NeNe Leakes Leaving ‘Real Housewives of Atlanta’

UPDATED: It’s time for “Real Housewives” fans to say goodbye to NeNe Leakes.

The “Real Housewives of Atlanta” star announced Monday that she’s leaving the Bravo show after seven seasons. Leakes is the last remaining original member on the Atlanta series.

“This was definitely a hard decision for me,” Leakes told People magazine, which first broke the news. “Me and my husband [Gregg Leakes] have been going back and forth on it for weeks now. But my contract is up and I just think this is the right time. This is my opportunity to spread my wings and do different things.”

She also tweeted about the news later on Monday.

Leakes, one of the most memorable players from the “Real Housewives” franchise, also teased a future project, saying she’s doing a primetime TV show with a “big legend.”

“All of my fans will get to see me be really happy, witty and funny and tell all of those one liners that I always have said on ‘Housewives,'” Leakes said.

A fan favorite, Leakes was known for the fights between her and other cast members, including Kenya Moore, Phaedra Parks, Kandi Burruss, Cynthia Bailey and Kim Zolciak-Biermann.

“I feel a weight has been lifted off of my shoulders,” Leakes said of leaving the drama behind.

Even so, Leakes left the door open for cameos, saying she’ll “probably pop up and play with those girls every now and then.”

“We wish NeNe well after seven memorable seasons of the ‘Real Housewives of Atlanta,'” a Bravo spokesperson said in a statement. “We will miss her bloop bloop’s and her great one liners. We look forward to the eighth season of the ‘Real Housewives of Atlanta’ in the fall.”

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