The husband of former The Real Housewives of Atlanta (RHOA) star Nene Leakes is “transitioning to the other side,” she said to patrons at an Atlanta lounge Saturday night.
Gregg Leakes, 67, was diagnosed with stage three colon cancer back in 2018. He was in remission until a couple of months ago when Nene announced that her husband’s cancer had returned.
During the 11th season of RHOA, viewers saw the difficulties the couple endured as they dealt with Gregg’s cancer and tried to maintain a healthy marriage.
“I hope you guys are enjoying the lounge tonight,” said Nene before she opened up to the audience about her husband’s condition. “Please, I’m asking everybody in this lounge, I had no idea that I was going to walk in here and grab this microphone and make this announcement but I want to say this… I want to be at peace. When you see me and you see my son, give us a lot of love, okay? My husband is transitioning to the other side… You don’t know what we’re dealing with right now.”
The two have been married for 24 years and have two sons together.
The sad news about Gregg comes months after Nene opened up to the Jasmine Brand in an Instagram live chat about his cancer returning.
“He’s been in the hospital, tomorrow it’ll be a week,” she said in the interview back in late June. “I’m sure he’ll be home in about a week or so. He had to have a surgery, [because] his cancer did return.”
Portions of Gregg’s journey to remission were documented on RHOA. The couple’s emotional journey was filled with tears, arguments and general concern about to how to mend their relationship while both individuals were under insurmountable stress.
At one point, Nene suggested that the couple get another divorce in the midst of Gregg’s treatment to subdue the tensions in the home. The couple already divorced back in 2011, before getting remarried in 2013.
“This is our business so when people approach us and say, ‘you’re rude,’ because you don’t want to say ‘happy birthday,’ my husband is at home dying,” Leakes said to audience members who called her “rude” for not acknowledging a birthday in the crowd.
Colon or colorectal cancer disproportionately affects African Americans who are 20% more likely to get cancer and 40% more likely to die from it.
The death of Blank Panther actor Chadwick Boseman in 2020, who was quietly battling cancer for four years, shed a light on the importance of African Americans, and particularly Black men, getting screened for the deadly disease.
“So, please give us some respect. Give us some love, okay,” Leakes continued to say to the crowd. “You see my son right here, he’s hurting, I’m hurting… We walked in here because we have to walk in here ‘cause we have this business but my husband is losing his life at this very moment.”
Leakes posted a photo of the word “broken” on her Instagram late Sunday afternoon. There have been no other updates on Gregg’s current condition.
Have you subscribed to theGrio’s “Dear Culture” podcast? Download our newest episodes now!
TheGrio is now on Apple TV, Amazon Fire and Roku. Download theGrio.com today!
Credit: Source link
