RHOA NeNe Leakes addicted to stripping: NeNe E! News interview about abusive relationship, Stripping for $1,000/night, and being a role model for African American women

"Real Housewives of Atlanta" star NeNe Leakes is opening about her life before the Bravo reality show and discusses being an influential, domestic violence, and loving being a stripper in an interview with E! News host Giuliana Rancic.

The reality star sat down for a one-hour interview and explained how being a reality star has effected her and her children.

Leakes admitted, "The hardest part about me doing this show and having my life put out there is my child. My oldest son was going into 12thgrade and he could no longer be like the typical teenager."

Although, there were hard parts of being an overnight celebrity, she admitted that making a difference in people's lives made her happy, "I'm very proud that there's a ton of African American women who really look up to me and I'm very proud of that. I'm very proud to represent the strong black woman."

The outspoken reality star appeared on GLEE and even had a major role on the short-lived NBC show The New Normal explained tat she didn't have a glamorous life before meeting her husband Greg Leakes. The Atlanta celebrity opened up bout her stripper days and leaving her abusive boyfriend.

Leakes explained that the money she made from stripping was more than what she usually made and lured her back in for more, "I remember going home and having something like $1,000 and thinking 'I made $1,000 in one night.  Baby we are doing this tomorrow night.' Like it became an addiction."

In the interview, Leakes also admitted to staying in an abusive relationship up until she had enough and found the strength to leave, "He'd been calling and calling.  I would never answer the call, so he knocked on our door and came - just bust right on in," she said.