Linnethia Monique "NeNe" Leakes (; née Johnson; born December 13, 1967) is an American television personality, actress, presenter, businesswoman, author, and fashion designer. Born in

Queens, New York Queens is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York. Located on Long Island, it is the largest New York City borough by area. It is bordered by the borough of Brooklyn at the western tip of Long ...

and raised in

Athens, Georgia Athens, officially Athens–Clarke County, is a consolidated city-county and college town in the U.S. state of Georgia. Athens lies about northeast of downtown Atlanta, and is a satellite city of the capital. The University of Georgia, the ...

, she is best known for having appeared on the reality television series '' The Real Housewives of Atlanta'' as an original cast member and for her recurring character, Roz Washington, on the Fox comedy-drama series '' Glee''. Leakes also played Rocky Rhoades as a series regular on the sitcom '' The New Normal'' on

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...

until its cancellation in 2013. She was a participant on NBC's ''

The Celebrity Apprentice ''The Celebrity Apprentice'' is an American television reality competition series. It was a variation of ''The Apprentice'' series, hosted by then real estate developer (later 45th president of the United States) Donald Trump from 2008 to 2015, an ...

'' and ABC's ''

Dancing with the Stars ''Dancing with the Stars'' is the name of various international television series based on the format of the British TV series '' Strictly Come Dancing'', which is distributed by BBC Studios, the commercial arm of the BBC. Currently the form ...

''. Leakes made her

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

debut as Madame in '' Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella'' in 2014, and in 2015, starred as Matron "Mama" Morton in ''

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...

''. She was one of the regular panelists on ABC's revival of the 1950s game show '' To Tell the Truth''. In addition to her television projects, Leakes had a clothing line on

Home Shopping Network HSN, an initialism of its former name Home Shopping Network, is an American free-to-air television network owned by the Qurate Retail Group, which also owns catalog company Cornerstone Brands. Based in the Gateway area of St. Petersburg, Flo ...

, before launching her SWAGG boutiques in select cities across the country.

Early life

Linnethia Monique Johnson was born in

Queens Queens is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York. Located on Long Island, it is the largest New York City borough by area. It is bordered by the borough of Brooklyn at the western tip of Long ...

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

. One of five children, she and one of her brothers were sent to live with an aunt in

, while the other three children stayed with her mother. It was believed that her mother could not take care of all five. After graduating from

Clarke Central High School Clarke Central High School (CCHS) is located in Athens, Georgia, United States. In 1970, Clarke County schools were desegregated, and the high school for black children, Burney-Harris High School (formerly Athens High and Industrial School), and t ...

Athens Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates a ...

, she decided to further her formal education at

Morris Brown College Morris Brown College (MBC) is a private Methodist historically black liberal arts college in Atlanta, Georgia. Founded January 5, 1881, Morris Brown is the first educational institution in Georgia to be owned and operated entirely by African Ame ...

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,7 ...

for two years before becoming pregnant.

Career

Before Leakes met the producers of '' The Real Housewives of Atlanta'', she had appeared on TV shows like''

The Parkers ''The Parkers'' is an American television sitcom aired on UPN from August 30, 1999, to May 10, 2004. A spin-off of UPN's ''Moesha'', ''The Parkers'' features the mother-daughter team of Nikki (played by Mo'Nique) and Kim Parker (played by Counte ...

'' thanks to meeting casting director Robi Reed-Humes. In 2003, she landed a minor role as a stripper in the film ''

The Fighting Temptations ''The Fighting Temptations'' is a 2003 American musical comedy film directed by Jonathan Lynn, written by Elizabeth Hunter and Saladin K. Patterson, and distributed by Paramount Pictures and MTV Films. The main plot revolves around Darrin Hill ( C ...

'', starring Cuba Gooding, Jr. and

Beyoncé Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Beyoncé's boundary-pushing artistry and vocals have made her the most influential female musician of the 21st century, according to ...

. However, none of her scenes are present in the final edit of the movie. In 2008, Leakes made her first appearance on '' The Real Housewives of Atlanta'' as an original cast member. After the first season, she co-wrote the book ''Never Make The Same Mistake Twice'' with

Denene Millner Denene Millner (born October 21, 1968) is an American author, editor, television and podcast host, and journalist. She has authored more than 30 books, including six New York Times best sellers. She is the creator and director of Denene Millner ...

