Celebs Who Can't Stand NeNe Leakes
If you know anything about the Real Housewives of Atlanta, you're already well aware NeNe Leakes isn't afraid to have an opinion ... even if the truth hurts. The former Glee star excels in shade, whether it's blasting one of her cast mates (who could ever forget when she famously told her former co-star Kim Zolciak-Biermann, "Close your legs to married men!") or schooling them on her financial prowess. That's just the life and times of an MVP Bravo star, we suppose.
Of course, Leakes' penchant for telling it like it is — at least in her opinion — has rubbed a few people the wrong way. She has inspired the wrath of a few Bravo stars, while also managing to get some ladies from daytime television in a tizzy. And there's one actress who has it out for Leakes that we didn't see coming at all.
So grab your favorite pair of sunglasses because it's about to get shady in our roundup of celebs who can't stand NeNe Leakes.
The bad blood between Nene Leakes and Kenya Moore runs deep
NeNe Leakes has had her fair share of feuds with her The Real Housewives of Atlanta co-stars, all the way from Kim Zolciak-Biermann to Shereé Whitfield. But no one inspires her ire better than former Miss USA winner Kenya Moore, who she has battled since 2012. It's not exactly clear why the two hate one another so much, but in a since-deleted tweet (via HipHollywood), Leakes reportedly threatened to press charges against Moore after she tugged her ear during an argument on RHOA. It all spiraled from there, with the ladies shading each other on and off for almost a decade.
The feud seriously heated up in 2019, however, following Moore's return to RHOA. "Oh, [Leakes is] absolutely a bully," Moore told TMZ in October 2019, adding "She's bullied everyone on the show. That's the truth!" Twisting the knife a little deeper, the Michigan native accused Leakes of having "very few ... real friends" on the show. Moore's angst seems to be arguably justified, as she claims the reality star never checked up on her during a difficult time in her life. "When I had a high-risk pregnancy that I wanted my entire life, she never once called me," Moore explained to Wendy Williams in November 2019. "And then when she did see me eight months pregnant, she called me a monster and said that my child was a buffalo and she was throwing — hurling insults."
Yeah, we don't see this relationship improving anytime soon.
Lisa Vanderpump pumped the brakes on Nene Leakes' shade
It's not uncommon for Real Housewives stars to mingle with cast members from other cities, but it's less common for them to throw shade at one another. Who has time for the extra drama, right? Nene Leakes seemingly does, as she incurred the shade of former The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Lisa Vanderpump after making a wild accusation about the business owner's restaurant, PUMP. "She said, 'Oh darling, darling, it's a piece of crap and they're charging so much for it, darling,'" Leakes recalled on Jenny McCarthy's radio show about a conversation she and Vanderpump allegedly had regarding Leakes' interest at the time in transforming the property into a bar. "She talked me off of it and then went and got it." Leakes then accused Vanderpump of supposedly skirting the issue afterward, adding, "Now when she sees me ... she's like 'Hi NeNe.'"
Considering Vanderpump is a self-made mogul, it's fair to say she didn't take kindly to the claim. "It's the first thing I've heard about it in six years, so it's been a surprise," she told reporters, according to People. "It's my 35th restaurant." Vanderpump also brought receipts to the feud, adding, "It's from the same landlord as the landlord at SUR. It's 200 yards down the road. I didn't really need anyone to point it out to me, but thanks anyway."
Ah, another case of she said, she said.
Brandi Glanville isn't interested in Nene Leakes' 'Kool-Aid'
Nene Leakes must have a bad luck streak with The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills stars because she butted heads with former cast member Brandi Glanville, too, in May 2013. "Brandi's just a train wreck," Leakes said about Glanville on Watch What Happens Live (via the Daily Mail). "Just a wreck. Just a wreck," Leakes said, before also slamming Glanville for supposedly behaving like "she's a gangsta."
Glanville, who is not one to hold her tongue, responded to Leakes in a pointed interview with Radar Online. "It's NeNe ... I could care less," the mom-of-two told the outlet. "I don't know her. I enjoy her on the show and I think she's really good TV, but as I was watching the show last night I felt like she was drinking her own Kool-Aid a little too much." Glanville also had something funny to say about the gangsta dig, joking, "At the end of the day, at least she's talking about me. It doesn't matter if she's saying good or bad, she's talking about me. And I am gangsta! Why can't I be gangsta? Because I'm white, skinny and tall?!"
No comment on Glanville's dreams of being a "gangsta." You keep on doing you, girl.
Wendy Williams' feud with Nene Leakes goes way back
Although it's fairly common knowledge Wendy Williams and NeNe Leakes were once embroiled in an epic feud, how it surprisingly ended is less well-known. But first, let's rehash the bad blood between these two, which began shortly after Leakes visited The Wendy Williams Show in 2012. As Williams explained on an episode seven years later, Leakes supposedly let fame overcome her when the "paychecks got bigger." As for the RHOA star's side, she accused Williams of "running [her] name in the dirt." Some examples include the talk show host tweeting about Leakes supposedly "defacing" her Birkin bag for charity, and calling for her to be fired (via Wonderwall). "I understand that she's the highest paid housewife and all that other kind of stuff, but ... she stayed so long that she went from being likable, lovable, and comical to being mean, jealous, vindictive, childish. Just childish, bitter — all that," Williams said about Leakes in 2014 (via Madame Noire). "NeNe needs to go."
