Real Housewives of Atlanta star Nene Leakes is back on Bravo TV, and Andy Cohen couldn’t be happier!
In an interview with PEOPLE, Andy praised Nene, noting that the franchise “couldn’t have celebrated 20 years on the air without her.”
While promoting The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip: Roaring 20th, Andy called Nene “such an important part of the franchise.”
“It was really fun” to have her back in the mix. “And the response has been great,” he added. According to Andy, reuniting with Nene for the latest show was “a very positive” experience.
“As we looked back on 20 years, it felt like doing something with her would be really nice for the fans, and she really wanted to do it.”
For her part, Leakes seemingly hasn’t closed the door on returning to the franchise in more than a cameo capacity at some point. Earlier this year, Nene told Tamryn Hall, “If they called, I would answer. I would need to hear what they have to say.”
Nene famously departed RHOA in 2020 after appearing in 10 seasons. At the time, her exit seemed amicable with the network. However, Leakes later filed a lawsuit against Bravo, RHOA, Cohen and several other parties in 2022 alleging racism and a hostile work environment.
The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip: Roaring 20th airs on Bravo on Sundays at 9 p.m. ET. New episodes are available for streaming the following day on Peacock.
