From an unknown actress to a successful reality star, NeNe leakes has successfully made a name for herself over the years. Now, it is estimated that she has a net worth well over ten million dollars.

How did she attain her wealth? Let’s take a closer look.

NeNe Leakes’s Net Worth 2018 – $12 Million

How did NeNe Leakes Make Her Money and Wealth?

Nene (Birth Name: Linnethia Johnson) was born in 1966 (December 13th to be exact) in the New York City Borough of Queens. She had 4 siblings and due to financial difficulties, her mother sent her to live with a relative in Athens, Georgia; as a result, she was raised almost entirely by her aunt. In a recent interview, she revealed that this “abandonment” has had a major impact on her life.

After graduating from high school, where she was involved with both cheer-leading and basketball, she started to support herself financially by working as a stripper at a club. Who would have known at that point that she would one day become a reality star? It was while she was working there that she met Gregg Leakes, who would later become her husband.

Eventually deciding that she didn’t want to continue on with this career, Leakes started to focus her attention elsewhere- in the entertainment industry. She successfully auditioned and was chosen for a small role (coincidentally as a stripper) in the motion picture, The Fighting Temptations; however her scenes were ultimately edited out of the final cut, thus she did not receive any credit for her work.

Despite this bump, she pressed forward. In 2008, Leakes received a big break after being cast in the Bravo reality series, The Real Housewives of Atlanta; she had met the producers of the show a few years prior. While it initially only attracted 650,000 viewers during the pilot episode, the viewership gradually rose with the subsequent weeks. By the end of the season, the finale had successfully garnered close to 3,000,000 viewers. The breakthrough that she’d been waiting for, it quickly propelled Leakes into fame; it wasn’t long until she was considered a reality star. It’s estimated that the first season alone had yielded her a few hundred thousands.

Considering the popularity of the show, it wasn’t surprising that the network decided to renew it for nine additional seasons- seven of which featured Leakes as a main cast member. From season two until season five, it is said that she was given a salary of $750,000 per season; adding this all up, and she easily earned over $3 million from 2009-2012. By the sixth season in 2013, Leakes’ salary from the show had jumped to $1 million, close to $250,000 more than what it was previously. Altogether, Leakes had earned ~$4,000,000 from her time on The Real Housewives of Atlanta from season one to season five.

In 2012, Leakes was also selected to play a recurring character in the hit TV show Glee. Her first major acting role on television, she portrayed the part of a former Olympian named Roz Washington. Despite her lack of express as an actress, her performance was met with acclaim. From 2012 until 2015 (the same time as The Real Housewives of Atlanta), she appeared in a total of 13 episodes. Seeing as how she was already a prominent reality star by then, her appearances would have undoubtedly supplemented her income nicely.

Around that same time, she was also cast as Rocky Rhoades in the romance comedy, The New Normal. The second big credit to her filmography, Leakes ended up appearing in 22 episodes. Despite the mixed reviews that it received, the NBC series earned a handful of awards during it’s run.

In 2014, Leakes took part as a contestant in the ABC dancing competition series, Dancing with the Stars, and ended up making it to week seven which was good enough for seventh place. While she didn’t take home the winner’s title, she still earned a fair amount of income due to how the prize is laid out- that is, all of the competitors get $125,000 for participating; they then have the opportunity to earn additional prize money with every stage they manage to pass.

In addition to that, she’s also participated in the reality shows The Apprentice (2011), Real Husbands of Hollywood (2015), Lip Sync Battle (2016), and To Tell the Truth, to name a few. In 2013, she also helped to produce the TV special, I Dream of Nene: The Wedding, which chronicled her wedding with Gregg Leakes. Currently, she is also a regular panelist on To Tell the Truth, a revival of the 50’s game show.

Outside of her television endeavors, she also works as a fashion designer for the Home Shopping Network. Originally debuted in the summer of 2014, her line of clothing called NENE by NeNe Leakes quickly sold out within days after its initial release. Since then, her apparel has been made available once again; her products include jump suits, cardigans, etc.

In 2013, Nene founded her own television production company, NeNe Leakes Entertainment- it was through this company that she produced I Dream of NeNe: The Wedding as an executive producer.

