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UPDATE: Bravo host Andy Cohen is shutting down any RHOA casting rumors as she suggests the cast will remain the same.
During the latest episode of his SiriusXM’s Andy Cohen Live show, Andy denied reports of casting changes.
“There are a lot of casting rumors online which came out over the weekend. And I’m going to tell you that they are not true. And I am going to tell you that if you want a preview of next season of Atlanta, look at this cast,” Andy shared. “This is the group guys. We love this group. So spoiler alert, we are very happy and as you can see from the reunion, I was very happy as the day went on.”
The original story is below.
The Real Housewives of Atlanta will be undergoing some major casting shakeups ahead of the upcoming 18th season.
As season 17 of the show is nearing its close, an insider exclusively confirmed that Shamea Morton is potentially on the outs as the network wants Nene to return.
“Contracts went out two days ago,” a source claimed.
They insisted that Bravo is “very interested” in bringing Nene back and that she has been offered a contract to return.
They also had more casting tea to spill, as they alleged that Shamea “was not offered a contract” while Kelli Potter has “received a contract to come back.”
“Filming is set to start in 3 weeks right,” they added. “It will begin following the reunion.”
In the wake of the rumblings about her return, Nene took to Instagram Story to post a photo of food.
“This is the BEST I have felt in a longgggggggg time,” she wrote. “#superhappy.”
For years, Bravo fans have been pining for Nene Leakes to return to RHOA.
While she hasn’t been on since season 12, many people have been vocal that they’ve felt the show is lacking without her.
After Nene, 58, sued Bravo and Andy Cohen in 2022, alleging the network had fostered a hostile and racist work environment and did not address alleged offensive racist remarks made by her co-star, it seemed like her returning would be out of the question.
While she ended up dismissing the lawsuit without prejudice four months later, it still seemed like her ever coming back to RHOA would be unlikely.
Then, when it was revealed she was going to be making an appearance on The Real Housewives: Ultimate Girls Trip Roaring 20th, it finally seemed possible she could return to RHOA.
In May, Andy spoke with Vulture and the topic of Nene’s return to the network came up.
“We are celebrating 20 years of the Housewives. I can’t speak to that lawsuit, but it’s in the past,” he said of her. “She was integral to the show and its success. As we looked back on 20 years, it felt like doing something with her would be really nice for the fans, and she really wanted to do it. It was very positive.”
He also addressed the state of RHOA and Nene potentially returning.
“We’ve worked so hard to get a cast on Atlanta that is cohesive and makes sense and that we love and the fans love. We want to be at the level that Atlanta used to be, and we are finally there. That’s what I’m focusing on right now,” he explained.
Bravo does not typically comment on casting rumors, so it’s likely we’ll just have to “watch what happens” and wait to see who ultimately ends up cast on RHOA season 18.