NeNe Leakes

She was one of the regular panelists on ABC's revival of the 1950s game show To Tell the Truth.

In addition to her television projects, Leakes had a clothing line on Home Shopping Network, before launching her SWAGG boutiques in select cities across the country.

Linnethia Monique Johnson was born in Queens, New York City.

One of five children, she and one of her brothers were sent to live with an aunt in Athens, Georgia, while the other three children stayed with her mother.

It was believed that her mother could not take care of all five.

After graduating from Clarke Central High School in Athens, she decided to further her formal education at Morris Brown College in Atlanta for two years before becoming pregnant.

Before Leakes met the producers of The Real Housewives of Atlanta, she had appeared on TV shows like The Parkers thanks to meeting casting director Robi Reed-Humes.

Linnethia Monique "NeNe" Leakes (née Johnson; born December 13, 1967) is an American television personality, actress, presenter, businesswoman, author, and fashion designer.

She first rose to prominence after becoming the breakout star on Bravo's reality television series, The Real Housewives of Atlanta.

She is widely regarded as one of the most notable personalities from The Real Housewives franchise and a prominent figure in reality television and pop culture.

Born in Queens, New York and raised in Athens, Georgia, she is also known for her recurring character, Roz Washington, on the Fox comedy-drama series Glee.

In 2003, she landed a minor role as a stripper in the film The Fighting Temptations, starring Cuba Gooding, Jr. and Beyoncé.

However, none of her scenes are present in the final edit of the movie.

In 2008, Leakes made her first appearance on The Real Housewives of Atlanta as an original cast member.

After the first season, she co-wrote the book Never Make The Same Mistake Twice with Denene Millner. Leakes was a main cast member for the first seven seasons.

In 2011, Leakes was a contestant on the eleventh installment of Donald Trump's NBC series Celebrity Apprentice.

During the tenth episode of Celebrity Apprentice, after arguments with fellow cast member Star Jones, Leakes walked off the show.

Leakes has guest-hosted Anderson Live, The Talk, appeared in Betty White's Off Their Rockers and The Price Is Right.

Leakes also played Rocky Rhoades as a series regular on the sitcom The New Normal on NBC until its cancellation in 2013.

She was a participant on NBC's The Celebrity Apprentice and ABC's Dancing with the Stars.

The company produced Leakes' spin-off series I Dream of NeNe: The Wedding alongside True Entertainment, which premiered on September 17, 2013.

Leakes made her Broadway debut as Madame in Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella in 2014, and in 2015, starred as Matron "Mama" Morton in Chicago.

On March 4, 2014, she was announced as one of the celebrities who would compete in the Dancing with the Stars of Dancing with the Stars.

She was paired with professional dancer, Tony Dovolani.

Leakes and Dovolani were eliminated in Week 7 of competition (Latin Night) on April 28, 2014, finishing in 7th place.

Leakes played the Mistress of Sensuality in Las Vegas for resident show Cirque du Soleil: Zumanity.

She made her Broadway debut on November 25, 2014, as Madame in Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella.

In February 2014, Leakes announced that she would be launching a clothing line later in the year.

In June 2015, Leakes announced that she would not be returning to The Real Housewives of Atlanta for its eighth season.

However, Leakes was featured in season 8 of The Real Housewives of Atlanta in a supporting role, reportedly earning her full salary from the previous seven seasons.

She played the role until the production closed on January 3, 2015.

In November 2015, she was cast as playing Matron "Mama" Morton in Chicago on Broadway for four weeks.

Leakes later returned to the show as a full-time housewife for the tenth through twelfth seasons (2017-20).

In 2020, Leakes announced that she would not return to The Real Housewives of Atlanta for its thirteenth season.

Leakes has also transitioned into scripted television, playing the secretary Rocky Roades in the NBC comedy The New Normal.

Ryan Murphy cast Leakes on his series Glee in the third season in a recurring role as synchronized swim coach and Olympic bronze-medalist Coach Roz Washington.

Leakes released a song, entitled "Come and Get This Hunni" in April 2020.

In January 2024, Leakes was announced to be a co-host on Zeus Network's Baddies East reunion by cast member Natalie Nunn.

In March 2024, Leakes will star in Hunting Housewives, opposite Denise Richards, Melyssa Ford, and Kim Johnson-Herjavec for Lifetime.

Leakes founded NeNe Leakes Entertainment, a television production company.