Will ‘The Real Housewives of Atlanta’ be the same without NeNe Leakes?
We feel like it is somewhat easy to be dismissive of the exit of NeNe Leakes from “The Real Housewives of Atlanta,” casting it off about just another scandalous tabloid story about a reality show. We see dozens of these a week, and a good 50% hold very little truth at all. This one is very real, and we also feel like it elevates far beyond tabloid journalism. NeNe’s exit is important, and means probably more to Bravo and this series than many even realize.
If we were to look at the entire “Real Housewives” franchise, we would say that there are to us three pioneers: Vicki Gunvalson (the longest-tenured cast member, plus from “The Real Housewives of Orange County”), Teresa Giudice (her table flip from “The Real Housewives of New Jersey” is probably the most-discussed single moment in franchise history), and then NeNe. There were stories that she was the highest-paid Housewife, and while we have no financial records, we know that she was at least the biggest personality on the highest-rated version of the franchise. She was the first to do “The Celebrity Apprentice,” she had a major recurring arc on “Glee” while other Housewives were recording lesser-known techno singles, and she had a distinctive look that was recognizable a mile away.
Will “The Real Housewives of Atlanta” move on from NeNe? Surely, they will. There are plenty of wealthy women in the Atlanta area to choose from in terms of cast members, including many who will do anything to make a name for themselves on a television. Yet, it will not be the same. NeNe is a true original, someone who followed the beat of her own drum, and was the consistent story thread throughout.
While NeNe’s exit will not be the beginning of the end per se for the Atlanta series, it may well be the end of it being a pop-culture institution. Who else out there inspires everything from quotes to Halloween costumes to offers to appear on other major primetime shows? For unscripted entertainment, this may be a headline that we remember when this show returns to Bravo later in the year.
To read more of what Leakes herself had to say in regards to her exit, head over to this link; also, you can sign up if interested in getting more TV updates on all we cover, courtesy of our CarterMatt Newsletter. (Photo: Bravo.)