Q&A: NeNe Leakes of 'Real Housewives of Atlanta'

NeNe Leakes of "Real Housewives of Atlanta" (Credit: Charles Eshelman/FilmMagic)

On “The Real Housewives of Atlanta,” NeNe Leakes got our attention. So much has been said about her but few have spoken to her so Metromix caught up with her and got the scoop straight from NeNe.

From Anderson Cooper to you, NeNe Leakes of Bravo’s now infamous “The Real Housewives of Atlanta” has become a fan favorite. Coast to coast, the fabulous NeNe, because you feel you know her, has tongues wagging. She’s been in the headlines lately about rumors of an eviction from her home. She stopped by 11Alive, with husband, youngest son Brent and, yes, attorney/publicist Marshawn Evans of "The Apprentice" fame in tow, to chat with Karyn Greer about those rumors before taking time out to kick back with Metromix.

A straight shooter who is always entertaining, NeNe never fails to surprise us. In part one of our exclusive chat, she talks about the show. Tune in later for part two where she talks about her dreams and aspirations prior to the show and how she met her wonderful husband Greg.

Viewers seemed to have liked you immediately. Why?
I think people liked me immediately because I was very honest, upfront, tell-it-like-is and people could relate. I was very real. People felt that I was a real person.

How did the show come about for you? Who knew who first?
I was asked to do the show first and I referred all of the ladies except for Lisa, so I knew them all. I referred them to do the show.

How did you find out about the show?
I was associating with a young lady who had interviewed for the show and, once you interview for the show, they ask you to give them referrals, like names of other women, and she gave my name.

When the show became a reality, did you already have the situation regarding your biological father or did it come about?
I had heard whispers all of my life. I heard whispers. People would say ‘you look like your mom’ and then they would say ‘hmmm, not really. She looks like her mom maybe from her neck down but she looks like somebody else her mom was dating.’ So I would get that a lot. I had been hearing about it a long time, that I possibly had a superstar sister and my mom had dated her dad, all that. It was just coming out while I was doing the show so we will know more about that.

Was it hard for you go through that on TV?
It wasn’t really hard for me. . . .  The hardest part was seeing the results because, in my gut, I felt like they weren’t going to be the results that I wanted. It was scary opening up that envelope.

What has been the feedback?
I had many women to come to me and say ‘That happened to me. I don’t know who my father is.” I’m sure that I helped some people.

Now the show has been so intrusive in your personal life, is there anything you want to set the record straight on?
What do I want to set the record (straight) on? I don’t really have anything I want to set the record (straight) on. I was told a while back that people asked me if I were ghetto so I guess I can set that straight. I’m a little bit ghetto (erupts in her signature laugh). I’m a little bit ghetto I guess. If being real is ghetto, then that’s me.

Click here or go to www.11Alive.com for the interview with Karyn Greer.