Bravo is celebrating two decades of The Real Housewives franchise with a brand-new spin-off starring the likes of Porsha Williams and Gizelle Bryant, with a special appearance from NeNe Leakes!
During the Jan.14 episode of Watch What Happens Live, Andy Cohen officially revealed the cast for season 1 of The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip: Roaring 20th, a special series that will follow several housewives on a fun cross-country road trip. The announcement unfolded during a game of “Away We Bravo,” with special guests Porsha Williams—who appears in the upcoming series—and model Venita Aspen helping roll out the lineup.
During the game, Aspen read iconic Housewives quotes while Porsha Williams guessed which Housewife said each one, gradually unveiling the legendary cast, and making it clear fans are in for something special.
The star-studded cast includes The Real Housewives of Orange County’s Vicki Gunvalson, The Real Housewives of New York City’s Luann de Lesseps, The Real Housewives of Atlanta’s Porsha Williams, The Real Housewives of New Jersey’s Teresa Giudice, The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills’ Kyle Richards, The Real Housewives of Potomac’s Gizelle Bryant, and The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City’s Lisa Barlow.
As for the full scope of the cast, Cohen teased that viewers could expect plenty of surprises. The core group will be joined by “over 60” Housewives who will “pop in for surprise cameos” throughout the trip.
Earlier that same day, Cohen dropped another major bombshell: NeNe Leakes will be returning to Bravo, marking her first appearance with the network in six years following her exit from The Real Housewives of Atlanta.
Leakes, now 58, joined the Atlanta franchise in 2008 as part of its original cast alongside Kim Zolciak, DeShawn Snow, Shereé Whitfield, and Lisa Wu-Hartwell, before departing the series in 2020.
“She’s gonna be making an appearance,” Cohen shared during his SiriusXM Radio Andy broadcast, before dropping a few tidbits about the Bravo veteran’s appearance, according to US Weekly. Cohen revealed that NeNe will make a special guest appearance on The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip: Roaring 20th, when production stops in Atlanta.
“When we go to Atlanta, she’s going [to] be there. People are happy about it. We are going to be celebrating 20 years of Housewives, and it would be hard without her. I’m happy about it,” he gushed.
As previously reported, Leakes also confirmed her return in an emotional video message, thanking her former RHOA co-stars and Andy Cohen.
“I’m overjoyed, I almost can’t even believe that the words that are coming out of my mouth,” she said, adding that she was “so happy” to be back at the network that helped make her a reality TV icon. “All of you ladies who constantly say my name and keep my name in the ring, I appreciate you guys so much.”
Fans lit up the reality TV star’s comments section, including Andy Cohen, who wrote, “Couldn’t celebrate 20 years without you.”
NeNe replied, “Thank you so much for everything. Love you butter cup no matter what.”
Leakes’ return marks a significant turning point after years of tension between the star and Bravo. In April 2022, she filed a discrimination lawsuit against Bravo, NBCUniversal, Cohen, and others, alleging a toxic workplace culture. By August of that year, she quietly dropped the case. Court documents stated that she dismissed the “action and all claims asserted… without prejudice,” PEOPLE noted.
“All Parties consent and stipulate to the foregoing dismissal,” the document read. “No party will seek recovery of costs or attorneys’ fees in any submission to this Court.”
In a 2023 interview with Carlos King, Leakes opened up about what led to the lawsuit, claiming she was offered a reduced role during season 13 negotiations and felt she was being pushed out of the franchise.
She also reflected on her strained relationship with Cohen, telling King, “I hate that we’re in this place. I really wish there was a way for us to find our way back to each other because life is short, and you just don’t want to carry ill feelings for the rest of your life. It would be nice to work through the issues.”
Now, it appears that the bridge has been rebuilt. With Leakes back in the Bravo fold and dozens of Housewives set to make appearances, The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip: Roaring 20th is shaping up to be a historic celebration of the franchise.
Congrats to NeNe Leakes and the entire cast!
The post Gizelle Bryant, Porsha Williams & Other Housewives Heavyweights Starring In Bravo’s ‘Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip’, Andy Cohen Confirms NeNe Leakes’ Appearance appeared first on Bossip.
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