NeNe Leakes Reportedly Negotiating Return to Real Housewives of Atlanta

Production insiders suggest that contracts for the upcoming season were dispatched earlier this week, signaling a serious effort to bring Leakes back to the fold. To accommodate her potential return, reports indicate the network has opted not to renew Shamea Morton, whose tenure on the series concludes following a public falling out with Porsha Williams. Filming for the new season is tentatively scheduled to begin three weeks after the conclusion of the current reunion episodes in late August.

The prospect of Leakes rejoining the cast follows a public reconciliation between the reality star and the network earlier this year. After exiting the series in 2020 and subsequently suing Bravo, Andy Cohen, and production company Truly Original over claims of a hostile work environment, Leakes has recently moved to mend fences. She is already slated to appear as a guest on the upcoming special, The Real Housewives: Ultimate Girls Trip, a move Cohen described as a positive step for the franchise.

While Leakes has not issued a formal confirmation, she recently shared a cryptic social media post expressing that she felt better than she had in a long time. Former executive producer Carlos King, a vocal proponent of her return, noted that Leakes remains the definitive face of the franchise, suggesting her presence would provide a necessary spark for the show's future.