'Real Housewives of Atlanta': Is it time for NeNe Leakes to leave the show?

You may love her or you may hate her, but you can’t deny that NeNe Leakes is one of the most entertaining housewives of the ‘Real Housewives’ franchise
PUBLISHED JAN 27, 2020
NeNe Leakes (Marcus Ingram/Getty Images)
NeNe Leakes (Marcus Ingram/Getty Images)

You may love her or you may hate her, but you can’t deny that NeNe Leakes is one of the most entertaining housewives of the ‘Real Housewives’ franchise. She has delivered some of the most iconic moments and lines over the years. So, on January 21, when her dear friend/talk show host Wendy Williams announced that the OG housewife of ‘Real Housewives of Atlanta’ is quitting the show, many were shocked.

While Leakes and her publicists are busy reassuring the world that no concrete decision has been made about the reality star’s future in the franchise, we began contemplating whether it is time for her to leave the show. As we pondered over it, we came up with more and more reasons on why she shouldn’t bid goodbye to the popular reality show any time soon. Here are a few of them:
 
Leakes is a magnet for drama. Right from season 1, we have seen this housewife form many enemies and get into some of the most entertaining fights on television. For instance, in the earlier seasons, we absolutely loved watching her and former housewife Kim Zolciak lock horns. Lines like “close your legs to married men”, “where’s your scooter?”, etc are all courtesy of this rivalry.

NeNe Leakes poses backstage at the 2019 Super Bowl Gospel Celebration at Atlanta Symphony Hall on January 31, 2019 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Marcus Ingram/Getty Images for BET)

People got a taste of how ‘RHOA’ would be without Leakes, when she took a break for two seasons. We would be lying if we said we didn’t miss her. Even in the ongoing season 10, she was missing in the initial few episodes, but the episodes which featured her had the most drama and as per reports, maximum viewers. For instance, the infamous “snakegate” which seems to be central to the current season, is all courtesy of this 52-year-old housewife. Besides Kenya Moore, none brings as much fanfare to the table. The enmity between Leakes and Moore makes for one of the most entertaining plotlines this season, except “snakegate”.
 
Aside from the fact that Leakes has some of the best reads on the show, and the most interesting plotline in nearly every season she has appeared in, another reason why we feel that Leakes should stay on the show is that we are dying to know the “secret”. When Wendy announced about Leakes’ possible exit from the show, she also added that the reality star has been holding on to a huge secret which will make everybody “cry” and “feel sad”. Wendy said, “I know something about NeNe that you all will cry, be sad and feel bad for her. She’s carrying the weight of a huge thing on her shoulders. I’m not going to say it, she’s got to say it. But in my opinion, NeNe, you need this platform to explain the other part of your life.” If nothing, Leakes should stay on the show to at least let us in on her huge secret.
 
‘Real Housewives of Atlanta’ season 12 airs every Sunday, at 8 pm ET/PT on Bravo.

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