NeNe Leakes Returns to Bravo in ‘RHUGT’ as Andy Cohen Denies RHOA Return Rumors

NeNe Leakes, the longtime star of The Real Housewives of Atlanta, makes her first Bravo appearance since 2020 in the spin‑off The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip: Roaring 20th. A preview released on August 4 shows Leakes arriving at Porsha Williams’ home to help her pack for the trip, with the series set to premiere on August 9 at 9 p.m. ET on Bravo. Fans celebrated the comeback, with one remark noting, “She’s Baaaaaaack!”

At the same time, Bravo executive producer Andy Cohen publicly dismissed circulating rumors that Leakes would rejoin the main RHOA cast for season 18. On his Radio Andy Live show he said, “There are a lot of casting rumors online… they’re not true,” and confirmed that the upcoming season will retain the current cast, also refuting reports that cast member Shamea Morton had been fired. The denial underscores that Leakes’ return is limited to the RHUGT spin‑off, not the flagship series.