'Real Housewives' Star NeNe Leakes is 'Open' to the Idea of Marriage Again After Losing Her Husband, Gregg Leakes, to Colon Cancer Last Year; How to Cope With Losing a Spouse

"Despite losing Gregg last year, she is really happy and in a great place as she begins starting this next chapter of her life," the insider tells People.

It was reported that Gregg gave NeNe his "blessing" to date other people before he died from colon cancer over the summer at age 66.

"I will love Gregg forever & ever! Grieving is hard! Even harder & depressing alone," NeNe Leakes tells The Shade Room. "Gregg and I had a very tearful conversation before his passing. His words to me were, 'Be happy, keep smiling and he who finds you, has found a good one.'"

Gregg Leakes' Cancer Battle

Gregg was first diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer in 2018; he was hospitalized for close to three weeks.

NeNe Leakes shared the news of his hospitalization on Instagram and later revealed it was cancer when she posted a photo of her husband at the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas.

When Colon Cancer Comes Back: Understanding the Options

Soon after, things seemed to be going well for Gregg, who, thanks to an aggressive treatment plan, was able to appear alongside his wife on The Wendy Williams Show in September 2019; it was on the show that he announced he was cancer-free.

His condition took a turn, however, and in June of last year, NeNe shared the news that Gregg had been diagnosed with the disease for a second time.

He ultimately passed on Sept. 1, 2021, after a hard-fought battle with the disease.

NeNe Leakes Finds Romance After Losing Spouse to Cancer; How to Cope

The grieving and recovery process after losing a loved one to cancer, especially a partner, is definitely not a "one-and-done" process, many members of the SurvivorNet community have told us.

In contrast to NeNe Leakes, one widower even told us that the idea of "moving on" is not realistic, or even desired.

"I don't even think I want to move on," Doug Wendt, who lost his wife of 25 years to ovarian cancer, tells SurvivorNet during a previous interview. "But I do want to move forward, and that's an important distinction. I encourage anyone who goes through this journey as a caregiver who then has to face loss to think very carefully about how to move forward."

'I Don't Want to Move On; I Do Want To Move Forward': Doug Wendt On Being a Caregiver and Tragically Losing His Wife to Ovarian Cancer

The point is that moving on and dealing with grief is different for everyone; how NeNe Leakes is dealing with the grief of losing Gregg is different than Doug's, and that is OK.

The support system NeNe has around has made it easier for her to carry on.

"She's been leaning heavily on her girlfriends these last few months and when she's not with Nyonisela, she's with them whether it's in Atlanta or other places," the inside source tells People. "She really hasn't been alone much."

Having a solid support system when going through this kind of loss is vitally important, and the fact that Gregg gave her his blessing to date other people before his death allowed NeNe Leakes some closure and to move on in her relationship with Sioh.

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