Roxanne 
Andy Cohen is giving NeNe Leakes her flowers after years of ups and downs with Bravo.
The Real Housewives of Atlanta alum made a surprise cameo in the premiere episode of The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip: Roaring 20th, and Andy says it was important to include NeNe in the franchise’s 20-year celebration.
While speaking with People at the RHUGT premiere event in New York City, Andy made it clear that NeNe’s impact on Housewives is undeniable.
“We couldn’t have celebrated 20 years without her,” Andy said.
He added, “She’s such an important part of the franchise, and it was really fun.”
According to Andy, fans were happy to see NeNe back in the Bravo universe, even if it was only for a cameo.
“And the response has been great,” he shared.
NeNe’s return is a big deal for longtime Housewives fans.
She was one of the original stars of The Real Housewives of Atlanta and became one of the most recognizable personalities in the entire franchise. From her one-liners to her larger-than-life personality, NeNe helped turn RHOA into one of Bravo’s most successful shows and became a major part of Housewives history.
NeNe left RHOA in 2020 after appearing on 10 seasons. At the time, her exit appeared to be amicable, but things later became much more complicated.
In 2022, NeNe filed a lawsuit against Bravo, RHOA, Andy Cohen and other parties, alleging racism and a hostile work environment. The lawsuit was mutually dismissed by all parties four months later.
Andy later addressed the situation in an interview with Vulture in May 2026, saying he considered the lawsuit “in the past.”
He also described reuniting with NeNe for RHUGT as “a very positive” experience.
“As we looked back on 20 years, it felt like doing something with her would be really nice for the fans, and she really wanted to do it,” Andy said.
NeNe has also made it clear that she is not completely closing the door on returning to Housewives in a bigger way.
During an appearance on The Tamron Hall Show in January, NeNe said she would be willing to have a conversation if Bravo called.
“If they called, I would answer,” NeNe said. “I would need to hear what they have to say.”
She also seemed to reference her past legal issues with Bravo while saying things have moved forward.
“We have put a lot of things behind us that some people know, some people don’t know,” NeNe shared.
She added, “We’ve ended all of those things. We’ve moved forward.”
RHUGT: Roaring 20th celebrates two decades of The Real Housewives franchise by bringing together veteran Housewives from several cities, including Vicki Gunvalson, Luann de Lesseps, Porsha Williams, Teresa Giudice, Kyle Richards, Gizelle Bryant and Lisa Barlow.
