Not always peachy. Bravo fans have gotten an inside look at NeNe Leakes‘ marriage to husband Gregg Leakes over the years — even as their relationship went through the wringer.
The pair originally tied the knot in 1997 and went on to welcome their son, Brentt, two years later. When NeNe joined the cast of The Real Housewives of Atlanta in 2008, the couple’s life at home became a central story line. By 2010, they’d called it quits, with Gregg claiming at the time that “fame got to [NeNe’s] head.”
Their divorce was made final in September 2011, one year after the Glee alum filed to end her marriage. However, they got engaged again less than two years later.
“Well … a little after midnight, I was asked this beautiful question: ‘Will you marry me — again?'” NeNe gushed during a January 2013 appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
Five months later, the off-on couple exchanged vows for a second time in Atlanta. Their ceremony aired on Bravo as part of a seven-episode special, I Dream of NeNe: The Wedding.
In 2018, as the pair continued to work on their marriage, the First Wives Club alum spoke candidly about what prompted her split from Gregg during an episode of TV One’s Uncensored series.
“I have been with Gregg since 1996 so it’s been about 20 years or so,” she explained. “Gregg and I went through a bumpy road, I would say, for about two years. I was very young when I started dating Gregg and he had been married before. I had never been married before and he had children from his previous marriage and I had one child. So we got engaged really quick, like, six months in, and we were married, like, a year later.”
NeNe and her husband became “super tight” and “good friends,” which is why their separation came as a shock to those within their inner circles.
“I think a lot of people were surprised when I filed for divorce,” NeNe continued. “I filed for divorce because I always felt like you have to teach people how to treat you and I felt like at that time that Gregg wasn’t treating me the way I felt I should be treated. It was me teaching Gregg a lesson, and I think he got it.”
Things took a turn for the couple once more in the summer of 2018 when Gregg was diagnosed with stage III colon cancer. After sticking by her man’s side, NeNe told Us Weekly exclusively in May 2019 that their relationship was “in a great place.”
“Gregg, he’s a supporter. He’s always supported my career, and it just was hard for him to support [when he was sick],” she said at the time. “I’m used to him being there, and the fact that he wasn’t there really hurt us because I was just like, ‘I don’t have him to go to for advice. I don’t have him to do anything because he’s sick in bed.’ And it was really tough on us.”
Gregg was in remission for two years before his illness came back in June 2021.
Scroll down for a closer look at the reality star’s unconventional romance through the years:
NeNe was working as a dancer in an Atlanta club when she met Gregg, who was instantly smitten. "You and me exchanged numbers and he left me a voicemail and he was like, 'Give Big Daddy a call,'" she recalled during a 2018 episode of RHOA. "And I was like, 'Oh, hell, no!' He said, 'I'ma marry you one day.' I said, 'Uh uh uh!'"
Courtesy of NeNe Leakes/Instagram
They tied the knot within a year. Footage from their original ceremony aired on Bravo in 2013, with Gregg gushing, "I am the most happy man in the world — happiest, rather — to have a beautiful wife like NeNe. I love her with all my heart. I look forward to making her happy the rest of my life."
Courtesy of NeNe Leakes/Instagram
The pair welcomed their son, Brentt, in February 1999. NeNe is also the mother of son Bryson Bryant from a previous relationship, while Gregg has five other kids: Denton, Daryl, Damian, Dexter and Katrina.
Courtesy of NeNe Leakes/Instagram
When the first season of RHOA hit Bravo, NeNe quickly became a fan favorite. However, the series put the couple's home life under a microscope, with viewers witnessing plenty of tension between them throughout the early seasons.
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NeNe filed for divorce from Gregg in April 2010 after 14 years together. "It was me teaching Gregg a lesson, and I think he got it," the reality star explained of her split during a 2018 episode of TV One's Uncensored.
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The duo's divorce was made final in September 2011, shortly after production wrapped on season 4 of RHOA.
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Less than six months after their engagement, the twosome said "I do" once again in Atlanta. The nuptials were filmed for a Bravo special titled I Dream of NeNe: The Wedding, which aired in September 2013.
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After seven years on the Bravo hit, NeNe announced she wouldn't be returning for season 8. Not only had her contract ended, but Gregg also encouraged her to seek new opportunities, she told People at the time.
NeNe continued to make several guest appearances on RHOA before coming back as a full-time star ahead of season 10. She officially exited in September 2020.
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The pair revealed via social media in June 2018 that Gregg was diagnosed with stage III colon cancer. "I've had a lot of people to surround me here and really show a lot of love, so that has really helped me a lot," NeNe told Us exclusively one year into her husband's health battle.
Courtesy of Gregg Leakes/Instagram
"We are over joyed to say, we saw the doctors for the results of Gregg's Pet Scan he took last week!" NeNe revealed in May 2019 alongside a photo of her husband holding up a sign that read, "No cancer found! Praise God..."
Courtesy of NeNe Leakes/Instagram
While speaking to patrons at her Linnethia Lounge in Duluth, Georgia, in August 2021, the Dancing With the Stars alum revealed Gregg's health had taken a rough turn. "My husband is transitioning to the other side," she said, two months after announcing Gregg's cancer had returned. "You don't know what we’re dealing with right now. ... My husband is dying."
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