''.'' Leakes was a main cast member for the first seven seasons. In June 2015, Leakes announced that she would not be returning to '' The Real Housewives of Atlanta'' for its eighth season. However, Leakes was featured in season 8 of '' The Real Housewives of Atlanta'' in a supporting role, reportedly earning her full salary from the previous seven seasons. Leakes later returned to the show as a full-time housewife for the tenth through twelfth seasons (2017-20). In 2020, Leakes announced that she would not return to '' The Real Housewives of Atlanta'' for its thirteenth season. Leakes has also transitioned into scripted television, playing the secretary Rocky Roades in the

comedy '' The New Normal''. Ryan Murphy cast Leakes on his series '' Glee'' in the third season in a recurring role as synchronized swim coach and Olympic bronze-medalist Coach Roz Washington. In 2011, Leakes was a contestant on the eleventh installment of

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of P ...

series ''

Celebrity Apprentice ''The Celebrity Apprentice'' is an American television reality competition series. It was a variation of ''The Apprentice'' series, hosted by then real estate developer (later 45th president of the United States) Donald Trump from 2008 to 2015, an ...

''. During the tenth episode of ''Celebrity Apprentice'''','' after arguments with fellow cast member

Star Jones Starlet Marie Jones (born March 24, 1962), better known as Star Jones, is an American lawyer, journalist, television personality, fashion designer, author, and women's and diversity advocate. She is best known as one of the first co-hosts on the ...

, Leakes walked off the show. Leakes has guest-hosted ''

Anderson Live ''Anderson Live'', known in its first season as ''Anderson'', is an American syndicated talk show that was hosted by CNN anchorman Anderson Cooper, who also served as executive producer in his first foray into daytime talk television. It debuted ...

'', '' The Talk'', appeared in ''

Betty White's Off Their Rockers ''Betty White's Off Their Rockers'' is an American comedy television series launched in 2012, that broadcast on NBC for its first two seasons and Lifetime for its third. The series is hosted by Betty White, and is based on the Belgian television ...

'' and ''

The Price Is Right ''The Price Is Right'' is a television game show franchise created by Bob Stewart, originally produced by Mark Goodson and Bill Todman; currently it is produced and owned by Fremantle. The franchise centers on television game shows, but also inc ...

''. On March 4, 2014, she was announced as one of the celebrities who would compete in the 18th season of ''

''. She was paired with professional dancer,

Tony Dovolani Driton Dovolani (born July 17, 1973), commonly known as Tony Dovolani is an Albanian-American professional ballroom dancer, instructor and judge. He is known for his involvement in the American version of ''Dancing with the Stars'' on ABC. Dovola ...

. Leakes and Dovolani were eliminated in Week 7 of competition (Latin Night) on April 28, 2014, finishing in 7th place. Leakes played the Mistress of Sensuality in

Las Vegas Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Veg ...

for resident show ''

Cirque du Soleil Cirque du Soleil (, ; "Circus of the Sun" or "Sun Circus") is a Canadian entertainment company and the largest contemporary circus producer in the world. Located in the inner-city area of Saint-Michel, it was founded in Baie-Saint-Paul on 16 ...

Zumanity ''Zumanity'' (zoo-manity) was a resident cabaret-style show by Cirque du Soleil at the New York-New York Hotel & Casino on the Las Vegas Strip, placed into the theatre previously occupied by Michael Flatley's Lord of the Dance (musical). The ...

''. She made her

debut on November 25, 2014, as Madame in '' Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella''. She played the role until the production closed on January 3, 2015. In November 2015, she was cast as playing Matron "Mama" Morton in ''

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...

'' on Broadway for four weeks. Leakes released a song, entitled "Come and Get This Hunni," in April 2020.

Other ventures

Production

Leakes founded NeNe Leakes Entertainment, a television production company. The company produced Leakes' spin-off series '' I Dream of NeNe: The Wedding'' alongside

True Entertainment True Entertainment was a former British free-to-air television channel that was launched on 3 August 2009, replacing Showcase TV. The change was originally scheduled to happen on 1 July 2009, but a late change put the change "on hold until f ...

, which premiered on September 17, 2013.

Fashion line

In February 2014, Leakes announced that she would be launching a clothing line later in the year. On July 28, 2014, Leakes launched the Nene Leakes Collection for the

(HSN).

Comedy

In March 2016, Leakes announced that she would be touring the United States in a one-woman comedy tour called "So Nasty, So Rude," named after one of her catchphrases. The tour started in April, with many shows sold out.

