Atlanta reality star NeNe Leakes, more than four years removed from “The Real Housewives of Atlanta,” is open to returning to the show.

“If the opportunity was right and the check was on point, why not?” she recently told TMZ.

In the meantime, Leakes is starting a podcast with “Love and Hip Hop: Atlanta” star Sierra Glamshop on Jan. 16 called “Me & My Homegirl.”

Deadline reported that Leakes and Glamshop plan to talk about the latest hot topics, industry insights and juicy personal stories.

“Sierra and I connected through our mutual love for fashion, love, and life,” Leakes told Deadline. “Our conversations are always hilarious, real, raw and relatable, and we figured, ‘Why not bring our fans into our real-life group chat by way of our own podcast?’ Everything came about so organically, and it’s because Sierra is my homegirl in real life!”

Leakes also made an appearance on the Season 6 debut episode of Netflix’s “The Upshaws” that came out Jan. 9 starring Kim Fields, also a former “Real Housewives of Atlanta” cast member. In the show, Wanda Sykes’ character, Lucretia, moves to Atlanta and makes jokes about Waffle House, “Hotlanta” and Magic City, then imagines herself in a dream with Leakes and Cynthia Bailey on a fake “Housewives” show.

Leakes helped make the Atlanta version of the Bravo “Real Housewives” franchise a big hit as part of the original cast in 2008. She first departed in 2015, then returned for three seasons from 2017-20, but her heart wasn’t always into it. She left in a huff and even sued Bravo for violating federal employment and anti-discrimination law.

A few months later, she dropped the case and has since hinted at reconciliation in multiple interviews.

Last year, Leakes hosted a Lifetime reality show “Outrageous Love” and a Lifetime scripted film, “Hunting Housewives,” with Denise Richards, Kym Johnson Herjavec and Melyssa Ford.

Leakes last week told TMZ she was flattered when “Wicked” star Cynthia Erivo recently told W magazine that Leakes was one of her favorite “Housewives” and would love her back on the show.

“It was a pleasure to see that Cynthia loved ‘The Real Housewives of Atlanta’ and that she particularly loved NeNe Leakes,” Leakes said.

The 16th season of “The Real Housewives of Atlanta” is set to return soon with a revamped cast including the returns of Porsha Williams and Phaedra Parks.

About the Author

Keep Reading

Greg Street (center), hip-hop DJ and radio personality, takes a selfie with fans Melinda Bailey (left) and Janice Bonner at Hobnob Neighborhood Tavern before an Atlanta Falcons pep rally at Atlantic Station, Friday, September 5, 2025, in Atlanta. (Hyosub Shin/AJC)

Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC

Featured

Fulton DA Fani Willis (center) with Nathan J. Wade (right), the special prosecutor she hired to manage the Trump case and had a romantic relationship with, at a news conference announcing charges against President-elect Donald Trump and others in Atlanta, Aug. 14, 2023. Georgia’s Supreme Court on Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2025, upheld an appeals court's decision to disqualify Willis from the election interference case against Trump and his allies. (Kenny Holston/New York Times)

Credit: NYT