Source: TOMMY GARCIA / BRAVO MEDIA
Nene Leakes appeared on the Reality with The King podcast hosted by former Real Housewives of Atlanta producer Carlos King.
The OG housewife sat for a juicy two-part interview detailing her experience filming the hit reality show for multiple seasons. Part one was released on Tuesday, and it delved into practical jokes, fake storylines, romantic dynamics, and Leakes’ opinions on what was once the biggest reality show in the world.
It also exposed the intricacies of the friendships between the women off-camera.
King, who used to be Leakes’ personal producer in the early seasons of the series, recounted his experience working together. King labeled Leakes the “anchor” and the “queen bee” of the show.
Leakes revealed that she felt like a target because she was prominent on the show. “It doesn’t feel good to be in that position every single time,” she said.
See what other tea Leakes spilled in part one of her Reality with The King podcast interview below.
Leakes says she was only paid $10,000 for the first season of the show.
As the SAG-AFTRA strike reveals the rough economics of show business, Leakes added her two cents, stating that she was only compensated $10,000 for the first season. She also received a bonus for attending the reunion.
She said the show ruined her friendship with Sheree Whitfield.
Leakes said she was close with Sheree before the cameras started rolling, but things were different once the peaches and joggers came into play.
“The truth is I was the show, and it just felt like all of them just turned against me, and our friendship just got lost in the mix,” she said. “Once the cameras started rolling, our friendship just became nothing.”
Her fellow housewives initially pinned her as an underdog.
Leakes admitted that she had the smallest house of her fellow OG housewives, and they thought she would not appeal to the fanbase. Their grandeur appeared to set them above until she became the show’s breakout star.
“I think Sheree, along with Kim and the rest of the girls, thought, ‘Oh please, they’re gonna alive us, and they’re not gonna like her,’ and it just didn’t work like that. They loved me and didn’t like them,” said Leakes.
She changed her appearance after being “pulled apart” by fans.
“People like to say you’ve changed over the years, but the thing is you’re supposed to grow,” she said. “All these people are pulling you apart, and you have no other choice,” she continued.
After quips about her wigs and makeup style returned to her, she leveled up to the best makeup artists and hairstylists, only to be met with the criticism that she “changed.”
Leakes has also been extremely transparent about her plastic surgery. She was open in season three, episode five, after debuting her new look.
“We all changed. We all get new eyes and new nose, new titties, new ass we have to because if we didn’t, people would be pulling us apart,” said Leakes.
Leakes accused Cynthia Bailey of conspiring to keep her off the show and said people would get in her head.
“I loved Cynthia like she was my sister, and we had a great friendship,” said Leakes. She also said Bailey is “quite different” from the quiet person on screen.
“She’s very opinionated, she has a lot to say, and she stands up for herself,” she continued.
She said Bailey tried to stop her bag. “She was in an alliance with housewives and behind the scenes with producer and network,” said Leakes. “I believe she had a hand in trying to get it done.”
King confirmed that Porsha was on “the chopping block” after her first season
Leakes said her former housewives “little sister” Porsha Williams was almost let go after her first season. She said she and Kandi Burruss worked together to fight for Williams to retain her peach.
“Kandi and I called and talked to production,” said Leakes. “We went to full-on bat for Porsha, and Porsha stayed on the show.”
King confirmed that producers were planning on letting go of Williams, who went on to become one of the most popular faces on the Atlanta cast. Leakes said the season WIlliams and her fellow fan favorite Kenya Moore arrived was when the show shifted into less into reality and more into “storylines.”
She was never in love with Nyonisela “Yani” Sioh and is still in love with her late husband Greg, who passed away in 2021.
“I’m not sure that we are there,” she said when King asked her if she was in love with her ex-boyfriend Yani. “I think we got very close.”
Leakes addressed criticism about beginning to date only a month after her husband lost his battle with cancer. She said she thanked God for her former suitor because of the way he helped her through her grief.
“He kept my mind busy. He kept me going. That’s not saying that I didn’t grieve. I would grieve a lot. Grieving is very hard, and how you choose to grieve, no one knows,” she said.
“My love with Greg was the ultimate,” she continued. “I don’t think that I’ll find that again.”
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