Tamara Tattles has all the EXCLUSIVE RHOA Season 12 Contracts tea. If you missed the most recent post that was essentially a primer on how Bravo contracts work, please read here first.
If you are up to date on the Tamara Tattles exclusively sourced contract information, when we last spoke, Nene Leakes, Kandi Burruss, Eva Marcille and Porsha Williams all received pick-up letters and have signed on for another season. Shamari Devoe will no longer be on the show and was not picked up.
That left us waiting for Cynthia Bailey to negotiate her new contract. As it turns out that didn’t happen. Cynthia received a new contract with a much lower pay rate. There were no negotiations. She accepted it and has, as she prematurely posted, secure her peach. I say prematurely simply because at the time she was posting she had not yet officially signed the contract. So it seemed a bit premature and unwise to discuss a contract on social media that had not been finalized with signatures.
FILMING BEGINS FOR RHOA SEASON 12 NEXT MONTH!
The reason things are suddenly picking up speed is because filming begins for RHOA next month! It should begin the week of May 20th and ends around the last week in September. Tamara Tattles was not informed for the reason for the earlier filming schedule.
Also, the RHOA showrunner bailed right after Nene Leakes a was picked up (Blind Item Reveal) and there has been no replacement hired yet. Good luck with that Bravo Suit who insists on foisting Nene Leakes on us for another season. Also, as you can imagine, there are production people that don’t want to work around Nene. I predict a delay in filming but that is just me not sourced information.
Pass The Peach Will Be Escalated
That leaves us with one possible peach remaining. Tanya Sam will be returning to RHOA either as a friend or as a peach holder. My source still feels that she will most likely be the one to claim the final peach.
There are many rumors online about Kenya Moore or Phaedra Parks being in negotiations for a peach. In fact they were circulating long before that was even a possibility. Bravo doesn’t ever enter negotiations with new or returning cast members until all of the current housewives contracts are in place. So these rumors seem to have been started by…wait for it… Kenya and Phaedra.
Tamara Tattles exclusive sources indicate that some form of minor contract is expected for Yovanna Logan. She will have a day rate and they will see how things go once filming begins. She could be bumped up to friend depending on how things pan out. The suits seem to like her “Spice!”
Bravo Is NOT NEGOTIATING Contracts For Season 12
So perhaps you are wondering why Cynthia Bailey took her contract without negotiations. That is because Bravo has decided not to negotiate this season. This is mostly because they won’t drop Nene and she is eating a shit ton of the overall budget. Tamara Tattles has been told that Kenya Moore will be offered a contract with the same sort of “take it or leave it” wording they sent to Cynthia Bailey. The contract will essentially put Tanya and Kenya in the running for the open peach. If Kenya takes the contract, they will decide after filming begins who gets the peach.
The New Non-Compete Clause Is A Problem…Kind of
Tamara Tattles exclusive source only mentions Phaedra Parks when asked about her directly. Phaedra doesn’t seem as likely to return. Bravo seems to be waiting for Apollo’s release to seriously consider a return for her. The other issue for Phaedra and possibly for Kenya Moore as well has to do with a change in the non-compete clause in RHOA contracts. It used to be the non-compete was for one year after the talent left employment.
Now, it seems that Bravo is planning to enforce a non-compete for the remainder of the length of the contract options plus a year after that. This seems insane to me and could me that they make an offer with a five year option for renewal Then, if you work for one year you could still have six years of non-compete. I’m not even sure that is enforceable. As always, I am simply passing along information. I can’t believe anyone with any traction in the industry would sign that. I feel like I am not getting the full information here, or maybe I just didn’t understand it. The bottom line was the changes to the non-compete are not good for the talent.
They hardly ever enforce that clause, but if they choose to enforce it on anyone, it will be Kenya. Because trying to produce your own scenes is a much bigger issue than say DRAGGING SOMEONE BY THEIR HAIR ACROSS A STAGE or BEATING SOMEONE UP IN AN ALLEY or ACCUSING SOMEONE OF INTENT TO RAPE, OR BEING HIGH ON COKE DURING FILMING… just to name a few. None of those things make you difficult to work with.
So Nothing Has Really Changed
So this was a lot of words to basically say that nothing has changed. Everyone except for Shamari is coming back. Tanya Sam is the most likely to have the open peach slot. Kenya Moore is going to be offered an opportunity to film that she probably will not like or accept. Phaedra Parks is a longshot to be on at all and at this point has not been offered anything. We shall see who shows up to film next month. And I will keep you updated if Kenya or Phaedra accept a contract. Other than that, things are ready to roll for RHOA Season 12 in about four or five weeks.
