Nene Leakes Sees Her Exotic Dancing Past As Empowering’I Worked This Body Like a Well-Oiled Machine’ – Showbiz Cheat Sheet

Nene Leakeswas an original cast member of the reality television seriesThe Real Housewives of Atlanta.For 10 seasons, from 2008 to 2015 and again from 2017 to 2020, she captivated viewers with her larger-than-life persona.

As thehighest-paidRHOAhousewifeon Bravo, with a net worth of $14 million, its hard to imagine Nene Leakes came from humble beginnings. She was never ashamed to let viewers know about her past as an exotic dancer. Heck, she even used it to her advantage when she appeared onDancing With the Starsin 2014.

Peoplereported Nene Leakes first revealed her job as a stripper in her provocative memoir,Never Make the Same Mistake Twice.Unafraid of judgment from others, theGleealum candidly explained, saying, Yes, I was a stripper, a woman who took her clothes off and danced for dollars.

At 23, the reality star was a struggling single mother attempting to attend college and make ends meet. Leakes wrote that her oldest son, Bryson, was going to private school, and his father was not contributing any money to the household. I had no job and no money coming in, the rent was past due, and the super told me and my roommate that our condo owner was about to put us out, Leakes explained. I did what I had to do.

Without any dancing experience, themother of twoanswered an ad in a local newspaper and started dancing at the most glamorous upscale gentlemens club in Georgia. Using the stage name Silk, Leakes admitted that she became comfortable on stage, saying, I felt powerful in front of those men.

Several decades later, the reality star refers to the experience as the ultimate power trip, saying, I worked this body like a well-oiled machine, and every moment got me closer to my goal of financial independence for me and my child.

The Bravo channels fan-favorite housewife mether late husband, Gregg Leakes, in 1996 at an Atlanta strip club where she was dancing.

He was a wealthy real estate investor and instantly smitten with his future wife. On a 2018 episode ofRHOA,the formerCelebrity Apprenticecast member recalled exchanging telephone numbers with the Georgia-based entrepreneur. He left her a voicemail saying, Give Big Daddy a call.

Leakes remembers thinking,Oh, hell, no!He persisted, saying, Ima marry you one day. She said, Uh uh uh!

Six months later, the couple did get married, sharing a loving on-again-off-again romance that spanned more than 20 years. They share a son, Brentt, who is now 23 years old.

In 2021, Leakes died after a lengthy battle with stage III colon cancer. He was 66 andworth $4 million at the time of his death.

Nene Leakes is not the only celebrity who once performed as a stripper.Insiderreported that Grammy award-winning artistEve was once a stripper. She does not regret the experience. I was confused, going through personal problems. I did it for about a month, and I was glad I did it, she said. The Let Me Blow Ya Mind singer admitted, It helped me find Eve, helped me get serious.

Cosmopolitanreported that A-list celebrities such as Lady Gaga, Chris Pratt, Channing Tatum, and even Brad Pitt had short stunts as strippers before making it big in Hollywood. The Poker Face singer said she made more money stripping than working as a waitress. But says she didnt show too much or do anything super seedy.

In an interview with theTelegraph, controversial rapperAzealia Banksadmitted that she once danced in a strip club. She called it, super-athletic and sexy as hell. The performer said, I still go to strip clubs, and I follow a lot of strippers on Instagram. Banks continued. I like the nightlife, the drinking, the partying, the attitudes, the clothes its cool.

RELATED:RHOA: NeNe Leakes Admits That She Considered an Open Marriage and Says Shes Allowed to Flirt With Other Men

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Nene Leakes Sees Her Exotic Dancing Past As Empowering'I Worked This Body Like a Well-Oiled Machine' - Showbiz Cheat Sheet