On “Real Housewives of Atlanta,” NeNe Leakes often came across as nasty and unforgiving, her recent attempts to be serene and open to criticism often falling on the wayside.
She recently confirmed she left the show for a second time in a relatively benign way via social media. But after watching Wendy Williams throwing shade at her on Andy Cohen’s late-night talk show, she began mad tweeting Sunday night.
Williams assessed Leakes' departure: “Nene has quit the show several times, and you’ll have her back. Nene likes attention, dramatic attention.” And then she got tougher: “I don’t know what NeNe is going to be doing for money. I’m not trying to count coins, but ’Housewives’ is one thing that all the girls use to promote their other stuff. Is it going to be like, Gregg and NeNe on another reality show? That’s boring. NeNe being a grandmother? That’s boring. NeNe and her own kids? That’s boring. NeNe trying to figure out Hollywood? That’s boring.”
Here is how Leakes responded: “Both are f their ratings are LOW! Bye QUEENS” she wrote, referencing the TV shows of both Cohen and Williams.
She then wrote: “I have ALWAYS believed in multiple streams of income so the leakes are good you ole cocaine head and you ole racist. No one knew you until YOU knew me." (The references were clearly for Williams first, then Cohen.)
She then began surmising how Bravo was going to treat her from here on in: “They gone leave my name outta these shows,” she tweeted. “Send me your best discrimination attorneys info to booknene@gmail.com ITS WAR.”
She added: “So much you guys just don’t know! I’m going to bed now! The systemic racism is greater than you will ever know.”
On a video Tuesday, Leakes said her friendship with Williams is over. She also said she was “forced out” of the show, without providing details.
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Credit: Chris Haston/NBC
Credit: Chris Haston/NBC
Marietta singer Cristina Rae finished third last week on “America’s Got Talent," falling just shy of winning the $1 million prize. A spoken-word artist Brandon Leake took home the prize.
Rae, a single mom with a three-year-old son Jeremiah she dotes on, was naturally disappointed but said she was happy with her final performance, a dramatic take on Imagine Dragons' “Demons.”
“It was amazing,” she said in an interview after the show was over. “The lighting was beautiful. I actually cried when I saw the lighting.” She picked the song because “it’s about self-acceptance of the good and the bad. It’s to keep my days happy so my baby does not have to endure bad days. Sometimes I have to calm myself down from things that make me cry or makes me angry so he does not have to deal with those of issues when he’s older.”
She was truly upset by a jury’s decision to indict just one the police officers involved in the death of Breonna Taylor on a lesser charge of wanton endangerment. It happened on the same day as the show’s live finale, and she said she cried when she heard the news.
“Breonna Taylor was just a regular person,” Rae said. “I’m a regular person. Justice was not served. It’s a terrible situation. Would justice be served for me? The world is wicked right now. It seems like more wickedness than joy and love and peace."
During the live finale, she did a duet with Ryan Tedder, the songwriter and lead singer of OneRepublic. She was thrilled when he said he hoped she wins. “That meant a lot,” she said. “He’s a Grammy winner, executive producer of [NBC show] ‘Songland.’ It was just a dope experience. He respects music for what it’s supposed to be."
Later, she said she really started to lose it when she reached the top five.
“My whole body was shaking,” she said. “I could barely walk.”
After she was cut, she looked upset but she said she was more overcome with thinking about how far she had come.
“I watched the playback of my entire journey,” she said. “My baby was there. He was such a big part of my story here. I was homeless when I was pregnant. I went into the competition to challenge myself for my baby.”
She hopes her son will eventually be on that stage himself. “He is very talented,” she said. “He sings. He dances. He clearly acts. He’s drama. He can be up there in four or five years. I just want him to know he can always do what he wants to do. I think he knows that. He calls himself a winner. He calls his mom a winner.”
Rae plans to find a manager and record some music back in Atlanta. She also will resume a body contouring business to help pay the bills.
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Credit: Louie Favorite / lfavorite@ajc.com
Credit: Louie Favorite / lfavorite@ajc.com
Atlanta rap artist Jeezy will be getting his own weekly show on Fox Soul starting Oct. 14 at 10 p.m. called “Worth a Conversation.”
He will bring in guests to talk about topics that impact the Black community such as politics, the social climate, sports and entertainment.
“It has been my passion and my drive to inspire, motivate and educate my culture. Every song I’ve ever written, every word I’ve uttered came from a real place and this is no different,” Jeezy told Billboard magazine. “I will talk about issues that directly affect my culture and its people."
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