In early June, it was reported that reality star NeNe Leakes was being sued by a disgruntled housewife – namely, her current boyfriend’s soon-to-be ex-wife. The woman in question claims that the affair between her husband, Nyonisela Sioh, and Leakes resulted in the end of their marriage. Citing “alienation of affection,” a rare state law that can basically find “the other woman” liable, she is now seeking upwards of $100,000 in compensation from the Real Housewives of Atlanta fan favorite. Leakes has since decided to share some of her signature honest thoughts on the lawsuit.
The timing has been a major point of discussion, as Nyonisela Sioh reportedly separated from his wife on December 17, only for NeNe Leakes to go public with their relationship a week later. On her Instagram stories, the 54-year-old initially reacted to being sued by denying the allegations, saying “ain’t nobody out here stealing husbands.” And she distanced herself further from the drama while speaking to Entertainment Tonight more recently. She said:
I feel like it's their business and not mine, right? I feel like I was dragged into something that is just not my business. They have their own legal thing that's going on. I shouldn't be brought into it, that's all. So, I really have no feelings about it. I really think that it's something that [Nyonisela] has to handle himself.
The implication seems to be that the married couple’s separation had nothing to do with her – at least from where she’s standing. Ever since the death of her own husband of 25 years in 2021, the Bravo alum has frequently been candid about grieving his absence to this day. And that has meant slowly moving on and even dipping her toe back in the dating pool, to include at one point jokingly thanking the men who are sliding in her DMs on the regular.
It isn’t clear if her new boyfriend was one of those men in the DMs. But regardless, NeNe Leakes is seemingly entangled in the present legal situation whether she wants to be or not. As of this writing, it hasn’t been confirmed if a settlement or resolution has been reached with the former wife.
But to add to the predicament, the reality TV veteran is still dealing with the lawsuit that she filed against the show that brought her notoriety. She’s suing NBC Universal, Bravo and even some executive producers for allegedly fostering a “racially insensitive” environment during her time on The Real Housewives of Atlanta. She also claims that she’s being “blacklisted” in the industry for speaking up. Along with accusing reunion host/exec Andy Cohen of racism previously, the former star stipulated in court documents that a lot of the problematic behavior came from Kim Zolciak-Biermann, her old co-star who went on to headline Bravo’s Don’t Be Tardy for eight seasons. However, Zolciak-Biermann has broken her silence on being only named (not explicitly sued) in the matter, calling the allegations “ridiculous.”
Evidently, the Bravo lawsuit isn’t seeing much of a response elsewhere. On whether Andy Cohen or the others reportedly involved with the on-set incidents have reached out to her in any way, NeNe Leakes only stated:
I haven't heard from anybody, but I have a really good support system around me, so I am doing really well.
She had said prior to the recent lawsuits that she would in fact consider returning to The Real Housewives of Atlanta for what would be her third stint. Obviously though, that’s probably a different story nowadays. Now, the infamous TV personality has taken her talents elsewhere – the new reality show College Hill: Celebrity Edition. She is joined by a cast that includes Ray J and Lamar Odom, who will live and study at Texas Southern University. The series premieres on BET+ on June 27, while the RHOA’s fourteenth season continues airing on Sundays on Bravo.
Keep your eyes peeled for what else is coming on the 2022 TV schedule – and in NeNe Leakes’ romantic life.
