How Many Times Has NeNe Leakes Been Arrested?
NeNe Leakes has been an entertaining figure since "The Real Housewives of Atlanta" premiered on Bravo in 2008. The opinionated reality star quickly won over audiences with her witty one-liners, no-nonsense personality, and iconic clapbacks. And despite her recent estrangement from Bravo and "Housewives" producer Andy Cohen following her departure from "RHOA" (via Us Weekly), Leakes continues to rank highly among the most iconic housewives of all time. Of course, Leakes' fame has also included an acting career which included projects such as "Glee," "The New Normal," and even Broadway, per IMDb.
Leakes has tried her hand at business with projects such as her former clothing line sold by HSN and an Atlanta-based lounge — all of which have contributed to Leakes' massive net worth. But despite Leakes' success, she hasn't always had the easiest journey. Recently, she had to deal with her husband Gregg's tragic death in 2021 following his cancer diagnosis. After moving on with Nyonisela Sioh, his estranged wife filed a lawsuit against Leakes for contributing to the dissolution of her marriage, per TMZ. And previously, Leakes had several run-ins with the law, resulting in multiple arrests.
NeNe Leakes has been arrested four times
During her tenure on "The Real Housewives of Atlanta," Leakes spoke candidly about various aspects of her life, including her former career as a stripper and marriage woes with husband, Gregg Leakes. One aspect that Leakes wasn't particularly forthcoming about, however, was her criminal past. As the Daily Mail previously reported in 2014, Leakes mentioned one prior arrest in her autobiography. However, that wasn't the full story. As unearthed by the publication, Leakes had actually been arrested three more times. These subsequent arrests came after Leakes reportedly violated probation for charges related to theft and shoplifting. Following the release of the report, Leakes took to Twitter in a now-deleted tweet to clear her name. "22 years ago I was lost, scared, trapped & a single mom! I care enough abt myself 2 change my life & u can 2!" Leakes tweeted (via BET).
Of course, Leakes' arrest history was used against her by her fellow housewife, Shereé Whitfield. After Leakes criticized Whitfield's then-partner for his own criminal past on "RHOA," Whitfield brought up Leakes' own history. However, Leakes then responded to Whitfield on "Watch What Happens Live," saying, "I really don't care about Shereé bringing up a mugshot ... A mugshot does not equal 10 years in prison for doing a Ponzi scheme. I ain't spent a day in jail doing nothing, honey, okay?"
NeNe Leakes owns her past
NeNe Leakes may have been slow to divulge her prior criminal past, but she's since taken on a whole new attitude. In 2020, the reality star made light of her past mistakes and made money in the process. How? Well, Leakes took to Instagram to announced the sell of shirts with her mugshot printed across the front in 2020.
"Growing up without my mother or father i experienced many growing pains but without them, i could not be who i am or have accomplished the things that i have today," Leakes wrote on Instagram. "Your past does NOT determine your future. From Trial to Triumph ... i hope that i can inspire anybody to embrace and not be ashamed of what your past has made you become today! Thank you all so much for the love i received." In a separate Instagram post, Leakes boasted about her second design option (and ever-growing wealth). "From MUGSHOTS to MILLIONS t-shirts go on sale this week so look out for that," wrote Leakes. It's unclear just how many of her fans supported her efforts by purchasing a shirt.