The Real Reason NeNe Leakes Isn't on The Traitors Season 4
When casting rumors for The Traitors Season 4 started swirling, fans were hoping to see NeNe Leakes among the contestants.
The Real Housewives of Atlanta icon had reportedly been approached, and given her reality TV pedigree, she seemed like a perfect fit.
But in a recent podcast appearance, Leakes explained why she had to say no — and the reason had nothing to do with TV.
Appearing on the Humble Brag podcast with Crystal Minkoff and Cynthia Bailey, Leakes said she was genuinely excited to join the show:
"I was asked to do Traitors — I was really excited about doing it, by the way," she said. "I couldn't do Traitors because my son is in the hospital, and he's still in the hospital. My son's been in the hospital since May."
NeNe's son Brentt Leakes — who previously suffered a stroke at age 23 and later underwent a heart transplant — faced serious health setbacks earlier this year. Leakes shared that Brentt's body began rejecting the transplant, leading to extended hospitalization. She didn't feel comfortable committing to a show with overseas filming while his condition was still uncertain.
"I kept thinking maybe Brentt would be much better [by June]," she explained. "My fear was committing and then having to go back to them and say, I can't do it. So that was never going to work. Brentt was very sick. It was no way I could have committed to it."
Despite the disappointment, Leakes said she was glad she turned it down — and that Brentt is thankfully recovering. He's now walking and talking again, something he couldn't do earlier in his recovery.
Brentt also shared his experience with fans last year via Instagram. While the post has since been deleted, Reality Tea reported on the message at the time:
"In July of this year, I went into a 14-hour heart transplant surgery and now have a brand new heart in me. Now that I'm back (still in recovery), I've essentially had to relearn how to walk and communicate, but I'm even more fluent. This experience has FOREVER changed my life. I am so thankful to the family that donated the heart!"
NeNe has two sons, Brentt and Bryson, with her late husband Gregg Leakes. And while she still hopes to return to reality TV in some capacity, family came first this time.
"It was an opportunity to do all these great things and come back really strong," she said. "But my son needed me."