NeNe Leakes Pulls in $1.5 Million for Real Housewives of Atlanta season 7 Contract to Become Bravo’s Highest Paid Reality Star, But It May Not Be Enough To Keep Former Glee Star on RHOA
Real Housewives of Atlanta season 7: RHOA star NeNe Leakes is now the Bravo network's highest paid reality TV star, but that might not be enough to keep the former "Glee" star on the network.
According to multiple reports, Real Housewives of Atlanta Season 7 breakout star NeNe Leakes got a $1.5 million pay hike to return in 2014, but Leakes is still thinking about quitting the show when her contract expires.
ClassicalLite quoted a source saying Leakes "made it known that she would need a significant raise to do the upcoming season, and the producers had no choice but to agree. NeNe is smart businesswoman...[and] she is the most popular Housewife of all the franchises."
A source told Radar Online that NeNe earns $1.5 million a season which makes her the highest paid reality star. The source says Leakes negotiated the money because "she is the most popular housewife of any of the Bravo franchises."
"NeNe made it known she would need a significant raise to do the upcoming season, and Bravo had no choice but to agree to it," the source told Radar Online. "Without Nene, RHOA wouldn't be the ratings blockbuster that it continues to be. While some of the other shows including ['Real Housewives of New Jersey'] and ['Real Housewives of New York'] have endured ratings slumps, Atlanta has never had to endure that," the source went on to say.
During an appearance said on "The Arsenio Hall Show," Leakes said "You know what, the pay is okay, but I don't know if it's worth what you saw on the clip. I began this so many years ago with other girls. And I'm the only original that's left. It has changed a lot over the years."
Last year, OK! Magazine reported that Leakes earned $1 million a season. Teresa Giudice of "Real House Wives of New Jersey" earned $650,000. Ramona Singer and LuAnn De Lesseps of "Real Housewives of New York" both pull in $500,000 a season.
Bravo's "Real Housewives of Atlanta" is riding high on the ratings. According to Radar Online, the network credits NeNe Leakes, who's been on the show since it first aired.
