NeNe Leakes is officially back in the Bravo universe, but not quite back on the Atlanta couch yet. Entertainment outlets confirm that the former Real Housewives of Atlanta star will appear on a new season of The Real Housewives: Ultimate Girls Trip (also framed as an “Ultimate Road Trip”) that brings together Housewives legends to celebrate 20 years of the franchise. For fans who spent years tweeting “bring NeNe back,” her appearance marks the first on‑camera Bravo project since she exited RHOA after season 12 and later filed a high‑profile discrimination lawsuit.
Andy Cohen has said on Radio Andy that NeNe is “going to be making an appearance” on the spinoff, which is expected to film in and around Atlanta and feature several Bravo OGs together. NeNe, meanwhile, reacted emotionally in a new interview and on Instagram, calling the return “a very long journey” and saying she feels “happy” and “overjoyed” to be back in the fold after such a public fallout. Her comeback follows the quiet dismissal of her 2022 lawsuit against Bravo, NBCUniversal and Cohen, which court documents show was ended by joint agreement, widely read as a sign they reached some kind of private resolution.
What this is not—at least for now—is a full‑time return to The Real Housewives of Atlanta. Bravo reporting and recent casting chatter focus on Porsha Williams and Phaedra Parks reclaiming major roles in the RHOA reboot, with no official announcement that NeNe has signed on as a peach‑holder or friend of the show. NeNe has repeatedly said she would “never say never” to coming back to Atlanta if the opportunity and paycheck were right, but her confirmed role is limited to the all‑stars trip, a kind of test drive for both sides and a way to restore her presence in the franchise without immediately reshaping the main cast.