As previewed at BravoCon by Andy Cohen, executive producer of “The Real Housewives” and host of Bravo’s nightly talk show “Watch What Happens Live,” the network will celebrate the series’ 20th anniversary by producing an all-star season, “The Real Housewives: Ultimate Girls Trip: Roaring 20th,” featuring a core cast of seven Housewives from seven different cities. Cohen made the announcement Wednesday night on “Watch What Happens Live,” which featured guests Porsha Williams from “The Real Housewives of Atlanta” and Benita Aspen from “Southern Charm.”
Williams will represent “Atlanta” as the show travels to five different locations where “Real Housewives” filmed. OC OGs Vicki Gunvalson (The Real Housewives of Orange County), Kyle Richards (The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills), Countess Luann de Lesseps (The Real Housewives of New York City), Teresa Giudice (The Real Housewives of New Jersey), Gisele Bryant (“The Real Housewives of Potomac”), Lisa Barlow (“The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City”) will travel from Orange County to Beverly Hills, then visit Atlanta and Miami before finishing her trip in New York City. The show is scheduled to premiere later this year.
In the process, more than 60 additional housewives will be added to the main cast, setting the stage for NeNe Leakes’ much-publicized (and much-rumored) return to Bravo after her 2022 lawsuit suing NBCUniversal, Bravo, True Entertainment, Cohen personally, and others for violating federal employment and anti-discrimination laws. In a lawsuit he dropped in late 2022, Leakes alleged that the agency and its parent company “maintain a corporate culture that is insensitive to Black talent and encourages racist behavior with impunity.”
Leakes was part of the original cast of “The Real Housewives of Atlanta” in 2008 and was one of the first Bravo stars to show what the platform was capable of. Her lightning quick wit, equally quick comebacks, compelling backstory, and immense charisma made her a favorite with viewers. She quickly became the most quoted and GIFed Bravo star, as so many NeNe moments went down the hall of fame, including “Keep your feet away from married men!”, “I told you what I said,” and “That’s so mean and rude.” Leakes also caught the eye of powerful television boss Ryan Murphy, who created her a recurring role on “Glee” and cast her as a regular on the NBC sitcom “The New Normal.” As her fortunes changed, she remained on ‘Real Housewives of Atlanta’ (though only part-time for a few seasons) before officially leaving after season 12 in 2020.
Tommy Garcia/Bravo
