NeNe Leakes & Gregg Leakes: Divorced and Remarried
The Real Housewives star divorced her husband on camera, remarried him on camera, and loved him until his final breath.
Key Facts
What Happened
NeNe and Gregg Leakes married in 1997 and became one of the original couples featured on The Real Housewives of Atlanta when it premiered in 2008. Their marriage, like everything in their lives, played out under the unforgiving glare of reality television cameras. By 2011, NeNe filed for divorce, telling interviewers that Gregg was not treating her the way she deserved and describing the filing as 'teaching him a lesson.'
The divorce was finalized in 2011, but the separation was brief. NeNe later described going through a bumpy road for about two years before the couple reconnected. She acknowledged that she had been very young when they started dating, that they had gotten engaged after just six months, and that the rapid pace of their early relationship left unresolved issues that festered for years.
On June 22, 2013, NeNe and Gregg remarried at the InterContinental Buckhead Hotel in Atlanta. The wedding was filmed for the Bravo special I Dream of NeNe: The Wedding. The second marriage proved far more durable than the first, built on a foundation of mutual understanding that only the experience of divorce could provide.
The couple remained married until Gregg's death from colon cancer on September 1, 2021. NeNe shared that their final conversation was filled with love, and she has spoken about how the divorce, painful as it was, ultimately strengthened their bond. Their story is a powerful illustration of how some marriages need to break before they can be rebuilt stronger.
Legal Breakdown: Reality TV divorces and the pressure of living under cameras
Reality TV and Divorce Pressure
Living under reality television cameras adds unique pressure to marriages. The Leakes' marital disputes played out publicly, which can accelerate conflict and make reconciliation harder. Couples on reality shows face the added burden of having their most vulnerable moments become entertainment.
Divorce as a Wake-Up Call
NeNe explicitly described the divorce as teaching Gregg a lesson. While filing for divorce as a negotiating tactic is legally risky, the Leakes case demonstrates that sometimes the formal legal process serves as the crisis that forces both parties to address longstanding issues.
Remarriage and Legal Reset
When the Leakes remarried in 2013, they entered a new legal marriage with new terms. Any property acquired between the divorce and remarriage would be treated differently than property from the first marriage. Couples who remarry should consider a new prenuptial or postnuptial agreement.
What This Means for Your Divorce
- →Public pressure from reality TV can accelerate marital conflict; couples should establish boundaries about what is shared on camera.
- →Divorce can serve as a catalyst for genuine change, but filing as a tactic is legally and emotionally risky.
- →Couples who remarry each other should treat the new marriage as a fresh legal relationship with updated agreements.
- →Some marriages need to break before they can be rebuilt; the Leakes' story shows that reconciliation after divorce is possible with mutual commitment.
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This article is based on publicly available court records, news reports, and legal analysis. It is provided for educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. No attorney-client relationship is created by reading this content.
Divorce laws vary by jurisdiction. Always consult a licensed attorney in your area before making legal decisions.