Andreas Branch/Variety/REX/ShutterstockNeNe Leakes revealed her husband, Gregg Leakes, has stage three colon cancer on Sunday's season 11 premiere of The Real Housewives of Atlanta.
While the couple went public with his cancer battle this summer, they'd kept his exact diagnosis under wraps.
During this weekend's show, NeNe revealed her husband experienced heart issues last year; however, the two got the problem "fixed" and thought their worries were behind them. Then, on Cinco de Mayo, Gregg started experiencing "excruciating pain" and was hospitalized. That's when the two received the news.
"We just weren't prepared to hear that," NeNe said.
Gregg also opened up about his health issues during the show.
"They cut my colon out, [and] my heart got bigger," he recalled to his wife, adding that the doctors had removed "most of it."
"I don't need it," he later added. "It's gone. It was infected."
In addition, NeNe got candid about needing to stay strong for her spouse.
"It's a very hard role to take care of someone," she admitted. "I feel like, if I crumble, then Gregg and Brentt—it's going to be over. I just feel like I have to be the strong voice."
She then added, "I put on a brave face, but I have my moments in my bedroom, usually alone. I've had many moments in my car. If my car could talk it'd be like, ‘This bitch cries too much.'"
Still, NeNe said she's relied on her faith to help her get through this difficult time. At one point, the Bravo hit showed the couple meeting with a few members of their prayer group and recounting his hospital visit.
"I guess the scariest part about all of this is when we got to the hospital and the doctor saying that, 'We need to do surgery on you tonight or you ain't going to make it,'" Gregg recalled. "I went over and prayed to God and I told Him, 'If it's time, let's go.' I don't fear death, I don't want to go. If my work is finished here, take care of them, let's go.'"
Tearing up, he then revealed he wrote a note that he asked his doctor to give to NeNe if he didn't survive.
"Writing that note was the hardest thing I ever did in my life," he said. "But, you never know what's in you until you're at that door. I never thought I had it in me—to fight cancer. Now, I'm going to beat cancer's ass."
Watch the video to see the emotional episode.
(E! and Bravo are both part of NBCUniversal).