Thanks for spilling the hot tea again, TT! I had a feeling Phaedra was full of hot air (again), and I’ll wait and see whether Kenya can get more than a guest spot or recurring “friend” role. Tanya really impressed me this past season, so for the time being I’ll consider her the frontrunner for the final peach.
Btw, I hope I don’t sound too ridiculous. I’m up to my eyeballs in my work, and it seems to be clouding my judgment throughout my life at this point.
Thanks for the info-I don’t believe anything unless I’ve read it here-I learned that from experience. I would love to see Kenya from time to time, does she still have her home in Atlanta?
Yes! She and Marc have homes in ATL and Brooklyn. That baby already has tons of frequent flyer miles.
My attorney told me non compete clauses are impossible to enforce because you cannot keep someone from earning a living.
They are a stupid, useless scare tactic.
That must be why they usually waive them when asked. USUALLY. It was very odd that they made the clause cover a longer period with scarier verbiage recently.
Basically means same as last season without Shamari ?
I really hope they can bring Kenya back so it would be a little bit different . Last season was so boring , well until Nene went crazy , and I don’t want to watch Nene.
I normally watch RHOA live or the next day but season 11 just sat in my DVR .
Hope a new showrunner can bring something new .
Thanks for all the show recaps
Shamari was a great addition but I wish her and Ronnie the best in future endeavors. I honestly don’t know how Yovanna wasn’t on the show as much last season, she is a spicy little thing and brings the drama. I could definitely see her and Eva getting into it more next season and hell she might just snatch that peach that Kenya and Tanya will be in the running for. I hope next season is spicy but not down in the gutter, dark drama. But I’m sure with Nene around that she’ll for sure make it miserable.
I liked Shamari too. She was fun. Eva, not so much.
I liked Shamari too! Tanya not so much. She came across too exaggerated and forced.
I liked Shamari too!
Thanks for the update Tanara.
I am betting Kenya will secure the final peach. Why? (1) There is a story line left hanging between Kenya, Cynthia and Nene that will definitely have viewers tuned in. (2) Marlo is still chomping at the bit to get back at Kenya for whatever reasons pops into her mind and she is a loyal soldier to Nene. (3) Kenya has a friendly relation ship with Kandi, Porsha and Cynthia. It could be just me, but I think the original bone carrier, Sheree, should be offer a cameo role on a few episode. But, I guess I will just wait and see.
I hope Tanya gets the peach – only because it would infuriate Nene. And what’s the status of Marlo?
Marlo is golden. She is paid more than a couple of the peach holders. 🙂
I HATE that!
Thank you for the good read and Tea. I’m Yovanna Logan (cause she that’s bitch) to have a minor role. I like her. I’m looking forward to season 12 and what it bring or lack up
I’ve been sick with a GI virus after a trip where I wasn’t really on the ‘net so feel VERY out of the loop.
I’m kinda stunned that they brought Nene back just for the attack on an employee AND her attitude towards Andy! (I know Andy doesn’t make the decisions, but it was a really bad look, as it was with Carole telling Andy he was full of shit)
Why would Kenya “reset” her year of non-compete and make it even longer when she should be able to shop around for another show now where she actually lives? (Isn’t she mainly in New York?)
I used to really like Nene, but this year, really changed my opinion. I was really hoping she’d get the axe after all of her ugly behavior this year, but I guess I’m not that lucky….
I must be missing something because I don’t understand why Nene is getting such a premium…when/if I watch…I don’t watch because of her…I watch in spite of her. It was painful watching her this season make Greg’s cancer diagnosis all about her and we’ve already watched them split up once…I’m not interested in another break up to make up season from them. At least Kenya has an adorable baby and cute husband.
So, I guess I’m understanding NeNe had a two year contract and if she wasn’t on the show she had to be paid anyway? Big mistake Bravo.
Nope. No one is contracted more than a year at a time. they have a contract with options for (usually) five years where they have already agreed on incremental pay raises. If they choose to bring them back they are sent a PICK UP LETTER which means Bravo is picking up their option to hire them for another year under the previously worked out salary.
OK, that makes is even more f**cked up. Lotsa luck with that bravo. I remember Andy and Bethanny talking about loving to hate someone, aka hate watching, and just flat out hating their miserable a**. This is definitely the later.
Nene and her bully drama has become old and boring. It is like trying to watch wrestling. Come on Andy, give us something better than Nene fighting and stratching people.
I wonder how much of a pay cut Cynthia took? What is she making for the upcoming season? 👀
I don’t know. YET. 🙂
I realize NeNe had a two year contract but I really hope she goes to rehab or somthing and doesn’t film. I have disliked this bitch since I first met her right after the first season. She was bitchy and arrogant then and nothing has changed. Seeing her the second time ignore an elderly woman in a wheelchair at a retail store was it for me. She is exactly like she came across this season and at the reunion. I hope everyone refuses to film with her. She and Marlo are both the worst!! I hope Tanya gets a peach, I really like her.