In March of 2016, Leakes announced that she would be hitting the road for a comedy tour known as, So Nasty So Rude- named after one of her signature phrases. Kicked off that April, it continued until December, with all of the shows having been sold out.

In the summer of 2009, she also came out with a memoir, Never Make the Same Mistakes Twice, which earned relatively positive reviews from readers.

Unbeknownst to some, Leakes has also been involved with several theater productions over the years, her first being that of Loving Him is Killing Me in 2011, where she played the role of Pinky Bell. Since then, she has also participated in Zumanity (2014), Rodgers +Hammerstein’s Cinderella (2014), and Chicago (2015).

From 2015 onward, she has also been featured in the video games Kim Kardashian: Hollywood and NeNE Leakes: Ne’mojis the App.

NeNe Leakes’s Personal Life and FAQ

Is NeNe Leakes Married?

NeNe Leakes is currently married to Gregg Leakes, whom she met while she was working as an exotic dancer prior to her television career.

The pair originally tied the knot in 1997, however they separated in 2010 and eventually filed for divorce in the spring of 2010; it was later finalized while she was starring in season four of The Real Housewives of Atlanta. Three years afterward however, it was announced that the two had gotten engaged once again on January 2013.

Their second wedding was later chronicled in the TV special, I Dream of NeNe: The Wedding. The ceremoyn took place at the InterContinental Buckhead Hotel on Juen 22, 2013.

Does NeNe Leakes Have Any Children?

Yes, NeNe Leakes has two songs with Greg Leakes, Brentt (b. 1999) and Bryson (b. 1989). She also has a granddaughter named Bri’Asia (b. 2012) via her Bryson and his grilfriend, Ashley Hill.

Where Did NeNe Leakes Go to College?

From what we can gather, NeNe Leakes did not go to college. After graduating from high school, she started to support herself financially by working as an exotic dancer.

Where Does NeNe Leakes Live? Pictures of NeNe Leakes’ House

NeNe Leakes currently lives in a glamorous Mediterranean-style mansion in Atlanta. Purchased for $2.1 million, the home is the opposite of ordinary. Overlooking a golf course atop of a hill in a gated community, the 10,000 square ft. house features six bedrooms and seven bathrooms. Not only that, but it also comes with a four-car garage, a private swimming pool and a wrap-around covered porch.

Complete with a guest house, it includes two kitchens, a library, and a media room perfect for parties.

Why is NeNe Leakes called Nene Leakes?

“NeNe” is a nickname for her given name, Linnethia. Much simpler than using her full name, the reality star has adopted it as her professional name.

NeNe Leakes as a Philanthropist

An advocate for domestic violence victims, NeNe Leakes founded a non-profit called Twisted Hearts Foundation that is dedicated to raising awareness about domestic violence against women a few years back.

Heavily involved in the charity circuit, she has has also been involved with several other organizations such as the American Heart Association, American Stroke Association, Cellphones for Soldiers, and Save the Music Foundation.

NeNe Leakes’ Career Achivements

Through her time on The Real Housewives of Atlanta, NeNe Leakes has successfully made a name for herself as a television personality. Over the years, she has starred in several award-winning shows such as The New Normal, and Glee. Most recently, she also joined the cast of Fashion Police.

How Much did NeNe Leakes Earn Last Year?

According to various online sources, it is estimated that NeNe Leakes earned over $1 million in 2016- a good chunk (e.g. five figures) of which came from her contract to join Fashion Police.

Recent Events

Recently this January, Leakes and her husband were invited to participate in the culinary TV special, MasterChef Celebrity Showdown. Following an intense cook-off, they ultimately lost to Trai Bryers and Grace Gealey from Empire.

In terms of talk shows, she has also been active in The Real and the hit Dr. Oz Show the first of which featured Leakes as a co-hostess.

As for The Real Housewives series, there have been rumors stating that negotiations are currently in progress for Leakes to return as one of the full-cast members. Will she be returning to the show in its tenth season? We’ll just have to wait and find out.

The post NeNe Leakes Net Worth 2018 – How Rich is The RHOA Star? appeared first on Gazette Review.

