Why Leaving ‘RHOA’ Was The ‘Right’ Decision For Nene Leakes: She Couldn’t ‘Commit’ To Filming

Nene Leakes won’t be returning to the next season of ‘Real Housewives of Atlanta’, but it wasn’t just a financial decision. Here’s why she decided to leave.

Real Housewives of Atlanta star NeNe Leakes, 52, recently revealed that she’s leaving the hit reality show which made her a household name more than a decade ago. A source close to the OG Housewife said it was the “right” decision for her. “Nene had an offer on the table, been in long and strenuous negotiations, and she ultimately decided to not return this season to focus on other projects and herself,” the insider dished to HollywoodLife exclusively. “That does not mean she won’t ever return again, but it was the right decision for her to make this season.”

A second source close to production of the Bravo show also told HL that was it was more than just a financial decision for her. “Nene doesn’t want to be tied to spending all of her time in Atlanta right now. She just doesn’t want to commit to spending that kind of time filming in the city because she won’t be able to just pick up and go as she pleases,” they told us.

“It wasn’t just about the money at all for her, but about business. She’s got her store in the DC area and wants to spend time there and also out west in LA. She did RSVP yes to Cynthia‘s upcoming wedding but she hasn’t decided if she wants to film or not. If she doesn’t sign the release, the ladies won’t even be able to mention her name on camera.”

Nene made the shock announcement in a September 17 YouTube video which she titled, “Listen Closely, I got something to tell you!” NeNe said that after a lot of “emotional negotiations” with Bravo about her contract, she decided to leave. “There’s been a lot of emotions on both sides. 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 shared with fans.