NeNe Leakes has filed a civil lawsuit against Bravo TV and Andy Cohen, claiming the network fostered and tolerated a racist environment on the “Real Housewives of Atlanta” which eventually led to her turbulent departure from the show.
Leakes, 54, was one of the original stars when RHOA began in 2008 and was its most visible cast members during her tenure that abruptly ended in 2020.
In the lawsuit obtained by the Associated Press, Leakes claims that “NBC, Bravo and True foster a corporate and workplace culture in which racially-insensitive and inappropriate behavior is tolerated – if not, encouraged,” the suit says.
The actress and TV personality also said NBC Universal and Bravo ignored complaints about fellow former housewife Kim Zolciak-Biermann’s racist remarks for years.
“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 in a statement.
Leakes’ attorney also told the publication that “not a day goes by that NeNe doesn’t wake up with an onslaught of overwhelming emotions as a direct result of these unfortunate and avoidable occurrences.”
Also included in the lawsuit is Leakes’ claim that studio honchos deliberately silenced her when the Black Lives Matter movement reached its climax in the summer of 2020.
“As the Black Lives Matter movement swept our nation, Mrs. Leakes — Bravo’s historically most successful Black female talent — should have been embraced by NBC, Bravo, and True,” the suit contends. “Instead, NBC, Bravo, and True forced her out of the ‘house she built,’ denying her a regular role.”
The lawsuit accuses the defendants of running afoul of the federal employment and anti-discrimination laws, and she demands unspecified monetary damages.