Eventually transitioning to scripted television, Leakes made her official acting debut in the NBC sitcom, The New Normal in 2012. Portraying the role as a sassy secretary, she ended up appearing in all twenty two episodes of the comedy- which further boosted her fame. Around that same time, she also landed a supporting role in the award-winning teen drama, Glee (2012), where she was cast as a swimming coach. Aside from The Real Housewives of Atlanta (2008), her role in the musical comedy drama is perhaps the second best remembered portrayal of her career. As of 2017, she has not taken on any other roles as an actress. Having said that, she did go on to establish her own television production company, NeNe Leakes Entertainment as it is called- which would go on to produce two of her additional spin-off reality series.

More of a TV personality than an actress, Leakes has been featured in countless TV shows- not including the ones associated with The Real Housewives of Atlanta. For instance, she has participated in a number of competition series such as Dancing with the Stars (2014), The Apprentice (2011), Lip sync Battle (2016), and Celebrity Family Feud (2016), and Cupcake Wars (2016), to name a few. Additionally, her status as a reality star has also led her to appear in sundry talk shows including Jimmy Kimmel Live! (2009), Ellen: The Ellen Degeneres Show (2009), The Arsenio Hall Show (2014), Good Morning America (2014), and The Meredith Vieira Show (2015), among others. Altogether throughout her 10 year+ career, she has made over seventy appearances on television.

So what has the dark skinned beauty been up to since then? What new television programmings have she been gracing her presence with? Can we expect to see her in any TV dramas or reality competitions this year? What does she have in store for fans? What happened to NeNe Leakes? Where is she now in 2018?

NeNe Leakes’ Early Life and Career Beginnings

Born on December 13, 1966 in Queens, New York, NeNe Leakes (Birth Name: Linnethia Monique Johnson) was raised by an aunt in Athens, Georgia. One of five siblings, her mother allegedly did not have enough resources to care for all of the children. A relatively sensitive topic for Leakes, her mother’s abandonment has caused her much anguish growing up, as evident by a tearful statement given by the star herself on an episode of The Real Housewives of Atlanta. To make matters even more complicated, it was later revealed in a subsequent segment that she and her biological father are no longer on speaking terms as the latter showed disapproval about her appearing on the reality series- although it took her a long time to reunite with him in the first place. In terms of her siblings, one of her brothers have also since passed- an event which she took relatively hard.

Prior to landing her breakthrough role in the Bravo reality series, Leakes appeared as a cameo in a handful of TV shows such as The Parkers (1998). In 2003, she was even cast as a minor character in the musical drama film, The Fighting Temptations where she had the opportunity to act alongside Beyonce, and Cuba Gooding, Jr., Unfortunately however, none of her scenes ending up making it to the final movie; consequently, it did not add to her list of credits on her filmography.

Nene Leakes’ Big Break on The Real Housewives of Atlanta

The third instalment of The Real Housewives franchise, The Real Housewives of Atlanta premiered on the Bravo Network on October 7, 2008. Much like its predecessors, it focused on both the professional and personal lives of a group of women who, as the title implies, lives in the city of Atlanta, Georgia. More specifically, the reality series starred NeNe Leakes, Kim Zolciak-Biermann, Lisa Wu,Sheree Whitfield and DeShawn Snow. As the show continued throughout its seasons, additional cast members such as Phaedra Parks, Kandi Burruss, Cynthia Bailey and Kenya Moore were introduced. One of the show’s original stars, Leakes was ultimately featured in seven seasons (she was a guest star in the eighth)- making her the most prominent housewife of the entire show.

Throughout the seasons, a number of plot lines were followed including the conflict that arose after Leakes was excluded from a divorce party (which was shown in the series premiere) and the subsequent relationships that she has with her friends. Altogether, the reality star appeared in 128 of its 181 episodes. Critical reception wise, critics generally gave the show favourable reviews- many of whom praised it for following the African-American community. Still, it receives a fair share of less positive reviews from sources such as The New York Times, and the Seattle Post Intelligencer. Regardless, The Real Housewives of Atlanta successfully become a “guilty pleasure” for many viewers, whom stayed glued to the screen during its air. The most popular series of The Real Housewives Franchise, it has managed to maintain a steady viewership of 1.5 million.

After seven years on the show, it was announced by the network that Leakes would be departing from the show alongside Claudia Jordan. At that point, the series became the first not to retain any of the remaining cast members.

