NeNe LeakesĀ revealed she turned downĀ The TraitorsĀ because of her sonās hospitalization, and she shared how heās doing. The star also addressed if she would return toĀ Real Housewives of AtlantaĀ as a āfriend.ā
Last year, NeNeās sonĀ Brentt LeakesĀ had a heart transplant after suffering a stroke and heart attack. Brentt shared that he was diagnosed with congestive heart failure, and heās recently been hospitalized again.
āI was asked to doĀ Traitors. I was really excited about doing it, by the way,ā said NeNe on theĀ Humble BragĀ podcast. āI couldnāt doĀ TraitorsĀ because my sonās in the hospital ⦠My sonās been in the hospital since [early] May.ā
āHeās doing a lot better; heās turned a curve. He has a little while longer to be there,ā she continued. āAt 22, he had a stroke and a heart attack. And from the stroke, his heart was weak, and it never got back strong, so he needed a heart transplant. So heās had a heart transplant since then and ⦠now his heartās started rejecting [it] and ⦠they are now trying to stop the rejection.ā
When asked if they knew what caused the stroke, NeNe explained that they could only assume. ā[But] one of the things I was told was Brentt was starting to become diabetic, and from what Iām learning, diabetes triggers a lot of things,ā she said. āIām so glad I said no [toĀ Traitors] ⦠That was never going to work. Brentt was very sick ⦠it was no way I could commit to it, and you had to go out of the country.ā
āIf Brentt had been in the place heās in today ⦠I would have [filmed],ā she went on. āNow heās walking, heās talking.ā NeNe also hinted that she may filmĀ The TraitorsĀ in a future season.
She was then asked if sheādĀ consider returningĀ toĀ RHOAĀ as a āfriend.ā
āI really kind of feel like I donāt know that I would be a friend,ā she said. āI like the friend role. I like the capacity. I donāt have a problem with it at all.ā
But NeNe suggested itās hard to see herself as a āfriendā because sheās anĀ original castmate. The star hinted, however, that she likes how a āfriendā doesnāt have to show her family or significant other or be āas committedā as the full-time stars. She recalled how, when she was a peach-holder, she was constantly thinking about the show.
Last October, BrenttĀ opened up about his health strugglesĀ and getting a heart transplant.
Ā āTo begin with, let me say, āThank you, God.ā This year was undoubtedly the craziest for me,ā shared Brentt last year. āAfter several trips to the hospital and many doctors appointments, I finally heard the unexpected news that I was diagnosed with ācongestive Heart Failureā On June 19 (Ish), šā
He continued, āIn July of this year, I went into a 14 hour heart transplant surgery and now have a brand new heart in me. Now that Iām back (still in recovery) Iāve essentially had to relearn how to walk and communicate, but Iām even more fluent.ā