Few figures loom larger in reality television than NeNe Leakes. For more than a decade, she helped define the tone, humor, and cultural reach of The Real Housewives of Atlanta, becoming one of Bravo’s most recognizable stars and a benchmark for what it means to be an original Housewife.
Now, after years of speculation and back-and-forth, Leakes is officially stepping back into the Bravo spotlight.
On Wednesday, January 14, the 58-year-old confirmed she is returning to the network for Real Housewives: Ultimate Road Trip, the upcoming installment of the Ultimate Girls Trip franchise, per Page Six.
Leakes described the moment as emotional and hard-earned. “This has been a really long, long journey,” she said before sharing the news fans had been waiting for: “I’m happy, overjoyed, to say that I will be returning to Bravo. I almost can’t even believe the words that are coming out of my mouth.”
Leakes went on to thank the producers and executives who helped make the deal happen, including Andy Cohen, and acknowledged former castmates Porsha Williams and Phaedra Parks for continuing to support her behind the scenes.
“I’m really grateful for that,” she said, adding that she was excited to reunite with familiar faces for what she promised would be “a tiiiiime.”
Cohen publicly welcomed her back, commenting under her post, “Couldn’t celebrate 20 years without you,” a nod to the fact that Ultimate Road Trip aligns with the 20th anniversary of the Real Housewives franchise.
He later elaborated on-air, confirming Leakes’ participation and explaining that the road trip format will bring together Housewives from different cities to revisit memorable Bravo locations.
The working title for the season is The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip: Roaring 20th.
Last month, Leakes was “in talks” with Bravo about joining the project, which is expected to film in early 2026. Cohen had also revealed at BravoCon 2025 that he and Leakes had “texted a few months ago,” fueling speculation that a reconciliation was underway.
Her return follows a long absence from the network. Leakes exited RHOA in September 2020 ahead of Season 13, calling the negotiations around her contract “extremely, extremely long, exhausting, tiring, emotional.”
In April 2022, she filed a lawsuit against Bravo, NBCUniversal, and Cohen, alleging a workplace culture that tolerated racial insensitivity. After four months of negotiations, she dismissed the case without prejudice.