Bio
NeNe Leakes is an American socialite, actress and reality television personality best known as one of the original cast members of the reality show The Real Housewives of Atlanta, since 2008.
She currently stars as Rocky, the fierce assistant of father-to-be Bryan Buckley (Andrew Rannells), on the television sitcom The New Normal, since 2012.
As a New York native, Leakes is known for her no-nonsense attitude, which quickly made her the breakout star of The Real Housewives of Atlanta.
Leakes faced Donald Trump in the Boardroom in March 2011 as a contestant on the fourth season of The Celebrity Apprentice. Her charity of choice for the competition was the Atlanta Union Mission in Support of My Sister's House, a shelter for women and children who experience domestic abuse.
The reality media star earned titles such as People Magazine's Diva of the Season and Bravo's A-list Award for Fan Favorite. Leakes then transitioned from her reality success to scripted television.
She made her acting debut as Coach Roz Washington, a recurring role on Glee. Later she guest starred on BET's comedies The Game and Let's Stay Together.
Leakes also served as one of the guest panelists for The Insider and joined Ryan Seacrest and Giuliana Rancic for E! Network's Live from the Red Carpet coverage at the 61st Annual Primetime Emmy Awards in 2009.
When Leakes is away from the cameras, she supports various charity efforts. She is the founder of Twisted Hearts, which brings awareness to the plight of domestic violence against women of all races. As a victim of domestic abuse herself, she makes it her mission to offer a voice and support to those in need of help.
She told all in her memoir, Never Make the Same Mistake Twice, discussing her fractured childhood, abusive relationship, single mother struggles, landing Mr. Right, and the messy lessons learned along the way.
Currently, Leakes resides in Duluth, Georgia, a suburb of Atlanta, along with her two children.