NeNe Leakes in the Spin-off I Dream of NeNe: The Wedding

In the fall of 2013, Leakes was given her own reality series on Bravo, I Dream of NeNe: The Wedding. Produced by NeNe Leakes Entertainment, her own television production company, it acted as a bridge between season five and season six of The Real Housewives of Atlanta. Starring her and her former spouse, Gregg Lakes, the show chronicled the entire process of her wedding, from the initial preparations to the big day held at the InterContinental Buckhead Hotel. Amongst her nine bridesmaids were Marlo Hampton and Cynthia Bailey, both of whom were also featured in the series.

Executively produced by Leakes herself, I Dream of NeNe: The Wedding ran for seven episodes, prior to ending on October 27, 2013.

Other Highlights from NeNe Leakes’ Television Career

Eventually branching into television drama, Leakes made her official acting debut in the popular teen drama, Glee in the winter of 2012. Created Ian Brennan, Ryan Murphy, and Brad Falchuk, the series centred around the fictional glee club at William McKinley High School. Not only does the show revolve around the topic of music, but it also discusses various social issues such as relationships, race and sexuality. Introduced toward the end of the third season, Leakes portrayed the role of Roz Washington- a synchronized swim coach and former Olympic medalist; she is eventually recruited to coach the Cheerios, one of the school’s cheerleading teams, much to Sue Sylvester’s dismay.

Perhaps the actress’ best remembered portrayals on the small screen to date, her appearance in the show ultimately helped to further boost her popularity during the early 2010’s. Appearing on and off over a period of three years, her character was last seen in the third episode of season six, Jagged Little Tapestry. In a later interview with the show’s creator Ryan Murphy, it was revealed that Roz Washington was actually created with Leakes in mind. Despite being her first television drama, her acting garnered much praise from critics who praised her as a fabulous guest star.

Around the same time as her debut on Glee, Leakes also landed a lead role in the new NBC sitcom, The New Normal. Created and written by Ali Adler and Ryan Murphy, the series followed the lives of an affluent gay couple, David Sawyer and Bryan Collins. Deciding to expand their family, they opt to go for a surrogate mother who later moves into their house with her nine year old daughter. While Justin bartha and Andrew Rannells played David and Bryan respectively, Leakes portrayed the role of Rocky Rhoades- Bryan’s production assistant who later works as a producer of the hit series, Sing.

One of the main cast members, the actress first appeared in the pilot episode; she would go on to appear in all twenty two episodes of the sitcom.

Originally debuted on NBC on September 10, 2012 (the pilot premiered in August), The New Normal garnered close to seven million viewers during its initial episode. Despite its rather strong cast however, viewership ratings ultimately dropped with the subsequent weeks. Critical reception-wise, the show also generally received mixed reviews; for instance it currently holds a score of 60/100 on Metacritic. Nonetheless, it earned a number of accolades including a People’s Choice Award for “Favourite New TV Comedy” and a GLAAD Media Award for “Outstanding Comedy Series” in 2013.

Since then, Leakes has returned back to reality TV, having made several guest appearances in The Amandas (2012), Betty White’s Off Their Rockers (2013), The Price Is Right (2013), and The Millionaire Matchmaker (2014). That year, she also took part in the eighteenth season of the dancing competition, Dancing with the Stars, where she was paired up with professional dancer Tony Dovolani.

More recently in 2016, Leakes has also been serving as one of the panelists in the game show, To Tell The Truth.

What’s NeNe Leakes Doing Now in 2018 – Recent Updates

This past January, The Real Housewives of Atlanta star graced the stage of the culinary competition, Masterchef Celebrity Showdown (2017). Pairing up with her husband Gregg Leakes, the two went head to head against the Empire couple Grace Gealey and Trai Bryers. Shortly after the broadcast on TV, Leakes posted a photo of themselves on set, highlighting the fact that she wore heals while cooking in the caption.

Aside from that, Leakes has also appeared in a couple of TV talk shows including The Dr. Oz Show (2017), and The Real (2017), the last of which saw her as one of the guest co-hosts. So far, those seem to be the only appearances that she’s made on the small screen- having said that, we’re just a few months into the new year, so she will probably be involving herself in further projects later on.

If you’d like to stay in touch with the reality star, you can do so by following her on social media- you can find NeNe Leakes on Twitter or Instagram at @neneleakes. Don’t forget to also drop by her official Facebook page for the latest news!

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