NeNe Leakes left Bravo in 2020, but for many fans of the Real Housewives of Atlanta series, NeNe remains beloved. In contrast, in 2023, many Vanderpump Rules fans fell out of love with Tom Sandoval, thanks to his Scandoval storyline. To date, Tom remains on Bravo, while NeNe does not, but she is slowly dipping her toes back into filming, and her toe-swimming sessions are taking place very close to home. Soon, NeNe will star alongside Ariana Madix as a host for E!’s Emmy After Party Special. As E! lives under the same corporate umbrella as Bravo (NBC Universal Media Group), this got me thinking (ouch) about how NeNe’s potential return to Bravo could create even larger headlines than Tom’s Scandoval BS.
And no. NeNe is not returning to RHOA this year. But that door is slowly creaking open, bit by bit. And I, for one, am here for it.
NeNe Leakes is a fun villain to watch, whereas Tom Sandoval and his Scandoval bit are hit-or-miss
While starring on VPR, Tom broke the internet with his Scandoval storyline. Sadly, he responded to his antics in unfortunate ways, choosing denial and deflection instead of honesty and heartfelt remorse. Sure, Tom tried to be sorry, but when you apologize with a “but,” your apology is a flop. Likewise, Tom lashed out in toxic, non-fun ways anytime someone tried holding his feet to his fires, making the entire Scandoval narrative frustrating, at best, to watch, both on VPR and off.
Tom is significantly less skilled than NeNe with reading and shading. Instead of hysterical responses and cutting remarks, Tom specializes in denial. His never-wrong ways often sent the viewers (and his costars) into a tailspin. But every reality television series needs a solid villain, so Tom plays his role well.
As for NeNe, she typically responded to her messes and catfights with iconic clap-backs, and these lines would often cause us to laugh and cool our britches. Her reads would also go viral, giving us content for days. If given a choice, the viewers would likely rather watch another season of NeNe, plowing her way through as the villain with the most, than another season of Tom, who often adds insult to injury.
Sure, NeNe messed up a few times. But her storyline crimes never came close to the Scandoval nightmare of 2023. NeNe is a fun antagonist, which could make her potential return to Bravo way hotter news for her series than anything Scandoval produced.
NeNe Leakes’ return to Bravo could bring in the viewers, perhaps more than Scandoval
When NeNe was on RHOA, she made me die laughing. When the storylines started falling flat within this series, NeNe came in clutch. Her reads, shade, and pot-stirring ways often kept her costars on their toes. NeNe knew what the viewers wanted to see, and she almost always delivered.
When NeNe left Bravo, other doors began opening for her, and I walked through each of these new entrances, eager to watch NeNe in new settings, like a creeper. In every new showing, NeNe hooked me in. She “said what I said” with conviction, and her new costars took the bait, creating chaotic, fun scenes in return. I am still chuckling about how NeNe hit on and got denied by Babyface on Celebrity Squares, like a comical queen.
During her run on Real Housewives of Atlanta, NeNe offered us so many storylines. She was “rich, bit*h,” after all. But when she exited with her peach, the storyline began falling flat. To save RHOA, four new full-time stars have just been added to the cast for Season 16.
On Bravo, when things are about a Tom, however, run. From affairs to embezzlement schemes, this name sucks. VPR’s Tom is no different, as his Scandoval fall from grace showed. Yet Tom, like NeNe, helped keep his storylines moving on Bravo, so we do have to give credit where credit is due.
But no one wants to tune in to the Scandoval storyline anymore. People even began dipping back out in the following season. It’s hard to invest in a one-sided character like Tom. But if NeNe returns, so will her fans, and as she brings the laughs and the WTFs in one fell swoop, her return could boost this Bravo series’s ratings way higher than the Scandoval scaries ever did.
Scandoval set zero precedents, but if NeNe Leakes can sue Bravo and still return, a new precedent could be set
Many voices began calling for Tom’s firing following the leaking of the details of his affair with Rachel Leviss. As it turns out, Tom screen-recorded an intimate video of Rachel, storing it in his phone for later. Rachel then turned around and sued her former fling for revenge porn. She also sued Ariana, as Rachel swears Ariana shared this video with others despite Ariana’s insistence that she didn’t.
Instead of punishments, Tom got new gigs. In contrast, Kenya Moore has just gotten suspended from NeNe’s former series. Kenya allegedly displayed posters that showed images of her series’ newest Housewife, Brittany Eady, performing oral sex on an unknown man. When her punishment arrived, Kenya couldn’t help but compare her situation to Tom’s, wondering why he got rewarded, yet she got the shaft.
In thinking this, one can’t help but recall NeNe’s lawsuits against Bravo, which she has since dropped. In her lawsuit, NeNe accused Bravo and the production team of violating federal employment and anti-discrimination laws. According to NeNe, they “fostered a corporate and workplace culture in which racially insensitive and inappropriate behavior is tolerated, if not encouraged.”
Did the Scandoval storyline fail to set a precedent due to race, or is Kenya reaching? Either way, lawsuits are a big no-no for these stars, so if Bravo brought NeNe back, whew, as this would signal that ch-cha-cha-changes might be underfoot. And as changes provide paths forward, mark me down as here for it. But not for all of it, as there are one or two Real Housewives stars that have sued Bravo that I’d rather never see again.