The feud seemed like it would go on forever, but the two made peace in September 2019, with Leakes returning to the host's iconic purple couch after making peace. Williams previously explained on an episode of Watch What Happens Live how her recent life changes inspired her to reflect on past relationships, including her fractured friendship with Leakes. And after giving her former enemy a call, the two had dinner to hash everything out. All's well that ends well, right?
There's no love lost between Star Jones and Nene Leakes
Once upon a time, former The View co-host Star Jones and NeNe Leakes starred alongside one another on Celebrity Apprentice. The two didn't get along, to say the least, with host Donald Trump saying there was "no love lost" between the ladies, according to People. The two even took jabs at each other in the press before the season aired, including a pointed attack from Leakes. "Star Jones has got it in for me," the RHOA star told reporters at the time, per People. "But it's all good. I'm okay with it. There are a lot of people who don't like Star, so I won't be the only one." Jones responded with a more subtle dug, telling Life & Style (via HuffPost), "I haven't commented on any of her comments in hopes that she would remember that we all participated in this show for charity and not as a vehicle to promote ourselves and such hatred." Ouch.
Although some might assume this feud was to inspire press for the show, think again. "I wouldn't spit on Star if she was on fire," Leakes told Wendy Williams in 2011. Wow, we truly have no words...
As for the final say on this feud, Jones opened up to Andy Cohen in 2017 on Watch What Happens Live when a fan asked whether Leakes had ever apologized for her behavior on Celebrity Apprentice. "We were in competition, she didn't need to apologize to me," Jones plainly said.
Whoopi Goldberg has no time for Nene Leakes' drama
It's pretty difficult to ruffle Whoopi Goldberg's feathers (have you seen her stonewall Meghan McCain on The View?), but that's exactly what NeNe Leakes did following her own appearance on The View in November 2015. The drama all started because Leakes wasn't happy with how the show supposedly went, ranting in a since-deleted tweet (via E! News), "Just sat with a bunch of mean girls turning up their noses, looking u up & down as if u don't belong! The HATE was so real & SAD."
We're not going to judge Leakes for how she felt, because she's entitled to her opinion. But we're a little curious to know whether the co-hosts really took a cue from Regina George, as Goldberg seemed to be both simultaneously confused and annoyed by Leakes' remarks when she found out about them for the first time on Watch What Happen Live the following month. "Well, you know, then, come back another day and try again," Goldberg said when asked about the reality star's accusations, adding, "I don't know what to say."
Goldberg's comments might seem tame, but seemingly not caring is sometimes more hurtful than vitriol. Sometimes the truth hurts, no?
Raven-Symoné to Nene Leakes: bless your heart
Similarly to her former The View co-host Whoopi Goldberg, actor Raven-Symoné did not take well to NeNe Leakes' accusations about her appearance on the daytime show. "I feel sad for her," Symoné told E! News. "I don't understand what happened, but that's her right if she felt that way. Just like our opinion, that's her opinion." Symoné added, "Sorry, girl. My bad." Now, we're not experts in communication, but we think Symoné basically said the equivalent of "bless your heart."
In case you didn't know already, the saying — depending on tone — is when you're condescending to someone while playing "nice." So while Symoné seemingly apologized to Leakes here, there's an undercurrent of shade in her words we can't shake. And to be fair, Leakes arguably deserved the clapback. Those remarks E! News asked Symoné about happened during a December 2015 appearance on Watch What Happens Live, when Leakes accused Symoné of looking her up and down "real nasty-like." She also dropped this unpleasant dig: "I know all of them are tired. Their hairstyles are tired. Their makeup is tired. You know, whatever."
Janet Hubert had some fresh words for Nene Leakes
Out of all Nene Leakes' enemies, former Fresh Prince of Bel-Air star Janet Hubert strikes as the most random. Hubert, who was the show's original Vivian Banks before famously feuding with Will Smith and ultimately being replaced by Daphne Reid in 1993, revealed her true feelings about The Real Housewives of Atlanta star in a 2016 interview with The Los Angeles Times, in which she touched upon diversity issues in Hollywood. "I think the black community has a lot to work on internally with what they deem successful," she told the outlet. "Did you know NeNe Leakes made it on Broadway before Janet Hubert? Something's wrong with the whole system of bad behavior being rewarded. I think in the black community, ratchet has became the new black, ghetto has become the new black."
This is an obviously complicated issue, and we're sure there's plenty of people who feel strongly about her remarks on both sides. As for Leakes' take? She has not responded to Hubert (at least that we know of), but we assume she didn't take kindly to being used an example to illustrate the actor's controversial point.
Vivica A. Fox's love for Nene Leakes is definitely the tough kind
Whether it's NeNe Leakes' penchant for sass or her healthy sense of confidence, something about her just rubs some Hollywood faces the wrong way. Exhibit A: Actor Vivica A. Fox, who said less than flattering things about Leakes during a July 2019 appearance on Watch What Happens Live. It all went down when Fox was asked by a fan, "Which Real Housewife do you constantly think makes mistakes or is always wrong?" Although Fox definitely has beef with more than one Real Housewife, this time she answered with Leakes, explaining, "Just some of the things I've seen. I've been kind of like 'Wow, why did that happen?'" Fox didn't elaborate on what mistakes Leakes has supposedly made, but she did allude to friendships being needlessly "fractured."
Although Leakes might not have been thrilled with Fox's answer, the Set It Off star did end on a positive note. "NeNe I love you. I do girl," she concluded.
This isn't necessarily a case of outright contempt, but let's just say Fox isn't afraid to put Leakes' antics on blast. Chalk this up to tough love, folks.