NeNe Leakes had the streets talking the minute whispers surfaced that she might touch down in Alan Cumming’s Scottish castle for Season 4 of The Traitors. But when Peacock finally posted the official lineup—Porsha Williams, Lisa Rinna, Candiace Dillard Bassett, Donna Kelce, even Olympic icons Johnny Weir and Tara Lipinski—the RHOA legend's name was missing.
Leakes stopped by the Humble Brag with Crystal and Cynthia podcast on Monday, July 7, to explain why.
“I was asked to do Traitors—I was really excited about doing it,” she said. That excitement crashed in May when her son Brentt, who’d already survived a stroke at 22 and a heart transplant, was rushed back to the hospital after his body began rejecting the new organ. “He just turned a curve,” Nene explained, “but he’s got a little while longer.” Filming overseas for several weeks suddenly felt impossible. “My fear was committing and then having to go back and say, ‘I can’t do it.’ That was never going to work.”
Leakes also clarified the claim that she backed out because the check looked light. “No, no, no. I got the check,” she snapped. “If Brentt were where he is today—walking and talking—I would’ve gone. We can FaceTime.”
For The Traitors, it’s a missed opportunity—nobody delivers a read quite like Leakes. But, that said, family certainly comes first, and Leakes is a mother before she is a reality TV star, the queen of shade, and the subject of many a social media meme. Fortunately, according to Deadline, Brentt’s recovery is trending upward, so Leakes will hopefully return to form in no time.
Alas, RHOA fans can still get their shady fix on The Traitors this season, as Porsha Williams—Leakes' former castmate—is slated to be in the lineup.
The Traitors is scheduled to debut on Peacock sometime in 2026.
