'RHOA' Season 9 Casting And Filming Secrets Exposed — NeNe Leakes’ Rumored Salary Battle, Cynthia Bailey’s Divorce Drama And More Shocking Updates!
June 16 2016, Updated 12:08 p.m. ET
The Real Housewives of Atlanta - Season 8
As we begin the countdown to The Real Housewives of Atlanta’s ninth season, shocking new details are being revealed about the hit reality TV show’s return and which ladies may be returning to claim their peaches for yet another season!
One of the biggest reports about the season came when a source told RadarOnline.com that NeNe Leakes was working on a deal with Bravo to return to the show full-time.
Leakes made a brief return to RHOA during the show’s eighth season after announcing her shocking exit from the series shortly after RHOA’s seventh season. But according to the insider, Leakes’ impact on the show’s ratings during the Season 8 episodes she was featured on has producers eager to have her back full-time!
“NeNe has a lot of production deals in the works,” the source said. “And that is what she wants to do, more than just be a housewife but she knows where her money comes from and it comes from Bravo.”
The source added that Leakes is an asset to RHOA and is a vital part of the show’s brand! “NeNe is not dumb. She does exactly what needs to be done on RHOA,” the source said. “She is not afraid to fight with anyone and her take on every story is what the fans want. No one cares about the random ladies on the show. NeNe is the one they tune in to watch. So she will be back, earning the big bucks and laughing all the way to the bank.”
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Cynthia Bailey’s return for RHOA’s Season 9 has also been teased amid her divorce battle with her estranged husband, Peter Thomas! Thomas took to his Instagram page after the couple revealed that they had indeed separated after months of speculation about the status of their marriage, hinting that he was preparing to begin filming for Season 9.
The post came after Thomas appeared to take a slight dig at Bailey in a separate Instagram post — even though he denied dissing his ex in any way! But with Thomas claiming that he was coming back for Season 9, many fans speculated that Bailey would also be making a return to the show, with her divorce drama expected to dominate her storyline for the new season!
As far as the filming schedule for the new season, rumors broke in May that filming would begin sometime in June. And Kandi Burruss revealed to OKMagazine.com in June that she was planning to start filming in mid-June. “They kind of keep us in the dark before we start taping. They like to surprise us with things,” she said.
She added that the RHOA team is already looking for some new additions to possibly add to the RHOA cast! “Nobody is definite that we know of,” Burruss said. “We haven’t been told of anybody. But we just know that they’ve been talking to somebody. So I’m looking forward to what the new season is going to bring. I’m sure it’s going to be a lot of new friendships."
But what is definite is that fans are still pushing for RHOA vet Shereé Whitfield to reclaim her role as a full-time housewife after her comeback during Season 8 as a part-time cast member! Whitfield has remained mum on her status on the show since Season 8 wrapped. But her RHOA followers are still voicing their hopes on social media that she will be holding a peach once the hit show returns in the fall! What do you think about the drama surrounding The Real Housewives of Atlanta’s Season 9? Tweet us @OKMagazine or let us know in the comments section.