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NeNe Leakes facts for kids

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NeNe Leakes
NeNe Leakes at PaleyFest 2013.jpg
Leakes in 2013
Born
Linnethia Monique Johnson

(1967-12-13) December 13, 1967 (age 57)
Education Morris Brown College (two years)
Occupation
  • Television personality
  • actress
  • presenter
  • author
  • fashion designer
Years active 1999–present
Spouse(s)
Gregg Leakes
(m. 1997; div. 2011)
(m. 2013; died 2021)
Children 2

Linnethia Monique "NeNe" Leakes (born December 13, 1967) is an American television star, actress, and businesswoman. She became famous after appearing on the reality TV show The Real Housewives of Atlanta on Bravo. Many people see her as a very important person in reality television and pop culture.

NeNe was born in Queens, New York, and grew up in Athens, Georgia. She is also known for playing Roz Washington on the Fox comedy-drama series Glee.

Leakes also played Rocky Rhoades on the sitcom The New Normal on NBC. She was a contestant on NBC's The Celebrity Apprentice and ABC's Dancing with the Stars. NeNe also performed on Broadway. She was in Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella in 2014 and Chicago in 2015.

She was a regular panelist on ABC's game show To Tell the Truth. Besides her TV work, Leakes had a clothing line and opened her own stores called SWAGG boutiques.

Early Life and Education

Linnethia Monique Johnson was born in Queens, New York City. She was one of five children. When she was young, she and one of her brothers went to live with an aunt in Athens, Georgia. Her other three siblings stayed with her mother.

After finishing high school at Clarke Central High School in Athens, she went to Morris Brown College in Atlanta for two years.

NeNe Leakes' Career Highlights

Before becoming famous on The Real Housewives of Atlanta, NeNe Leakes appeared on other TV shows like The Parkers.

Becoming a Reality TV Star

In 2008, Leakes first appeared on The Real Housewives of Atlanta. She was one of the original cast members. After the first season, she helped write a book called Never Make The Same Mistake Twice.

NeNe was a main cast member for the first seven seasons of the show. In 2015, she said she would not return for the eighth season. However, she did appear in season 8 in a smaller role. She later came back as a full-time cast member for seasons ten through twelve (2017–2020). In 2020, Leakes announced she would not return for the show's thirteenth season.

Acting Roles in TV Shows

NeNe also started acting in scripted TV shows. She played the secretary Rocky Roades in the NBC comedy The New Normal. The show's creator, Ryan Murphy, also cast Leakes in his series Glee. She played Roz Washington, a synchronized swim coach, starting in the third season.

Game Shows and Competitions

In 2011, Leakes was a contestant on Celebrity Apprentice, a show hosted by Donald Trump. She also guest-hosted shows like Anderson Live and The Talk. She appeared on Betty White's Off Their Rockers and The Price Is Right.

In 2014, NeNe competed on Dancing with the Stars. She danced with professional dancer Tony Dovolani. They were eliminated in Week 7, finishing in 7th place.

Broadway and Music

Leakes performed in Las Vegas in the show Cirque du Soleil: Zumanity. She made her Broadway debut in 2014 as Madame in Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella. In 2015, she played Matron "Mama" Morton in Chicago on Broadway.

In April 2020, Leakes released a song called "Come and Get This Hunni".

Recent Projects

In 2024, NeNe Leakes was a co-host for the reunion of Baddies East on Zeus Network. She is also set to star in the TV movie Hunting Housewives in March 2024.

Other Business Ventures

Production Company

NeNe Leakes started her own television production company called NeNe Leakes Entertainment. This company helped produce her spin-off series I Dream of NeNe: The Wedding, which premiered in 2013.

Fashion and Boutiques

In 2014, Leakes launched her own clothing line called the Nene Leakes Collection on the Home Shopping Network (HSN).

She also opened her own stores called SWAGG Boutique. The first location opened in Duluth, Georgia in 2017. She later opened more SWAGG Boutiques in places like the MGM National Harbor in Maryland and Miami Beach.

Comedy Tour

In 2016, NeNe Leakes started a one-woman comedy tour called "So Nasty, So Rude." The tour was named after one of her famous sayings. Many of her shows sold out.

