Andy Cohen says he's focused on the upcoming season after asked his thoughts about Nene Leakes returning to RHOA. (Photo by: Charles Sykes/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images)
NeNe Leakes’ former employer is demanding that she pull her bombshell discrimination lawsuit from the public eye, with the former “Real Housewives of Atlanta” star accusing them of retaliation behind the scene.
Radar Online reports that NeNe is in negotiations with NBCUniversal, Bravo and Andy Cohen to settle a discrimination lawsuit out of court after she filed the lawsuit in April over claims that she endured years of racist remarks from former co-star, Kim Zolciak-Biermann.
NeNe has accused the network of ignoring her claims against Zolciak-Biermann, and instead retaliating against her for bringing the accusations to light.
“I was constantly being retaliated against, being blacklisted, not able to work, being silenced, and so, you know, it was difficult to do,” NeNe told TMZ in May.
According to newly filed court documents obtained by Radar, NBC and Cohen disclosed that they would like to have the case moved from Atlanta to private arbitration in New York, meaning the case would be hidden from the public should a judge rule in their favor.
On Monday, an Atlanta judge gave both parties a 45-day extension until August 19 after the network requested more time to “negotiate” the dispute, the outlet reported.
“From the day the series began filming, NeNe was the target of systemic racism from co-star Kim Zolciak-Biermann, which was tolerated by Bravo executive producer Andy Cohen and other executives,” NeNe’s lawyer wrote in the lawsuit.
NeNe added that the situation reached a boiling point in October 2017, after the network forced her to delete Instagram posts where she spoke out against Zolciak-Bierrman.
Court documents show that the network and producers “made her life hell for years,” while making her look bad during filming and giving her low-ball offers for contract extensions.
She claimed that she was “denied the right to do other work other than filming for RHOA”. Meanwhile, Andy permitted “other housewives (who had not spoken out against racially- offensive treatment) the right to do other work.”
NeNe has also accused Cohen of attempting to blacklist her from the entertainment industry. The revealed he personally interfered with a potential SiriusXM Radio gig.
“Cohen has admitted that he told Sirius XM that Mrs. Leakes would demand a lot of money for any role on a radio show, an obvious effort to prevent her from getting such a deal,” NeNe wrote.
NeNe eventually left the series in September 2021 after 12 seasons.
