Photo by: Tommy Garcia/Bravo Real Housewives of Atlanta cast members, from left to right: Porsha Williams, Kandi Burruss Tucker, Kenya Moore, NeNe Leakes, Eva Marcille, and Cynthia Bailey
According to Page Six, an original cast member of The Real Housewives of Atlanta, NeNe Leakes, may not return to the show for Season 13.
Rumors that Leakes was fired from the show have been swirling for months, but an insider told Page Six that the conversations “are still ongoing.” Leakes said she will address her return soon, according to the publication, but in the meantime, she has been posting some very cryptic messages on her social media pages. On July 24, 2020, Leakes tweeted, “Have you ever worked with a sociopath who used you for their personal gain to achieve what they want for themselves?”
In a statement about friend Tamar Braxton on Instagram, Leakes wrote on July 17, “When you are a strong person, you manage stress differently! People tend to judge the outside Strength on the inside abilities to cope! A lot of strong people cry in the dark and hurt alone.”
Have you ever worked with a sociopath who used you for their personal gain to achieve what they want for themselves?
Blogger B Scott Says Leakes Was Fired From the Show
According to blogger B Scott, Leakes was fired from the show. A source told the blogger that Leakes was not offered a new contract and that pickup letters went out in June 2020 to each of the ladies reps, but Leakes did not receive one.
According to B Scott, Leakes has been in hot water with the producers as well as Executive Producer Andy Cohen for the past few years. B Scott noted that Leakes had walked off set multiple times during the Season 12 reunion that was filmed virtually. The blogger also noted that Leakes started off the beginning of Season 12 suspended because she had allegedly gotten into a physical altercation with a cameraman during Season 11.
2 New Members Have Already Been Cast for Season 13
Two new members have already been cast for Season 13. According to Us Weekly, actress Drew Sidora is joining the cast for Season 13, and Canadian YouTuber LaToya Ali will also be appearing, although it is unclear in what capacity. Sidora will join returning castmembers Kandi Burruss, Cynthia Bailey, Porsha Williams and Kenya Moore. Eva Marcille will not return for Season 13 of the series.
According to Us Weekly, Sidora has played roles on the shows That’s So Raven, The Game, Hindsight and more. Sidora also appeared in the movie Step Up and played the rapper T-Boz in VH1’s 2013 biopic, CrazySexyCool: The TLC Story. Sidora is married to Ralph Pittman, and the couple has two children together, daughter Aniya Grace Pittman and son Machai David Pittman, according to her profile on IMDb. Sidora also has a third child from a previous relationship named Josiah.
Additionally, filming for Season 13 has already begun. In a July 2020 interview with Extra TV, Burruss revealed that they are beginning to film Season 13 of the show during the coronavirus pandemic. “It’s a lot of rules because more than anything they care about our safety,” Burruss told Extra TV, “We’re getting tested all the time, that’s what we have to do to be to continue to tape together, we have to make sure everyone’s status is negative.”
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