The Linnethia Lounge

In 2020, Leakes announced she would open a lounge in Duluth, Georgia. The Linnethia Lounge, named after her birth name, opened in May 2021. Famous singers like KeKe Wyatt and Tamar Braxton have performed there.

Personal Life

NeNe Leakes lives in Duluth, Georgia, which is a town near Atlanta. Her home is known as "Casa Leakes".

She was married to Gregg Leakes. They separated in 2010 and divorced in 2011. However, they got back together and announced their engagement in 2013. Bravo filmed their wedding planning for a TV show called I Dream of NeNe: The Wedding. NeNe and Gregg remarried on June 22, 2013, in Atlanta.

In 2018, NeNe shared that Gregg had colon cancer. In 2019, she announced he was cancer-free. Sadly, in 2021, the cancer returned. Gregg Leakes passed away from colon cancer on September 1, 2021, at age 66.

Filmography

Film Appearances

Year Title Role Notes
2003 The Fighting Temptations ... Scene not in final movie
2018 Uncle Drew NeNe Leakes Small role
2019 How High 2 Mrs. Silas TV movie
2019 Ride or Die Glo TV movie
2024 Hunting Housewives Rebel Carron-Whitman TV movie

Television Appearances

Year Title Role Notes
2004 The Parkers Minor role 1 episode
2008–2020 The Real Housewives of Atlanta Herself Main cast (seasons 1–7, 10–12); Recurring (season 8)
2009-2020 Entertainment Tonight Herself
2011 The Celebrity Apprentice 4 Herself Contestant; Season 11; 10 episodes
2012–2015 Glee Roz Washington Recurring role; 13 episodes
2014-2020 Extra with Billy Bush Herself
2012 The Amandas Herself 1 episode
2012 The Game Herself 1 episode
2012 Let's Stay Together Herself 1 episode
2012–2013 The New Normal Rocky Rhoades Main cast
2013 Betty White's Off Their Rockers Herself 1 episode
2013 The Price Is Right Herself 1 episode
2013 Miss USA Herself Main judge, 1 episode
2013 I Dream of NeNe: The Wedding Herself Main cast/executive producer; 7 episodes
2013–2017 Fashion Police Co-host Guest co-host (2013–15); co-host (2016–17)
2014 The Millionaire Matchmaker Herself 1 episode
2014 Dancing with the Stars Herself Contestant; Season 18; 8 episodes
2015 The Prancing Elites Project Herself 1 episode
2015 Real Husbands of Hollywood Herself 1 episode
2015–2016 New Year's Eve with Carson Daly Co-host Special broadcast from Times Square
2016 To Tell the Truth Panelist Game show
2016 Larry King Now Herself 1 episode
2016 Cupcake Wars Competitor 1 episode
2016 Celebrity Family Feud Competitor 1 episode
2016 Lip Sync Battle Competitor 1 episode
2016 Hollywood Medium with Tyler Henry Herself 1 episode
2017 MasterChef Celebrity Showdown Competitor 1 episode
2018 Uncensored Herself TV One production; 1 episode
2019 First Wives Club Angel 1 episode
2020 Celebrity Ghost Stories Herself 1 episode
2020 Celebrity Show-Off Competitor Season 1; 3 episodes
2020 Celebrity Call Center Herself Season 1; 1 episode
2020 Tamron Hall Herself Season 1; 1 episode
2021 Dynasty Herself Episode: "The British Are Coming"
2022 College Hill: Celebrity Edition Herself Main cast
2024 Baddies East Herself Reunion co-host
2024 Baddies Caribbean Herself Auditions host
2024 Outrageous Love With Nene Leakes Herself

Music Videos

Year Song Artist Role
2015 "If I Don't Have You" Tamar Braxton Madam NeNe

Video Games

Year Video game Character
2015 Kim Kardashian: Hollywood NeNe Leakes

Producer Work

  • I Dream of NeNe: The Wedding (TV Series) (executive producer)

Theatre Performances

Year Title Role Notes
2011 Loving Him Is Killing Me Pinky Bell Stage play (toured major U.S. cities)
2014 Zumanity Mistress of Sensuality Las Vegas show
2014–15 Rodgers + Hammerstein's Cinderella Madame (Replacement) The Broadway Theatre
2015 Chicago Matron "Mama" Morton (Replacement) The Ambassador Theatre

See also

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