No regrets! NeNe Leakes opened up about her decision to walk off The Real Housewives of Atlanta season 12 reunion special — not once, but twice.
“It only felt right to personally REMOVE MYSELF from the reunion,” the OG Housewife, 52, wrote via Instagram on Sunday, May 17. “So much has happened this season! (the cookie lady, [Marc Daly] & Kenya [Moore]’s fake marriage, [the] Dennis [McKinley] accusations, Snake gate and much more) But drilling [me] on subjects, muting me, flashing back to things that had happened since the show wrapped … [and] interviews I’ve done since we wrapped the show has nothing to do with the show.”
Leakes cited her rocky friendship with Wendy Williams as something that wasn’t related to the Bravo series. However, she also called out the show for not zeroing in on topics such as Kandi Burruss’ restaurant shooting from this past February.
“After deciding that apologizing for certain things was only right, that wasn’t genuine enough,” she continued. “Starting over with lil sis Porsha [Williams] was made fun of, and here they go bringing someone on the reunion that I was personally told by executives wasn’t allowed on set anymore!”
The Glee alum added, “All this and so much more felt like the rules only applied to me and that I was being held to a different standard than others but you continue to be the judge.”
On May 10, Leakes walked off during the first part of The Real Housewives of Atlanta’s 12th season reunion. Her departure was centered on her comments questioning the legitimacy of the marriage between Moore and Daly, both 49.
During Sunday’s portion of the three-part finale, the New Normal actress exited a second time after butting heads with Burruss, 44.
Speaking to Entertainment Tonight on May 15, Leakes opened up about why she chose to leave the virtual gathering. “All they had was to focus on NeNe Leakes,” she told the publication. “My check need to be doubled, thank you very much. My check need to be doubled, because the rest of you girls live a false life.
Leakes added, “You’re paying all these girls to sit up and talk to me all day, can I get my raise, please? Thank you very much.”
Earlier this year, Leakes revealed that she was “very undecided” about whether she will return to The Real Housewives of Atlanta for season 13. “Every season when the show ends, what me and my team do is we get together and we talk about what’s best for me,” she said on The Talk in February. “So hopefully Real Housewives is best for me. I don’t know.”
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The third part of The Real Housewives of Atlanta’s season 12 reunion airs on Bravo on Sunday, May 24, at 8 p.m. ET.
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