Nene Leakes Drops Lawsuit Alleging Discrimination, Racism on ‘RHOA’… For Now

Nene Leakes has dropped her lawsuit against Bravo, Andy Cohen and others. The Real Housewives of Atlanta had previously sued the network, Cohen, NBCUniversal and the production companies behind the show for discrimination, but dismissed her suit Monday (Aug. 22), Deadline reports.

The latest update in the case was confirmed in documents obtained by the outlet, which state in part, “Leakes hereby dismisses this action and all claims asserted by Leakes without prejudice, thereby concluding this case before this Court at this time.”

Because Leakes dismissed the suit “without prejudice,” she can still open another case in the future.

Leakes first filed her lawsuit in April, when she alleged that she had been working in a hostile and racist environment on the show. Leakes, a Black cast member, specifically called out her RHOA co-star Kim Zolciak-Biermann in her suit, alleging that Zolciak-Biermann — who is white — made racist remarks to her for years, but was never reprimanded for her behavior, per The Hollywood Reporter.

In her suit, Leaks said Bravo executives ““did not terminate their relationship with Zolciak-Biermann, nor take any other meaningful action to put an end to her racially-offensive behavior,” after her complaints, per THR. Instead, Zolciak-Biermann was given her own spin-off show on Bravo, Don’t Be Tardy.

The reality star claimed that she reported Zolciak-Biermann’s comments to executives but alleged that she was the one who was punished. While Leakes NBCUniversal, Bravo, True Entertainment and Truly Original and Cohen as defendants, she did not list Zolciak-Biermann.

“NBC, Bravo and True foster a corporate and workplace culture in which racially insensitive and inappropriate behavior is tolerated — if not, encouraged,” Leakes’ suit read, per THR. 

Leakes, who left RHOA in September 2020, stated in her lawsuit that her complaints about the racist work environment on the show contributed to her exit.