Nene Leakes may be inching her way back into the Bravo universe.
According to Page Six, the Real Housewives of Atlanta alum is currently “in talks” with the network about appearing in The Real Housewives: Ultimate Road Trip, a new installment of the Ultimate Girls Trip franchise that’s expected to film in January 2026.
The project, announced by Andy Cohen during BravoCon 2025, is designed to bring together Housewives from different cities and eras for a cross-country journey that revisits some of Bravo’s most iconic locations.
While no cast has been officially confirmed, Page Six reports that Leakes is being considered for a role. Real Housewives of Orange County veteran Vicki Gunvalson has already publicly claimed she’ll be part of the lineup.
Cohen also hinted at renewed communication between himself and Leakes. Speaking at BravoCon, he revealed that he and Leakes “texted a few months ago,” signaling a possible thaw after years of public distance between the two.
If finalized, Leakes’ return would mark a notable shift after a long and complicated separation from the franchise. The former RHOA original exited the series in September 2020 ahead of Season 13, describing the process as an “extremely, extremely long, exhausting, tiring, emotional negotiation.”
At the time, she said there was “a lot of emotion flying from both sides” before she made what she called a “very hard and very difficult decision” to walk away.
A highly publicized legal battle followed her departure. In April 2022, Leakes filed a lawsuit against Bravo, NBCUniversal, the production companies True Entertainment and Truly Original, and network executives and Cohen. She alleged the companies “foster[ed] a corporate and workplace culture in which racially insensitive and inappropriate behavior is tolerated — if not, encouraged,” and claimed her complaints contributed to her being “forced” out of what she described as “the house she built.”
After roughly four months of negotiations, Leakes voluntarily dismissed the case “without prejudice,” allowing her the option to reopen it in the future.
More recently, Leakes made headlines for clarifying her absence from RHOA season 17. In August, she responded to online speculation by stating, “They have NEVER offered me to return!” adding, “Good luck to season 17 cast. We will be watching 👏.”
Representatives for Leakes and Bravo have not publicly commented on the reported talks.
