and revealed her plans to build a case against Bravo with the US Department of Equal Employment Opportunity in California, Georgia, or New York for "unfair treatment."
Leakes' Discrimination Allegations Were Called Lies By Fellow "RHOA" Housewife
Leakes' racism claims did not sit well with fellow housewife Burruss who was allegedly an object of racist remarks from Biermann. However, Burruss claimed the racism allegations were lies.
As we previously disclosed, the Xscape group member was featured on an episode of SiriusXM Urban View's "The Clay Cane Show," where she promoted her reality series and voiced her thoughts on Leakes' racism allegations.
She said, "Realistically, I don't agree…Everybody can have their own opinion. I did not agree."
Burruss further explained how the "RHOA" alum would constantly boast about being the highest-paid on the show.
In her words, "You can't brag about being paid the most out of anybody and then say that they're not treating you right."
She believed that the series had ensured that all the housewives were given satisfactory earnings, and it was never a case of a cast member doing well while the others were not.
