NeNe Leakes Reflects on Life Without Her Husband Gregg: ‘I Was Lucky and Blessed’

Three years after losing her husband, Gregg Leakes, to colon cancer, NeNe Leakes still feels the weight of his absence daily.

The “Real Housewives of Atlanta” alum spoke candidly about her late husband during an Instagram Live session captured by Livebitez. She told viewers, “You guys have no idea, like I miss Gregg so much,” while responding to a fan who wrote, “I know you miss Gregg.”

Reflecting on her marriage, NeNe shared, “There’s this old saying that, ‘You never miss a good thing till it’s gone,’ like that s—t is for real.” She continued, “Like, I didn’t even half the time realize how valuable Gregg was to my life or to us until he was gone.”

NeNe also admitted she’s still adjusting to his absence, sharing, “There are so many times when I want to be like, ‘Oh, Gregg would like that,’ you know. Then I have to remind myself that Gregg is not here.”

The actress praised her late husband, telling viewers Gregg “was great.” She added, “He did so much to propel my career and to support me.”

NeNe noted, “It’s hard for anybody to walk in his shoes. Gregg is like that guy—really. I was lucky and blessed by God to have such a great husband for so many years.”

Gregg lost his battle with stage 3 colon cancer in 2021. The couple first tied the knot in 1997, divorced in 2011, and remarried two years later.

In the past, NeNe has discussed the idea of remarrying, stating she’d put a no-strings-attached agreement in place solely to be supportive during “hard times or medical times.” She was previously linked to African entrepreneur Nyonisela Sioh, but in a July 2023 interview with Atlanta producer Carlos King, she shared that the two were taking a break.