Again, she didn’t have a “two year contract” she was PICKED UP for another year. They could have just as easily opted not to pick her up.
I wished they had opted not to…she’s the worst and it’s so painful to watch her interaction, or lack thereof, with Greg WHO HAS CANCER and sadly, can’t do all the things for NeNe that he used to…Poor her….NOT
It sounds like you had some tea on Nene. That sucks that you both were treated so poorly. It does not surprise me at all that she is the same in real life. Poor Gregg having to deal with that STANK attitude. I just hope karma comes to Nene.
Is Marlo coming back?
YES! Sorry, I tend to forget about her. Marlo has a better FOH contract than Eva, Shamari and Tanya had. She makes a very decent salary and will probably be making more than Kenya (peach or no peach). This is because Kandi was going to produce a show on WeTV with Marlo. Bravo had first right of refusal and did not pick it up. WeTV did. Then Bravo offered them both raises to abandon the project and they did.
Would Kandi producing a show for another network be a conflict of interest?
Kandi has the best contract of ALL the housewives including Nene because she got in early and had smart attorneys.She can produce anything she wants according to her contract. Bravo has “first right of refusal” which means they can air it on Bravo if they choose but if they decline she can sell it to the highest bidder. That is what happened with the WeTV show. So there was a separate negotiation in which Kandi and Marlo (because she was talent on the new show) were given raises not to go through with the show on WeTv. Kandi Burruss and Bethenny Frankel have the two smartest contracts on Bravo.
Interesting!!! What’s Betheny’s contract like?
The best one in the business. I don’t think there is a single episode that doesn’t have her products mentioned. She’s a phenomenal business woman.
I think it’s despicable that Bravo chooses NeNe over its production employees. It’s not as if it’s a she said/she said situation. I need to pare down my TV time — this is where I choose to start. No more RHOA p, just the recaps. I am finishED.
Are you ready to move on to GOOD TV? You’ve missed Mexican Dynasties if you have not started yet. But it is not too late for Project Runway, or assuming your TV gets other channels than Bravo, you should totally start watching Killing Eve, but you need to binge the 8 episodes of season one first.
Watching ALL of those. I re-recorded all of Killing Eve Season 1 extended episodes so I can rewatch after reading your recaps. I was watched the first season but I had not discovered TT at the time. I am saving that for a binge Saturday. Also rewatched the first few episodes of GOT before the big premier. There is SO MUCH foreshadowing — even though I read the books years before the show, I missed some of the stuff I noticed later. Lots of my weird predictions from the first episode came true though… waiting to see if my Syrio Forel guess is right. Among others…
Hey Nanette can you shoot me an email at tamaratattles.com? and put GOT in the subject line? Thanks.
Yes! GOT is my absolute favorite show on TV and I would love to read about my favorite show on my favorite site!
Sorry was not feeling Yovanna, I would rather have Shamari in the friend position.
Agree!
Yes , Shamari was fun , Yovanna just snapped at people and had an angry face on , May be we haven’t really seen the real Yovanna yet but I’m not impressed .
Part of me wishes Nene would decide to share the wealth considering. Prior to Greg she had nothing really going on in her storyline in season 10. I loved her return at the end of season 8 she was normal and back to season 5. But now we are dealing with season 7 Nene to the 10th power.
Who was high on coke during filming? 🙊☕️
Well, Nene Leakes had a Pajama party from hell a few seasons ago. That was the first really obvious time…
Thanks, TT, for confirming the worst. Guess I will never again watch RHOA. Nene ruins it every episode. Used to think Phaedra was the most despicable housewife, Nene was always horrid, but Nene is just too disgusting and I don’t know how anyone can continue to watch her abuse of Gregg.
I will continue to read your highy amusing recaps.
ug, typos. highly
Me too. I love reading recaps and the gossip but quit watching when Nene came back. I know they’re encouraged to behave badly, but she’s just too much and being rewarded too well for it.
I hope Kenya does what LuAnne De Lesseps did in that she took the lesser contract for a season and worked her way back into the group.
Now that it’s confirmed that the suits had a chance to dump Nene and decided instead to reward her assault and battery on an employee with another highly paid season of work, I am officially out. I will replace this show with something else. Already watching Killing Eve. Love it.
Tamara, I LOVE LOVE LOVE your site!!! The only question I have though is where does Marlo fit into all of this?
Marlo doesn’t ever get a peach, but she makes more than some people with peaches. She is back for season 12
Does Marlo even want a peach?
Marlo is on every episode at a nice fat pay rate. I don’t think she cares. Holding a peach in the opening isn’t that big of a deal. And More time on the reunion couch doesn’t seem like a perk.