NeNe Leakes reacted to reports that she was fired from Real Housewives of Atlanta by posting an Internet meme that shows her laughing out loud (see below).
She captioned the image: “I can’t chileeeeeeee.”
But behind closed doors, friends say NeNe is “hurt and depressed” after being dismissed from Bravo’s longest-running ‘Real Housewives’ franchise.
“She’s hurt and depressed,” an insider whispered to Sandrarose.com late Wednesday night. “She thinks her friends have abandoned her and she can’t trust anyone.”
The source said NeNe was “shocked” by her sudden termination, which was first reported by blogger B. Scott on Wednesday.
Bravo Network overnighted pickup letters via FedEx and emailed to the cast and their attorney of record, according to TamaraTattles.com.
Negotiations between NeNe, Bravo and her rep broke down after NeNe demanded more screen time in every episode, according to Tamara, who added that NeNe was offered a 5% raise in her letter.
It isn’t clear why NeNe turned down the raise – or if she thought the 5% was beneath her.
Cast member Eva Marcille quit before she was fired. She reportedly earned a meager $7,500 per episode last season.
NeNe will sorely miss her six figure per episode salary.
The source says the 52-year-old New York native worries about her financial responsibilities — she pays the bills for three households, including her $2.1 million, six-bedroom, six-and-a-half bath mansion in Duluth, her eldest son’s home, and a rental property on the West Coast.
NeNe fully supports her husband, Gregg Leakes, a colon cancer survivor, whom she reportedly cheated on with a younger man.
The friend says NeNe’s finances have been impacted by the ongoing coronavirus crisis. With little money coming in from her clothing boutiques, NeNe reportedly took out loans to keep her finances afloat.
Her first round of applications for a federal grant and a PPP loan in March were rejected according to another source.
