Former "Real Housewives of Atlanta" star NeNe Leakes tore into the current cast, and said that despite production wanting to make Kandi Burruss the star, the camera doesn't lover her and she sees her as "a supporting star but not as the star."
NeNe Leakes did not hold back when it came to expressing her thoughts on the current cast of The Real Housewives of Atlanta, including her former castmate Kandi Burruss. Now, Burruss is having her say.
Leakes threw down the gauntlet during an appearance on the Reality with the King podcast where she said RHOA has a star problem right now — in that they don't have one!
NeNe Leakes Says She Should Be as Big as Kim Kardashian, Talks Wendy Williams, Andy Cohen Beef
View StoryWhile assuring host Carlos King that they have squashed their past beef, Leaks said she still isn't that impressed with Burruss on the show. "I think that Kandi is not exciting," she said. "I just don't think the camera loves her."
She said that even though she believes producers want to make Burruss the star, "I've never seen Kandi as a star; I've seen Kandi as a supporting star, but not as the star." In fact, she said the camera loves Burruss' family more than Burruss herself.
Burruss admitted to ET that she hasn't actually seen Leakes' interview, but she's certainly heard enough about it from "everybody else."
She challenged Leakes' assessment of her star quality, saying, "I am the longest-running Housewife of any franchise. So, you may not think that I'm good television, but somebody does."
Tamar Braxton Confirms Feud with Kandi Burruss, Hits Back at 'Victim' Claim
View Story"And then, on top of that, it's just crazy to me," the reality star continued. "I've been winning before she even thought about being a part of TV."
She also explained that her style on camera is different from a lot of other reality personalities because she is "very cool and happy at letting the people around me shine." She said that "some people feel like they're bigger than the group," but that's not her.
"They do not understand that it takes an ensemble to make the cast work or to make an interesting story," she continued.
She then went on to specifically talk about Leakes herself, noting, "She may be hot when she's with us, but how hot is she when she's not with us? And that's what I would have to say. I think NeNe is amazing. But it's like ... what are you doing other than talking about us?
What Kim Zolciak Said About Kroy Biermann Marriage on RHOA Just Months Before Split
View StoryAt the same time, she said she would welcome Leakes back in a heartbeat if she had the opportunity to bring back former RHOA faces. "I would add her back just simply because she has so much to say about us," she said.
Burruss wasn't advocating for a cast shakeup like Leakes, but does miss some of the franchise's more famous faces. "I definitely would add back Porsha [Williams]," she said.
"I miss my girl Cynthia Bailey, but we're still friends," she continued. "We still hang out all the time. And I'll always love a good Eva [Marcille]. Eva is good good TV, she's fun, you know what I mean?"
With 14 years under her belt as a cast member on RHOA, Burruss said she's not eying retirement just yet, but feels she'll know when it's the right time.
"Obviously, the conversation comes up quite often. But, whenever the time comes it'll just happen," she said. "I feel like sometimes, you know, that moment will just hit you."
For now fans can catch Burruss and the current cast of The Real Housewives of Atlanta every Sunday at 8pm ET on Bravo.