'Real Housewives of Atlanta': NeNe Leakes Withdraws Lawsuit Against Andy Cohen And Bravo

Reality star NeNe Leakes has ended her court battle with the "Real Housewives of Atlanta" showrunners. She starred in the program from its first season in 2008 through its seventh. Leakes finally left the show in the tenth season, which aired in 2020.

She accused the showrunners of cultivating a workplace atmosphere that tolerated racially offensive and inappropriate behavior by the show's employees in a discrimination lawsuit she filed against them in April 2022.

According to reports, Leakes recently dropped the lawsuit without prejudice and is also not pursuing reimbursement for her legal expenses.

Read below for more details.

According to court records acquired by E! News, the former "Real Housewives of Atlanta" star has abandoned her discrimination case against the showrunners of the reality show. Bravo, "RHOA" executive producer Andy Cohen, NBCUniversal, True Entertainment, and Truly Original, who ran "RHOA," were the defendants in the lawsuit.

"Leakes hereby dismisses this action and all claims asserted by Leakes without prejudice, thereby concluding this case before this court at this time," the docs read, per the publication.

In formal legal terms, a case that is dismissed with prejudice means that it cannot be refiled while being dismissed without prejudice means the opposite. Therefore, Leakes decision to drop her lawsuit at this time allows her to refile the case later in the future if she decides to do so.

The court docs also read: "All Parties consent and stipulate to the foregoing dismissal. No party will seek recovery of costs or attorneys' fees in any submission to this court."

Leakes dropping the lawsuit comes several months after she filed the lawsuit in April. At the time, she alleged that the showrunners had "fostered a corporate and workplace culture that has permitted and tolerated, if not encouraged, racially offensive and insensitive conduct, statements and actions by their employees."

In the court docs, she specifically complained about her former "RHOA" colleague Kim Zociak-Biermann, alleging that she displayed "racially insensitive" behavior in several instances, including making racially offensive statements. She also claimed that Zolciak-Biermann "was allowed and permitted to engage in racially-offensive conduct" without the network cautioning her or taking other stricter measures.

However, despite Leakes mentioning Zolciak-Biermann in the suit, the court docs revealed that the reality star was not listed as a defendant. From all indications, the case was exclusively centered on the showrunners of the reality show.

When "RHOA" first aired in 2008, Leakes played one of the show's original Housewives and remained a full-time cast member for seven seasons. She reduced her involvement to a guest role in season eight and boycotted season nine.

Leakes then made a full-time comeback for season 10 before announcing her official departure from Bravo at the end of the reality series twelfth season in 2020. In her final season, the reality star engaged in a social media battle with Bravo and Cohen.

"We strictly talking the OG’s. I was the ONLY BLACK OG. My white counter parts were elevated and given full season episodes EVERY season. Each season I was given less & less. Don't ask me, @ Andy and @ Bravo, and ask them why," she said in a September 2020 tweet, where she questioned the decision-making of the showrunners.

There are no details as to whether Leakes and the defendants settled out of court before the reality star dropped the suit. Both parties have yet to make official comments following the suit's dismissal and are keeping things low-key for now.

However, trouble might be waiting for Leakes now that the suit is over. Zolciak-Biermann had previously hinted (as per E!News) about suing her when she addressed Leakes's allegations months after the reality star filled the case.

"She knows what she's saying is not true in regards to me. That's ridiculous, and she knows it. So, I'll deal with her when she's done with them," she said during an interview with OWN's The Nightcap in June 2022.

Like Leakes, Zolciak-Biermann was a founding member of The Real Housewives of Atlanta. She departed from the show in 2012 during its fifth season.