NeNe Leakes Addresses Heckling Incident: 'I Actually Had a Real Breakdown'
NeNe Leakes is speaking out about the heckling incident that got her fired from The Great Xscape tour.
After thanking her fans and followers for supporting her amid during an Instagram Live on Thursday, the Real Housewives of Atlanta star, 49, addressed the Oct. 7 incident when she told a heckler at an Oakland, California, stand-up show that she hoped she got raped by her Uber driver on the way home.
“A lot of people know me as NeNe who’s laughing and talking, a lot of don’t know me as NeNe who would break down. I actually had a real breakdown,” Leakes said on Instagram about her reactions following the incident.
“Trust and believe, I’m so okay, I’m in a great place today. I can’t say I haven’t been in a great place these last few days. I’m so okay with everything, I just haven’t talked a lot or spoken out a lot,” the mother of two said.
Leakes was slated to host a November concert featuring girl group Xscape (including her RHOA costar Kandi Burruss). However, the band announced Thursday that they were “dismayed” by the remark Leakes made.
While Leakes apologized in a statement Monday afternoon on Facebook, on Thursday she seemed to change her tune a bit.
“Yesterday I got a little bit emotional. I have never said anything that the heckler said to me. All the girls on the tour with me know what happened,” she said on Instagram.
“I plan on not letting anyone take my joy. I created my own show because I wanted to get out and express some of the things that I have inside of me,” the Fashion Police panelist added.
Concluding, “I don’t consider myself a comedian, I always say that. I’ve said that since the day I first started. I just consider myself a s–t talker, a funny lady. I never imagined ever, ever, ever stepping on stage and somebody screaming out ‘Go kill yourself’ to me. It literally took me somewhere else, I apologize. I’ve let that go.”
In their statement, Xscape said: “Like many, we were dismayed by the recent remarks made by our talented colleague and friend Nene Leakes. As a result, we have decided to no longer proceed with her participation on our tour. It was an unfortunate incident for which Nene has since apologized and we wish her the best as she navigates this very difficult period.”
They continued, “As strong supporters of all women, we know this decision is what is best. Our hearts go out to all female victims and we stand with you! This tour is for and about our fans and we want to provide an entertaining and enjoyable experience for every single person who attends. As always, we are grateful for the love and support and we look forward to seeing all of you at ‘The Great Xscape’ tour.”
