Real Housewives of Atlanta alumni NeNe Leakes and Porsha Williams have rekindled their never-ending rivalry, with Leakes criticising her former co-star harshly. In an unexpected social media outburst, Leakes berated Williams for declining to work with her on a Netflix comedy series, snidely claiming that “she is not a star.”
“I’m going to handle Porsha later, as I’m disappointed with her.” In a direct Instagram video, Leakes said, “She’s not a star; she just acts like one.” “I was recommended to do this Netflix series by someone, and I was asked to do it. Then they declared that they wanted to feature Porsha on the programme.”
A Missed Opportunity for ‘The Upshaws’
The Upshaws, a comedy series on Netflix that is presently filming its third season, looks to be the project in issue. Leakes said that producers wanted to cast Williams in the show as well as provide her a role. However, the outspoken reality star claims that her former co-star from RHOA abruptly declined the chance.
“So I got a call from my agent two days ago saying that Porsha doesn’t want to do the show because she doesn’t want to work with me,” Leakes said. “She can’t work with me because she thinks I’m going to be a diva.”
The pair’s infamously tumultuous relationship and many arguments over the years on Real Housewives of Atlanta appear to be the source of the accusation. Their long-simmering conflict has frequently erupted into public sniping on social media.
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A History of Bad Blood
Leakes and Williams became involved in a lot of controversy and internal strife as soon as they joined RHOA in Season 5. Even though they occasionally managed a brief friendship, suspicion and accusations frequently caused them to break up.
A significant breakup happened in 2021 when Leakes objected to Williams’s celebration of her iconic ‘underground railway’ social media faux pas. When rumours began to circulate that Williams might have slept with the male stripper at Cynthia Bailey’s bachelorette celebration, the division only grew.
At the time, Leakes railed against Williams, saying, “If you walk around with a [sex] instructor, honey, and you picture whore too, it ain’t going to be cute.”
When Leakes went on a divisive tirade against Williams’ then-fiance Dennis McKinley, labelling him a “typical woman abuser” and implying that their relationship was founded in adultery, it appeared as though their animosity had reached its highest point. “We could say a lot of things about Mr. Domestic Violence,” she grumbled. “I think you would have been married sooner if he didn’t have a couple of baby mamas.”
Williams retaliated, calling Leakes “suppressive” and attempting to stifle her voice. She further fanned the flames by making the implication that her husband Gregg’s influence was the sole reason she succeeded.
An Overblown Ego?
Leakes was particularly offended by the implication in her recent tirade that Williams saw her as a possible “diva” to deal with on-site. She angrily rejected the idea that Williams is a greater star.
“You’re not a star over there, girl. Let’s not bury the lead there,” Leakes sneered. “Nobody wants to work with your diva behaviour.”
She continued by saying that Williams, who “only had one peach” on RHOA in contrast to Leakes’ extensive stay, was the one with an exaggerated ego and sense of self-importance. “Did you get so big-headed that you can’t work with somebody who carried more weight than you on a show?” she said. “You got real real real big, I see.”
Leakes appeared to be referring to her successful acting career outside of reality TV, which includes appearances on programmes like Glee and The New Normal, in addition to her role as a founding cast member of RHOA’s first season.
A Ratings Grudge Match?
Of course, jealousy and rivalry over one another’s fame and popularity may be at the root of a lot of the hatred between the two Bravolebrities. It seems Leakes has felt threatened by Williams’ rising popularity, which is demonstrated by her massively successful limited series spin-off Porsha’s Family Matters.
Even when Williams left Real Housewives of Atlanta after Season 13, the rivalry is obviously still going strong. And fireworks seem almost certain if and when they collaborate on The Upshaws or another project.
Leakes did, however, provide a meek but insincere bridge amid the hostility: “I don’t have a problem with Porsha. All I’m upset about is the behaviour.”It remains to be seen if Williams chooses to bury the hatchet. However, given this most recent social media brawl, a calm conclusion is unlikely to occur very soon.
