NeNe Leakes facts for kids

Quick facts for kids NeNe Leakes
Leakes in 2013
Born	Linnethia Monique Johnson (1967-12-13) December 13, 1967 (age 57) New York City, U.S.
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

Television Appearances

Music Videos

Video Games

Producer Work

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

Theatre Performances

See also

In Spanish: NeNe Leakes para niños