Boutiques

Leakes opened the first SWAGG Boutique location in

Duluth, Georgia Duluth is a city in Gwinnett County, Georgia, United States. Located north of Interstate 85, it is approximately northeast of Atlanta. As of the 2020 census, Duluth had a population of 31,873, and the United States Census Bureau estimated the ...

in November 2017, and it closed in August 2020. She then expanded SWAGG Boutique to the

MGM National Harbor MGM National Harbor is a casino hotel in National Harbor, Maryland, just outside of Washington, D.C. It opened on December 8, 2016, constructed at a cost of $1.4 billion. It is owned by Vici Properties and operated by MGM Resorts International ...

in Maryland and to Miami Beach, with these locations still open and operating.

Lounge

In October 2020, Leakes posted on Instagram that she would be opening a lounge in

. The Linnethia Lounge, named after Leakes' birth name, opened in May 2021. Singers such as

KeKe Wyatt Ke'Tara Shavon "Keke" Wyatt (born March 10, 1982) is an American singer-songwriter, actress and television personality. After performing in a number of girl bands and working as a songwriter during her teenage years, in 2000 she garnered nation ...

and

Tamar Braxton Tamar Estine Braxton (born March 17, 1977) is an American singer and television personality. Braxton began her career in 1990 as a founding member of The Braxtons, an R&B singing group formed with her sisters. The Braxtons released their debut ...

have made appearances and performed concerts.

Personal life

Leakes resides in

, a suburb of

. Her home is known as "Casa Leakes". Leakes listed the home for sale in October 2021. She and husband Gregg Leakes separated in 2010, and she filed for divorce on April 29, 2010. The divorce was finalized September 29, 2011, after season four of ''The Real Housewives'' had finished shooting. NeNe and Gregg Leakes reunited and announced that they were engaged in January 2013. Bravo filmed their wedding planning and ceremony for a spin-off entitled '' I Dream of NeNe: The Wedding''. NeNe and Gregg remarried on June 22, 2013, at the InterContinental Buckhead Hotel in

. In June 2018, she revealed that Gregg had stage 3

colon cancer Colorectal cancer (CRC), also known as bowel cancer, colon cancer, or rectal cancer, is the development of cancer from the colon or rectum (parts of the large intestine). Signs and symptoms may include blood in the stool, a change in bowe ...

but announced in May 2019 that he was cancer-free. In June 2021, she announced that the cancer recurred and that he was in the hospital recovering after surgery. Gregg Leakes died from colon cancer on September 1, 2021 at the age of 66. On April 16, 2022, Leakes filed a federal lawsuit against

NBCUniversal NBCUniversal Media, LLC is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate corporation owned by Comcast and headquartered at 30 Rockefeller Plaza in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, United States. NBCUniversal is primar ...

, Bravo, production companies True Entertainment and Truly Original, and ''

Real Housewives ''The Real Housewives'' is an international reality television franchise that consists of 57 programs; 11 American installments, 20 international installments and 26 spin-offs. Most of the franchise documents the personal and professional lives ...

'' producer

Andy Cohen Andrew Joseph Cohen (born June 2, 1968) is an American radio and television talk show host, producer, and writer. Cohen is the host and executive producer of Bravo's late night talk show, '' Watch What Happens Live!'' He also has a pop culture ...

for violating federal employment and anti-discrimination laws. She dismissed the action and claims on August 19, 2022. On Monday, October 10, 2022, her son, Brentt, 23, suffered a stroke and congestive heart failure. The cause of these two conditions, which are not usual in someone that young (provided they are otherwise healthy), has not been determined or released, though he has been tested for HIV, which has been known to cause these conditions in individuals of his age range.

Filmography

Film

Television

Music videos

Video games

Producer

* '' I Dream of NeNe: The Wedding'' (TV Series) (executive producer)

Theatre

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Leakes, Nene African-American television personalities Living people LGBT rights activists from the United States The Real Housewives of Atlanta The Real Housewives cast members 21st-century American actresses American female erotic dancers American erotic dancers Actresses from Georgia (U.S. state) Actresses from New York City People from Duluth, Georgia American television actresses African-American actresses People from Queens, New York 1967 births People from Athens, Georgia The Apprentice (franchise) contestants 21st-century African-American women 21st-century African-American people 20th-century African-American people 20th-century African-American women