NeNe Leakes in talks to settle lawsuit

NeNe Leakes is in talks with Andy Cohen and Bravo to potentially settle her discrimination lawsuit.

The former ‘Real Housewives of Atlanta’ star filed a lawsuit in April accusing the makers of the show of having “encouraged” a racist work environment, but a judge in Atlanta has now granted all parties a 45-day extension until 19 August after the defendants, which also includes NBCUniversal, requested more time to “negotiate” the dispute.

In a motion filed on 24 June and seen by the New York Post newspaper’s Page Six column, NBCU, Bravo, and executive producer Andy argued that the ongoing disputes are “already subject to arbitration in New York” according to existing contract agreements between them and the 54-year-old star.

The documents noted that NeNe “disagrees” with the idea of arbitration – where an independent and impartial third party is brought in to settle the row – but both parties are “in the process of negotiating this issue in an attempt to avoid the time and expense of a motion to compel arbitration” through their respective counsel.

As both sides “agreed” the 45-day extension was “appropriate to complete these discussions”, the judge granted the motion.

In her lawsuit, NeNe accused the makers of the reality show – which she quit in 2021 after 10 seasons – of “perpetuating the lack of diversity in the industry”.

Documents stated: “NBC, and its parent company Comcast, perpetuate the lack of diversity in the industry. Comcast and NBC have been, and still are, plagued by a lack of diversity at the highest levels of the senior leadership. NBC, Bravo and True foster a corporate and workplace culture in which racially-insensitive and inappropriate behavior is tolerated – if not, encouraged.”

The lawsuit also alleges that an incident which took place on the first season of the show – which aired back in 2008 -“perpetuated an offensive stereotype” when fellow housewife Kim Zolciak-Biermann refused to attended a barbecue with NeNe.

It read: “The cast was planning to attend a barbecue, and housewife Kim Zolciak-Biermann responded to the idea with words to the effect of: ‘I don’t want to sit around with NeNe and eat chicken.’ [This] perpetuated an offensive stereotype about African-Americans.”

The suit goes on to state that NeNe had complained to producers about the alleged behaviour but did they failed to “terminate their relationship with Zolciak-Biermann” nor did they take any other “meaningful action” to put an end to her actions, which NeNe claimed was “racially-offensive.”

The former ‘Fashion Police’ star later claimed she had been “blacklisted” after filing the lawsuit.

She said: “I was constantly being retaliated against, being blacklisted, not able to work, being silenced, and so, you know, it was difficult to do.”