Reality TV star and former Housewives of Atlanta cast member Nene Leakes says she should be bigger than fellow reality TV star Kim Kardashian. Leakes shared this during her exclusive interview with producer Carlos King. During her interview, Leakes talked about the disconnect that grew between her and the team at Bravo, her legacy as the first cast member of the “Real Housewives of Atlanta,” the current state of the show which she left in 2020, as well as the nuances of corporate culture.
An Unfair Advantage
Leakes disclosed that she was held back from certain opportunities, in ways the Kardashians were not. Leakes and Kardashian started their TV runs a year apart. During the interview Leakes shared an example. She said while she and Kim Kardashian, whom she was once close with, had entered a partnership with Shoe Dazzle around the same time, only Kim’s collection was promoted. When King asked the “RHOA” alum if she feels she should be more famous than the E! Network star, Leakes was sure of her answer.
“Absolutely. If not bigger, right there with her. I felt like they pushed Kim, and they didn’t push me. Kim came on after me, and they opened up every door and every opportunity for her,” Leakes explained. “Even putting us together at times and making her much more bigger than me. They pushed Kim to the front and pushed me to the back.
Leakes says that wasn’t by chance.
“I think that was the way they wanted it to be. We were together because I was Nene and I came out before her, and it looked good for us to be together. That’s how I feel,” Leakes said.
The mom of two also talked about the restrictions the Real Housewives faced towards promoting their businesses. She says the Kardashians were allowed to promote their brands despite being owned by the same parent company. However, their shows were produced by different production companies.
“I just think that they made her more successful. And she was able to get opportunities and walk through doors that they just did not want me to walk through. They just pushed her stuff forward and were always giving her opportunities. I just wasn’t given the opportunities that she was given,” Leakes shared.