NeNe Leakes sues saying racism accepted on ‘Real Housewives’

By ANDREW DALTON
AP Entertainment Writer

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Former star of “The Real Housewives of Atlanta” NeNe Leakes has sued the companies behind the show, alleging that they fostered and tolerated a hostile and racist work environment. The lawsuit filed Wednesday in federal court in Atlanta alleges that Leakes’ “Real Housewives” castmate Kim Zolciak-Biermann made several racist remarks between 2008 and 2017. But the suit says executives from NBCUniversal and Bravo television took no actions after Leakes, who is Black, complained, and instead retaliated against Leakes and eventually forced her off the show. The suit’s defendants include NBCUniversal, Bravo, executives, and two production companies, but not Zolciak-Biermann. Emails seeking comment from the defendants and Zolciak-Biermann were not immediately returned.