The Real Housewives of Atlanta is going to be a lot less dramatic with OG star NeNe Leakes announcing she won’t be back for season 13. The 52-year-old confirmed she’s leaving RHOA via her Youtube Channel on Sept. 17. But while some Atlanta peaches might be glad to have their feuding frenemy gone, Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Garcelle Beauvais would love it if NeNe joined her cast. With the recent departure of Denise Richards, 49, who quit after two seasons, there is an open spot!
Garcelle just finished up her freshman season on RHOBH and would love it if NeNe could come to Beverly Hills. The 53-year-old pleaded in a tweet for NeNe to “come help a sista out #RHOBH” after the news of the longtime Atlanta star’s departure broke. Garcelle is the only Black member of the BH cast, and fans would love to see NeNe come in and help shake things up among Lisa Rinna, Kyle Richards, Teddi Mellencamp, Dorit Kemsley and Erika Jayne.
Fans are all for the idea, with @_presto writing to Garcelle, “Nene destroying Rinna would be the cultural reset we deserve. We DESERVE!” User @jsparks991 added, “Which is exactly what we, the audience, need!!!! Can you IMAGINE NeNe charging up Teddi. I wanna see it!!!” @SookieVamp added, “Please Bravo gods – turn NeNe loose on Dorit, I promise I’ll be good, please it’s all I want for Yule.”
NeNe told fans via her YouTube video that after “emotional negotiations” with Bravo, she was handing in her peach (even though fans now want her to get a diamond!) “There’s been a lot of emotions on both sides. It’s been hard and I have made a hard, difficult decision to not be part of Real Housewives of Atlanta season 13,” NeNe began. She said it “wasn’t an easy decision for me.”
“I’m just so happy that I can say that I was part of a genre that opened up a door for Black ensemble reality shows,” she continued. “I want to thank everybody that has looked up to me over the years…I want to thank Bravo for all the memories…Thank you to the cast for all of the memories.” NeNe is a RHOA OG, appearing on seasons 1-7 before switching to “guest” status for season eight. NeNe then took season nine off, only to return full time for RHOA seasons 10-12. So it is not out of the question that she won’t eventually be back, peach in hand.
Housewives executive producer and Watch What Happens Live host Andy Cohen wrote an emotional message about NeNe’s departure, but said he hopes they work together again. “NeNe Leakes is an icon of the genre. She is a gif and catchphrase machine. In 11 years of #WWHL, Nene has been our most frequent guest, and she is always A BLAST. Nene nicknamed me ‘Buttercup’ the first day we met, and still calls me that today.’
“Through her whole run, she has always had a serious concern and drive to maintain the success and well-being of #RHOA. I am going to miss Nene on the show, but I’m hoping we work together again soon and will remain in each other’s orbits forever. XO, Buttercup,” he signed off.