NeNe Leakes is honoring her late husband, Gregg Leakes, by remembering their last moments together. On Sunday, the Real Housewives of Atlanta star shared a video dedicated to Gregg on her YouTube page titled, “I’m lost without you.”
“My life was turned upside down after losing my husband Gregg, now I’m forced to navigate life alone after sharing it with my partner of 27 years,” the video’s description reads. “I have taken time to reflect and now look forward to new beginnings. I’m hopeful for what life will bring and welcome you to witness my journey.”
The video features photos and videos of Gregg, who died in 2021 at the age of 66 following his battle with colon cancer, with a voiceover from NeNe describing the couple’s final night and the celebration of life that followed Gregg’s death.
“The morning of Sept. 1, 2021, my whole life changed,” NeNe begins her narration before she launches into her recollection of the night before and the morning of Gregg’s passing.
“That morning I came downstairs, Gregg looked totally different than the way he had previously looked and I got really upset,” the reality star recalls. “I was like, ‘Oh my God, what happened to Gregg? What have you guys done to him?’ I was pulling and fighting and kind of like, just trying to take his shirt off and he was just totally different. He had not ever been this way… Yes, I knew he was passing but I just thought somebody had done something to Gregg.”
NeNe shares that the house she called home with Gregg was filled with people during his last few weeks, explaining that all of their children and Gregg’s family “never left his side.” Gregg has six children — Daryl, Damian, Dexter, Denton, Katrina as well as his and NeNe’s son, Brentt. He was also a stepdad to NeNe’s son, Bryson, whom she had from a previous relationship.
“We were with him for the last couple of weeks around the clock, never leaving him,” she says, sharing how Gregg would have visits from various friends and family for several minutes at a time when not watching western specials, which were his favorite.
“That morning, once they announced that Gregg had passed, all of us kind of gathered in the foyer area of the house and kind of held hands and prayed,” NeNe recalls.
The former Bravo star explains that her late husband never wanted a funeral and “never wanted to be buried in the ground,” preferring cremation. To celebrate his life, the family organized a repast at NeNe’s Linnethia Lounge in Atlanta, Georgia. A number of former Real Housewives of Atlanta castmates came together to pay their respects, including Lisa Wu, Kenya Moore, Phaedra Parks, Marlo Hampton, Porsha Williams and Eva Marcille.
The event also included a number of powerful musical performances from Keke Wyatt and famed gospel performers Yolanda Adams, Kim Burrell and Le’Andria Johnson.
As NeNe reminisces about the bittersweet night, photos and videos from the star-studded event are featured in the video. “It was such a moving time, everybody was there,” NeNe’s voiceover shares. “I felt like I was, I don’t know, on a cloud. I was floating, I couldn’t believe this was happening. I was in shock that I was sitting front row and and my husband’s pictures were hanging all around. It was unbelievable to me.”
The star’s voice begins to break as her narration nears an end. “Gregg, we miss you so much. I love you so much. You said to me before you passed, ‘It’s going to be hard, baby. It is going to be hard but you can do this.’ And I want you to know that it is hard, it is so hard, but I am doing it. I am doing it and it is hard,” she says tearfully. “You told me, ‘You will find another love one day.’ I don’t want to find another love. Oh my God, it’s not that way. I love you Gregg, I love you. I miss you.'”
Gregg first married the reality star in 1997 but she filed for divorce from him in 2010. However, they reunited and remarried in 2013.
NeNe first revealed in June 2018 that Gregg had been diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer but as of May 2019, he was cancer-free. However, in June, NeNe said his cancer had returned.
One month later, she gave fans an update on her husband’s health and shared that he was released from the hospital after he underwent surgery and was hospitalized for six weeks.
Last month, ET spoke with NeNe at The Bomb Fashion Show by The Fashion Bomb Daily in New York City, where she got candid about her personal life and recent dating efforts.
“I’m open to dating,” said the reality star, who hosted the events. “[I’m looking for] someone’s that definitely emotionally available…. [they’re] going to need to be emotionally available. Someone that is loving. That loves to travel the world, you know? Somebody that really treats me good.”
“Listen when you get to a certain age, you cannot be picky. You start dating who wants to date you,” she added with a laugh. “So whoever likes me, I like you back, honey.”
However, NeNe explained that, no matter the romance she finds, “I always tell people that I experienced the ultimate love” with her former husband.
“So I don’t believe that that kind of love happens more than maybe once in a lifetime,” she shared. “But I am excited about meeting a new partner.”
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