Blogger Claims Andy Cohen Stole ‘Watch What Happens Live’ Show Idea From Nene Leakes in Exchange for This
Nene Leakes is not quieting down about her frustrations with Bravo as a result of her exit from RHOA. Leakes accuses production of phasing her out of the show and denying her spinoff opportunities.
A new report from Funky Dineva appears to corroborate Leakes’ claims that some ideas she pitched were taken, including Andy Cohen’s Watch What Happens Live.
Nene Leakes accuses Bravo executives of denying her spinoff opportunities
During an Instagram live Q&A with fans, Leakes was asked why she does not have her own spinoff series. Per Leakes, despite pitching her own shows to the network, other cast members have been chosen for spinoffs in her place.
“I don’t know why only one person off our show gets to do her own show every season after we go off air,” she said. “To me it looks shady for one person – season after season after season – gets a show, and it certainly isn’t by choice. It is definitely a reason why someone would be trying to hold you back from not doing something. Somebody is afraid that you will be bigger than they are.”
Related: RHOA: Kandi Burruss Breaks Down How To Land a Spinoff After Nene Leakes Shades Her
Fans took Leakes’ comment as a dig to her co-star, Kandi Burruss. Burruss is currently in production for her sixth spinoff series. The only other housewife from Atlanta to have a longstanding spinoff series is Kim Zolciak Biermann’s Don’t Be Tardy, which has been on air since 2012.
Leakes did have one spinoff special for her 2013 wedding. Due to her frustration, she says she hired an attorney to investigate what she considers to be blocked spinoff opportunities. Leakes also hinted to the network stealing certain ideas for their own use.
Funky Dineva alleges Andy Cohen stole ‘What What Happens Live’ from Nene Leakes in exchange for Leakes to have more guest appearances than other housewives
Leakes’ allegation that Bravo has stolen some ideas pitched may ring true. According to popular YouTube vlogger Funky Dineva, Cohen’s late-night talk show Watch What Happens Live is actually a concept of Leakes’.
In a recent video questioning the unfair treatment of Black talent at the network, Dineva says he learned from a source who works at the network that Leakes pitched the idea for the show to Cohen herself.
Related: ‘RHOA’: Nene Leakes Wants ‘Respect’ From Andy Cohen When She Tells Her Truths
Per Dineva, Cohen ran with the idea for the show in exchange for Leakes to make a certain number of appearances on the talk show each season. Cohen himself has stated a few times that Leakes has more appearances on the show than any housewife in the franchise. Leakes has also had her own one-on-one specials on the show with Cohen.
Rumors about what led to Nene Leakes’ exit from ‘RHOA’
Ahead of the season 13 premiere, Leakes announced on her YouTube channel that she would not be returning. Leakes quit the show for one season but returned as a friend to the show before another promotion to full-time.
Leakes alleges she was phased out of the show over the last few seasons and offered minimal episodes. Insiders allege that production grew tired of Leakes’ alleged diva antics. Other co-stars allegedly found Leakes difficult to work with.
The OG housewife admits she’s upset over the ordeal and hopes to “have a conversation” with the network and come to a resolution.
