NeNe Leakes revealed she turned down The Traitors because of her sonâs hospitalization, and she shared how heâs doing. The star also addressed if she would return to Real Housewives of Atlanta as a âfriend.â
Last year, NeNeâs son Brentt Leakes had a heart transplant after suffering a stroke and heart attack. Brentt shared that he was diagnosed with congestive heart failure, and heâs recently been hospitalized again.
âI was asked to do Traitors. I was really excited about doing it, by the way,â said NeNe on the Humble Brag podcast. âI couldnât do Traitors because my sonâs in the hospital ⌠My sonâs been in the hospital since [early] May.â
âHeâs doing a lot better; heâs turned a curve. He has a little while longer to be there,â she continued. âAt 22, he had a stroke and a heart attack. And from the stroke, his heart was weak, and it never got back strong, so he needed a heart transplant. So heâs had a heart transplant since then and ⌠now his heartâs started rejecting [it] and ⌠they are now trying to stop the rejection.â
When asked if they knew what caused the stroke, NeNe explained that they could only assume. â[But] one of the things I was told was Brentt was starting to become diabetic, and from what Iâm learning, diabetes triggers a lot of things,â she said. âIâm so glad I said no [to Traitors] ⌠That was never going to work. Brentt was very sick ⌠it was no way I could commit to it, and you had to go out of the country.â
âIf Brentt had been in the place heâs in today ⌠I would have [filmed],â she went on. âNow heâs walking, heâs talking.â NeNe also hinted that she may film The Traitors in a future season.
She was then asked if sheâd consider returning to RHOA as a âfriend.â
âI really kind of feel like I donât know that I would be a friend,â she said. âI like the friend role. I like the capacity. I donât have a problem with it at all.â
But NeNe suggested itâs hard to see herself as a âfriendâ because sheâs an original castmate. The star hinted, however, that she likes how a âfriendâ doesnât have to show her family or significant other or be âas committedâ as the full-time stars. She recalled how, when she was a peach-holder, she was constantly thinking about the show.
Last October, Brentt opened up about his health struggles and getting a heart transplant.
 âTo begin with, let me say, âThank you, God.â This year was undoubtedly the craziest for me,â shared Brentt last year. âAfter several trips to the hospital and many doctors appointments, I finally heard the unexpected news that I was diagnosed with âcongestive Heart Failureâ On June 19 (Ish), đâ
He continued, âIn July of this year, I went into a 14 hour heart transplant surgery and now have a brand new heart in me. Now that Iâm back (still in recovery) Iâve essentially had to relearn how to walk and communicate, but Iâm even more fluent.â
