Posted Sunday, March 18, 2018 by RODNEY HO/rho@ajc.com on his AJC Radio & TV Talk blog
NeNe Leakes seldom sincerely apologizes for things she says and does. But after an October comedy show comeback where she wished a heckler would get raped by her Uber driver on her way home, she regretted it. She knew she went over the line and felt horrible about it. She tearfully apologized on social media soon after.
It even cost her a hosting gig with Kandi Burruss' Xscape comeback tour, though Kandi said it was her group mates and the promoter who made the call, not her. (NeNe did not appear upset by the action.)
During "The Real Housewives of Atlanta" episode that aired tonight, NeNe revealed to Marlo Hampton and Cynthia Bailey her feelings of guilt. She truly wished she could take it back even if the heckler wished her death.
"I'm so quick to fight back. I have to learn to not fight back," she said, before breaking down and crying. "I feel so bad."
She noted that she has been a victim of domestic violence herself.
"I would never wish harm or abuse upon another woman," NeNe added. "I wish I could have said something different in that moment."
But one thing NeNe did not regret: calling Kim Zolciak and her daughter Brielle "racist trash" over Brielle's Snapchat video in NeNe's bathroom revealing bugs she dubbed "roaches." (Were they really roaches? Maybe, maybe not.)
Kim fought back against NeNe on Instagram at the time and told Sheree Whitfield (one of her few allies on the show) on the show that NeNe has been trying to take her down for ages and is now pulling "the race card."
"NeNe has gone way below the belt," Sheree said, siding with Kim.
"I'm so mad. She has spent so many years trying to sabotage my name," Kim said.
NeNe told her husband Gregg and 18-year-old son Brentt (who had accepted Brielle's request to come over) that saying her home is infested with "roaches," has racial overtones, akin to calling her "ghetto" or "trash."
"It was mean. it was disgusting. Do I believe Kim is racist? Some things she has said makes me say 'hmmm...' " NeNe said.
RHOA showed a couple of questionable past clips such as Kim pooh-poohing "sitting around with NeNe eating chicken" from season one in 2008. During season three in 2010, NeNe accused Kim treating her black assistant Sweetie "like a slave."
Kim spent $20,000 filing a "cease and desist" against NeNe after what she considered NeNe's slanderous comments. "I don't have a racist bone in my body," Kim said. "Neither my husband nor my children see color." (NeNe amusingly called it a "deceased and let go of whatever the hell it is" letter, which she burned with a lighter. "You should take it to Judge Judy," Marlo cracked.)
Sheree agreed that Brielle "disrespected NeNe" with that video but to her, NeNe going after Brielle "crossed the line." In other words, Sheree is Team Kim.
Kim keeps on thinking NeNe is "on something," whatever that means.
"I'm the b**** who won't even take Tylenol!"
Other story lines:
Is Porsha truly sorry about what she did to Kandi?
Sometimes, it's hard to tell if Porsha truly regrets hurling lies about Kandi last season. She just seems annoyed the other ladies can't move on. NeNe had suggested she give a sincere apology in front of all the ladies. But she is not willing to do so. I think she truly thinks she has expressed enough darn remorse. What more do they want?
Can Kim and Kandi rekindle their friendship?
Kim, the Queen of Crass, is super dependent on her husband Kroy. She uses him and her family as an excuse to cut short many appearances she makes with the other ladies. He often literally waits in the car while she shoots scenes. During the Elephant Room party, she was in contact with him constantly and refused to give up her phone.
As a result, Kandi feels some sort of way about Kim. Sure, she's close to her husband, too, but she finds Kim disrespectful toward the other women the way she uses Kroy as a crutch.
So at a meeting at Sage Woodfire Tavern, Kandi calls Kim out on it during a tense conversation. Of course, this being Kim, she does not own up to it all, instead gets super defensive, which peeves Kandi even more. She even uses the excuse "so I can drink" for not driving her own self. (There's Uber!) She thinks people are "jealous" of her. Kandi rolls her eyes. "It seems like you are always looking for an excuse to leave," Kandi said. "Maybe you don't even realize you're doing this."
Kandi feels like Kim, even when she's with the women, is hardly present and is perpetually distracted.
They eventually calm down and have a normal give and take. But it's clear whatever friendship they had years ago is long gone. (Recall, money issues regarding "Don't Be Tardy" royalties split them apart eight years ago.)
Single again?
Cynthia Bailey dates Will Jones again after Eva Marcille accused him of having another girlfriend. She decides to believe Will for now but this was shot in October. There is no evidence they are together anymore.
Where's Kenya?
Kenya Moore and the producers of "Real Housewives" were at war all fall over her surprise marriage to Marc Daly and his unwillingness to show up on camera. She ended up not going on the Barcelona trip and basically disappeared from the show for several episodes, including tonight. (Reportedly, her pay was docked.) Based on the trailer, the season finale next week before the reunions may finally reveal him. Rumored threats to drop her from the cast season 11 might have convinced Marc to at least make a cameo or two on camera for her livelihood's sake.
