They say that in the hard times, you discover who your true friends are — and that sure appears to be the case with NeNe Leakes and Kim Zolciak-Biermann
They say that in the hard times, you discover who your true friends are — and that sure appears to be the case with NeNe Leakes and Kim Zolciak-Biermann.
Though the two reality stars have had a longtime rivalry, which most recently exploded in and all-out war on the tenth season of The Real Housewives of Atlanta, Leakes and Zolciak-Biermann seem to be on good terms again.
Leakes even thanked the mother of six on Wednesday for a care package sent her way.
“What can i say other than THANK YOU!,” Leakes, 50, wrote on Instagram in the caption to a photo of her haul, which included plushy bath robes, motivational books, and items from Zolciak-Biermann’s Kashmere Collection. “Thank you @kimzolciakbiermann for your thoughtful gift! Opening your box is like Christmas! Just all kinds of goodies 😂 😍.”
So what inspired Leakes and Zolciak-Biermann to bury the hatchet? It would appear that both stars came together early this month when Leakes announced that her husband, Gregg, has cancer.
While she did not say what type of cancer Gregg has, Leakes did share a heartfelt post about the encouragement and advice people have offered, calling out Zolciak-Biermann by name.
“We have been so overwhelmed with the outpouring of love, support, thoughtfulness and prayers,” Leakes wrote on Instagram on June 14. “Some of you have educated us on cleanses, diets and holistic health care. We wouldn’t know some of these things if it wasn’t for the reach we have been blessed to have. So far, Gregg is doing great! He feels good with the exception of not being able to eat a lot. The cancer was removed!”
“Thank you so much to the ladies I work with and have worked with in the past for sending gifts, love, and just good ole words for encouragement,” she added. “We hope you all know that this really means a lot.”
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Leakes and Zolciak-Biermann began their reality TV careers together as original cast members on RHOA when it premiered in 2008.
They were BFFs then, but by season’s end, their friendship had dissolved into a series of insults (who can forget Leakes’ “Close your legs to married men?” jab at the first reunion) and alleged physical altercations (Zolciak-Biermann accused Leakes of “trying to choke her out” in a parking lot).
It looked like they had repaired things when both ladies returned to RHOA for season 10. But their feuding turned serious when Leakes slamming Zolciak-Biermann for using her many health alinements as excuses — leading Zolciak-Biermann said Leakes was “sick and disgusting” for living in a “roach nest,” a term many Leakes felt was racist for its cultural implications of impoverished black women living in the projects.
In the wake of #RoachGate, as it was come to be known, Leakes called Zolciak-Biermann “racist” and claimed she and her daughter Brielle “don’t like black people.”
“Kim & her daughter oops whole family are racists! What her daughter did at my home… was racist, learned behavior etc,” Leakes, 50, alleged in a comment on Instagram, adding, “Kim is a calculating bio polar racist with a horrible mouth, who uses black folks for her come up.”
Zolciak-Biermann didn’t take Leakes’ claims lightly. As #RoachGate played out on social media, the “Tardy for the Party” singer obtained legal counsel against Leakes.
“She put #KKK on the Instagram post. I’ve hired legal counsel at this point. It’s just that bad,” Zolciak-Biermann told Larry King on Larry King Now in October. “It’s inappropriate. In this day and age, people are dying over racism. I’m on a show with all African-American women and I’m the only one that’s ever been on the show that’s Caucasian, so it’s the card that sometimes they play and it’s gross. And I won’t allow it.”
The Don’t Be Tardy star later revealed on RHOA that she received death threats after Leakes’ racist claims. “She wants to pull the race card. That’s the devil, bitch,” Zolciak-Biermann said. “There’s not a racist bone in my body. Not me, my husband, or my children see color. Never have.”
Zolciak-Biermann apologized, though as of the final time they came face-to-face at the RHOA reuion, Leakes hadn’t accepted.
Zolciak-Biermann, who is filming the new season of her spinoff show Don’t Be Tardy, has confirmed she won’t be returning to RHOA again.
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Meanwhile, Leakes, who first posted about Gregg’s 15-day hospitalization in May, is focused on her husband’s health. She has said that she’s going to continue posting about his treatments on social media.
“We want to be as public about this as possible to help the next person or family that might have to step into these shoes one day,” Leakes wrote. “Gregg wants to encourage all men to get regular physicals and labs! He was that guy that hated to see the doctor! (NO he doesn’t have prostate cancer) but listen, if anybody knows how to fight, it’s me and Gregg! Let’s do this cancer.”