NeNe Leakes has filed a lawsuit against her former boss Andy Cohen.
According to the Associated Press, the 54-year-old reality TV star is suing Cohen and the Bravo network over claims of racism during production of The Real Housewives of Atlanta. Leakes starred in the Bravo series for the first seven seasons, and resumed a full-time role for season 10-12. She claimed she was not asked to return for season 13, and called on fans to boycott the network.
“While others were being promoted, BLACK WOMEN who created shows, created genres, built franchise and built networks were being DEMOTED” she wrote in 2020. “… TURN OFF YOUR TV’S.”
According to the lawsuit obtained the AP, Leakes claims the teams behind RHOA turned a blind eye to racially insensitive comments made on set. She specifically highlighted remarks made by Kim Zolciak-Biermann, the only white woman who starred in the show.
Leakes pointed out that in a 2008 episode, Biermann expressed her refusal to join her castmates for a BBQ, saying “words to the effect of: ‘I don’t want to sit around with NeNe and eat chicken.’” The suit said the comment “perpetuated an offensive stereotype about African-Americans.”
The complaint also claimed Biermann called cast member Kandi Burruss “ghetto,” described Leakes’ home as a “roach nest,” and used the n-word when referring to her Black castmates. Biermann starred in the first five seasons of RHOA, before getting her own spinoff in 2012.
Leakes claims the RHOA production companies “did not terminate their relationship with Zolciak-Biermann, nor take any other meaningful action to put an end to her racially-offensive behavior,” and seemingly rewarded her with her own show that aired for eight seasons.
“NBC, Bravo and True foster a corporate and workplace culture in which racially-insensitive and inappropriate behavior is tolerated – if not, encouraged,” the lawsuit read.
In addition to Cohen and Bravo, the lawsuit lists NBCUniversal, True Entertainment, and True Original as co-defendants. Biermann is not being sued.
“From the day the series began filming, NeNe was the target of systemic racism from co-star Kim Zolciak-Biermann, which was tolerated by Bravo executive producer Andy Cohen and other executives,” Leakes’ lawyer David deRubertis said via a statement.
