Never Leave, NeNe! ‘RHOA’ Producers Desperate To Keep Leakes Amid ‘Quitting’ Drama
Jan. 23 2020, Published 10:28 p.m. ET
Don’t go!
The Real Housewives of Atlanta producers are desperate to keep NeNe Leakes on the show amid her “quitting” drama, RadarOnline.com exclusively learned.
“Show execs do not want NeNe to leave,” an insider snitched to RadarOnline.com.
“NeNe is the driving factor in ratings. Her big blowout in Canada was the first episode to hit over two million for the season,” the source explained.
The January 5 episode titled Living on the Edge pulled in a whopping two million viewers and the producers and Bravo execs believe NeNe is the reason.
“The network does not want to let her go because it is her drama that everyone tunes in for,” the source told RadarOnline.com.
According to TVBytheNumbers, the RHOA ratings went up the following week too, hitting 2.01 million viewers.
The drama began when Wendy Williams announced on her television show that NeNe texted her “I’m quitting,” sending network honchos and fans of the Bravolebrity into a panic.
Wendy also hinted at tough times for NeNe. “I know something about NeNe that you all will cry, be sad and feel bad for her. She’s carrying the weight of a huge thing on her shoulders,” Wendy said on her show.
“I’m not going to say it, she’s got to say it. But in my opinion, NeNe, you need this platform to explain the other part of your life.”
Her rep told US Weekly that she was not planning to leave the show and a source told RadarOnline.com that she was locked into a three-year $2.85 million contract.
Scroll through the gallery for the exclusive details about NeNe’s RHOA “quitting” drama.
Zip It
“Private conversations should be left in private! What are girlfriends for if you can’t vent to them on those type of days,” NeNe Tweeted after Wendy made her bombshell announcement.
Walking Away
Leaving RHOA would be costly for the reality star. “NeNe has two more years left on her contract and for that duration she has a non-compete clause,” a source previously told RadarOnline.com. “She would have to get approval from Bravo to film anything.”
All That Matters
“She is the household name and the episodes that she is in are the highest rated,” the insider explained to RadarOnline.com. “Bravo will try and do everything they can to keep her from quitting.”
So Mad
According to the insider, NeNe was frustrated with RHOA execs. “She is very upset about her edits so far this season. She feels like her editing versus Kenya Moore is unfair.”
Using Me
“Kenya gets away with murder time and time again and NeNe gets all of the criticism,” the source told RadarOnline.com about NeNe's complaints about the show. “NeNe feels like she is being used for ratings.”