NeNe Leakes is suing Bravo, producer of Real Housewives, and Andy Cohen for racial discrimination.
The lawsuit filed in federal court in Atlanta claims Nene, who is black, complained to executives about racist remarks for years from housewife Kim Zolciak-Biermann, white people, but only Leakes suffered the consequences.
It names the defendants as NBCUniversal, Bravo, the production companies True Entertainment and Truly Original, the companies’ executives and “Housewives” production executive Andy Cohen, but not Zolciak-Biermann.
“NBC, Bravo, and True promote corporate and workplace cultures in which racist and inappropriate behavior is tolerated – if not, encouraged,” the lawsuit says.
Nene, 54, an actress and TV personality whose legal name is Linnethia Monique Leakes, has spent seven seasons as one of the central stars of “True Housewives of Atlanta” since 2008. until 2020.
The lawsuit alleges that the defendants’ actions violated federal employment and anti-discrimination laws, and it seeks monetary damages to be determined at trial.
The suit said that in 2012 during its fifth season, Zolciak-Biermann made “stereotypical and racially offensive” comments about housewife Kandi Burruss’ new home, calling her neighborhood a a “slum” and perpetuated racial stereotypes in a derogatory comment about whether Burruss needed a swimming pool.
That same year, the suit said, Zolciak-Biermann used the N-word to refer to Leakes and other housewives after an argument with them. It also alleges that Zolciak-Biermann falsely implied that Leakes used drugs and called her home a “cockroach nest.”
The lawsuit states that after Leakes complained to executives overseeing the program, they “did not terminate their relationship with Zolciak-Biermann, nor did they take any other meaningful action to terminate the program,” the lawsuit states. stop her racist behavior,” and if anything will reward her by giving her own spinoff show.
