Getty NeNe Leakes
Former “Real Housewives of New York City” star Eboni K. Williams says Nene Leakes lied about not knowing her. After Leakes claimed not to know who Williams was, the ex-RHONY star pulled out receipts to prove her wrong.
During a February 1, 2023 appearance on “The Breakfast Club” radio show, Williams, who made history as the first Black cast member on “The Real Housewives of New York City,” showed hosts DJ Envy and Charlamagne Tha God her phone to prove that Leakes has actually reached out to her in the past.
“That’s so interesting to me though because I’m looking at my Instagram DMs,” Williams said as she flashed her phone. “That’s a receipt.”
Charlamagne noted that the message was from Leakes asking Williams, “Are you still on the show?” Leakes then followed up three days later with a “Hello?”
Williams then responded, “Hello Nene, happy to chat in person. My cell is xxx-xxx. Let me know next time you’re in New York City.”
“And then she proceeded to call um per my invitation,” Williams said. “So we had a very lovely chat. … So I’m not sure what was meant when she came on this beloved program and said I don’t know her. That’s factually not true. That is just a lie, okay? So you do know me Nene and you do know that I was the first and only black Housewife.”
“In fact, I was named in Nene’s legal complaint,” Williams added in reference to Leakes’ now-dismissed discrimination lawsuit against Bravo. “I am actually a named person as an example of the racial discrimination that she alleged Bravo of participating in. She cites my example, what I went through with Ramona [Singer] on camera. So the court documents say you do know me.”
When asked, “If you catch somebody lying does that mean their whole testimony is a lie?” Williams said, “I would argue that now you have no credibility on the topic and you are you have a reputation for lying. … Guilty of lying, because you absolutely reached out to me. I didn’t reach out to you.“
Nene Leakes Called the Real Housewives Franchise ‘Starless’
Getty ImagesNene Leakes.
Williams’ comments came after Leakes was a guest on the same radio program and called the Real Housewives franchise “starless.”
“These girls on these shows, they’re just not stars,” Leakes said of current franchises such as “The Real Housewives of Potomac.” “They’re not famous. They may be known… there’s a difference between famous and known. And so, I don’t know about famous, but maybe they’re known for a minute.”
When asked specifically about RHONY and Williams, Leakes replied, “I don’t know her either. Is she famous or is she known?”
Eboni K. Williams Revealed She Agrees With Nene Leakes to a Point
GettyEboni K. Williams in 2019
While she doesn’t agree with Leakes’ assertion that she doesn’t know her, Williams admitted she agrees about the status of Real Housewives stars.
“I do agree with Nene on the broader point of being known and being famous,” Williams said on the radio show. “Specifically, we have a particularly rabid fan base. They actually have a name for that: Bravolebrity. That’s called a Bravolebrity, so when your celebrity is rooted in that you were not a known individual but for being a Housewife, you’re a Bravolebrity.
“They can be really, really big celebrities,” Williams continued. “Like you see people standing in line, people knocking people, fainting, people passing out all of that. Because I’ve seen them do that.”
“That is different though, than being I would say a bona fide celebrity with an actual skill set.,” the RHONY alum added. “I think that’s the difference perhaps that Nene was talking to, And because I’m not a hater I will credit Nene as I have done on this show as I’ve done on The View… You know that Nene transcended Housewives as a genre and I would say Nene became famous beyond being a Housewife.”
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