NeNe Leakes spent this past season of “The Real Housewives of Atlanta” trying to reconcile with many of the cast members, using a life coach and trying to be zen. But the resentful, aggrieved part of NeNe has come out loud and clear during this three-part virtual reunion show so far.
During part two this past Sunday, NeNe got up and left her computer after Bravo showed scenes from the past season of her sworn enemy Kenya Moore mocking NeNe’s former best friend Cynthia Bailey and Cynthia forgiving Kenya.
NeNe believes Cynthia gives other women on the show a greater pass for bad behavior than her. And it has deeply offended her that Cynthia and Kenya are now buds.
Based on the trailer for the third and final reunion show next Sunday, it’s unclear if NeNe ever comes back.
Earlier in the episode, Porsha Williams had sent texts to host Andy Cohen of Kenya’s complaining about Cynthia for backing Eva Marcille, another castmate.
Cynthia said she’s friends with both ladies.
“I don’t really give a [four-word expletive],” Cynthia said bluntly. “How ‘bout that?”
She then laid out what she has learned from a decade on the TV show.
“It is a sisterhood,” she said, “however dysfunctional it is.”
Some seasons, particular women are friends. Other times, they’re frenemies. “It’s the way the circle works,” Cynthia explained.
She tried to explain the ups and downs she had with NeNe: “NeNe Leakes was someone I was really close to so when we fell out, it was very painful. She wouldn’t take any accountability for anything! We both hurt each other.”
“Not true,” a visibly peeved NeNe said.
“That’s how I felt,” Cynthia responded.
They are clearly no longer close friends but NeNe said she doesn’t have “hate in my heart for Cynthia. It’s baby steps.”
Cynthia: “I’m all for healing and moving on.”
Other topics addressed Sunday:
Dish it but can’t take it?
Porsha and Kenya bonded over babies at the start of the season, but Porsha realized as the season went along that “she was the same ol Kenya doing the same hurtful things.”
Kenya said Porsha threw a lot of shade at her during the season that hurt her.
“To have that turn around on me was shocking,” Kenya said.
Why so surprised?
A fan asked why Kenya always acted surprised when her antics would upset the other women. Kenya said she was just matching the energy of others.
The reunion showed Kenya invading Marlo Hampton’s wig event by bringing in a marching band and handing out samples of her natural hair products. She also ambushed Tanya by bringing a woman who may have flirted with Tanya’s husband, Paul, to a lunch without Tanya knowing.
Kenya during the reunion did admit she went too far by calling Tanya the four-letter c-word after Tanya criticized her business.
But she didn't apologize for her other actions.
And Tanya deemed the story of her husband possibly cheating as a nothingburger.
Kenya “thought she had a loaded gun,” Tanya said. “She shot a blank!”
She then told Kenya, whose marriage crumbled before our very eyes this past season: “You were in the sunken place and you wanted to pull other people down.”
Tanya during the season came back at Kenya by revealing that Kenya - queen of selling natural hair-related products - had worn a wig during the trip in Toronto. Kenya said she occasionally wears wigs to “protect” her real hair.
The shade won’t stop
Kenya threw out that NeNe’s husband, Gregg, was “having relationships with your help.”
Bravo showed a Daily Mail story where NeNe claimed Gregg had “inappropriate Facetime chats with former employee but that they never had sex.”
NeNe threw it back in Kenya’s face.
“Who’s your man messing around with?” NeNe asked. “It ain’t you!”
Not her problem right now, Kenya said, since they are separated.
Eva gets tearful
Andy treaded carefully but asked Eva about her ex Kevin McCall, the father of her daughter Marley, who had her name officially changed.
Eva described Kevin's abusive ways while they were together and refused to call him by name, merely describing his as "donor." Kevin over the years has allegedly stalked her and at a custody court case in Fulton County last November made such a ruckus, he was arrested.
"You still feel guilt," she said. But she was glad she had Marley. "I wouldn't take that back," she said. "If I took it back, I wouldn't have her.'
She got so overwrought with emotion, she left the computer for a few minutes.
Reconciliation
Porsha’s primary story line this season has been her fiancé, Dennis McKinley, cheating on her and their gradual reconciliation. At first, she kept him out of the house but eventually let him to move back in to her Duluth home.
Currently, she said they are quarantined together with their daughter and all is well.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, gossip sites picked up a video of Dennis hanging with some women at 4 a.m. at a restaurant after a birthday party.
“I was upset,” Porsha said. “I did not feel the need to comment and take up for him in any kind of way so I didn’t comment [at the time]. We’re in a different place. I knew he was going to a birthday party at a club. I didn’t know he would eat afterwards. I see how it looked when people took the picture.”
She said Dennis is not keen on a big wedding because so many people have judged him negatively for his cheating. But she’s still pushing for a more traditional wedding.
Sour grapes?
NeNe earlier this year on Facebook Live complained about one woman, without specifying who, getting all sorts of spin-off shows year in and year out while other cast members do not.
The only person on the cast now who fits that criteria is Kandi Burruss, who had started shooting a reality show focused on her restaurant Old Lady Gang just before the pandemic began. She has had several spin-off shows over the years.
Oddly, NeNe refused to say if she was talking about Kandi.
“It doesn’t matter,” NeNe said. “I don’t have to answer to you... Get your smoke somewhere else.”
They began talking over each other and arguing so vociferously, Andy put them on mute.
