The Kenya Moore/Nene Leakes Feud Continues After Leakes' Drama-Filled 'WWHL' Appearance
Twirl is back!
Instagram When Nene Leakes returned to Bravo's Real Housewives of Atlanta, she was a breath of fresh. Anyone who says that they weren't pining for some of the former exotic dancer's sass, class, and skillful bon mots is kidding themselves.
But since her return, things haven't been going so well for Leakes. First, there was the hate speech she used when facing hecklers at her stand up, then, her beloved husband Gregg was diagnosed with cancer, and their lives have been a whirlwind of highs and lows ever since.
And now, viewers have been curious about the Nene Leaks/Kenya Moore feud that's played out over the seasons. And her recent appearance on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen is just more proof that she's not ready to put the past behind her.
Let's break it all down, including how their fight started and why they won't reconcile.
1. Cynthia's peach bellini faux pas
On the season finale of season 11, things kicked off in a major way. Cynthia, who spent the season talking about getting into wine (and into the pants of her boyfriend, Mike Hill), finally made good on her promise and hosted a launch party for her new peach bellini wine cooler.
Now, wine coolers are very much not... wine? But good on Cynthia for doing something other than endlessly wiping down her kitchen island and trying to make her latest hashtag catch on. (Stop it with #CHill, Cynthia. Combining names with your dude wasn't cute in eighth grade and it's less cute now.)
Why does this matter? Because it was at the launch for this new drink where Nene had to face Kenya Moore again. That's right, Kenya attended! And she wasn't just a solo invite either; she came in with Kandi Burruss just as pleased as pleased could be.
She laughed uproariously upon making it in front of the cameras again, whereas Nene literally went white and started muttering stuff about how a monster had been let loose to destroyed their bellinis. This is barely an exaggeration.
2. Kandi called out Cynthia
Now, it's important to remember here that Kandi is no moron. She's not just a singer, she's the ultimate businesswoman and she definitely isn't above letting her staff (read: crew) get involved in the fray so they get their hands dirty while hers stay clean. But this wasn't a case of Kandi taking it upon herself to enrage Nene, with whom she has been cordial and decent.
So, how did she handle being clocked by Nene (and everybody else) as the person who decided to bring Kenya along to Cynthia's event? Easy as you like, she simply walked up to Cynthia and said, "Well, I knew you wanted Kenya to be here so I brought her," making it clear to everyone gathered that it wasn't Kandi who stepped out of line, it was Cynthia! Clutch my pearls!
3. Nene and Cynthia's big battle
Nene was in a fragile place all season. She worked her fingers to the bone and herself to a state of emotional exhaustion working as Gregg's sole caretaker. That made her very sensitive when it came to how her friends treated her.
When it was revealed that Cynthia did this, she and Nene needed to do what women do best in these situations: cry together while pretending to eat a meal at a nice restaurant. Cynthia refused to admit that she played any part in inviting Kenya, a known enemy of Nene's, to the event.
Nene was enough of a big person that she was able to point out to Cynthia that it wasn't just about the party: she's always felt that Cynthia has Kenya's side more than she does her own. It was emotional enough to send her on a classic Nene mission: trotting down the street to find a cab so she didn't have to deal with feelings.
4. Cynthia's lie
But Nene's tears dried fast when she found out what was really going on. You see, in that same episode, we also got a flashback to Cynthia talking over her plans for getting Kenya into the event without letting Nene find out her role and get furious. Russia, we have collusion!
Kandi and Cynthia's stories didn't match up with their words and actions. If they, particularly Cynthia, claimed to care about Nene, why would they have gone out of their way to do something that would cause her such heartache?
5. Is it a feud if Nene's just fighting?
I'm an avid watcher of the show, so writing about the NeNe/Kenya feud when the Nene/Porsha feud is all over my Instagram took me back. But in many ways, the fights are very, very similar. Even fight isn't the right word, because it's only ever just Nene at war.
NeNe despises Kenya for the same reason she despises Porsha: she recognizes a threat. Both women were adored by fans and came out swinging with larger than life personalities. There's no denying the fact that fighting with these broads just makes Nene look scared she's losing her moment in the sun.
6. Throwing shade on Watch What Happens Live
Nene appeared on the November 24th episode and was asked to say three nice things about Kenya. In true Nene fashion, she responded, “I’m not the real evil one here! I think she has nice contacts... I think she has a nice grade of hair... I think the line around her lip is nice.” Ouch.
But just three weeks ago, Kenya also appeared on Cohen's late-night show and also shaded Nene! “I think she’s pretty much dead to me. When someone tries to spit on you, I think they’re not ever going to be friends with you. So that‘s pretty much done,” Kenya said. The "spitting" refers to a fight between the women when filming in Greece. The footage hasn't aired yet, but sources say Nene had to be restrained!
Well, it doesn't look like they'll bury the hatchet anytime soon. In the meantime, they'll continue to provide neverending drama, much to our delight.
Rebecca Jane Stokes is a writer living in Brooklyn, New York with her cats, Batman and Margot. Her work focuses on relationships, pop culture and news. For more of her work, check out her Tumblr.