Real Housewives of Atlanta

Since NeNe Leakes and her husband, Gregg, split up last year, there has been plenty of speculation over who she’s currently dating. Rumors swirled that NeNe and Charles Grant were an item, but could NeNe have really found her match in Famous Famiglia co-founder, John Kolaj?

We watched as John and NeNe went on a newsworthy first date, but it turns out that there is a lot more to Mr. Kolaj than meets the eye. Wetpaint Entertainment spoke with him exclusively, and he dished about all of the lavish gifts he’s given NeNe, and what an amazing woman she really is.

As we guessed, John takes full credit for a bevvy of extravagant gifts NeNe’s recently tweeted about. “Absolutely, I gave her that ring! It's 8 carats. I gave her a set of diamond earrings, too.”

But that’s not all! John also revealed that he’s gifted NeNe with multiple pairs of those coveted, red-soled, Louboutins. “I got her a few pairs," he said.

Like a true gentleman, John only had wonderful things to say about Miss NeNe Leakes. “Nene Leakes is a smart, amazing woman who is a dear friend of mine, and I hope she's in my life for a very, very long time.”

However, when asked directly if he and NeNe were a couple, Kolaj remained tight-lipped, offering “no comment.”

When we asked him about life before NeNe, John stressed the fact that while he is currently a successful businessman, he and his family have worked very hard to earn what they have today. John’s father died when he was two, and his mother moved all six children from Italy to the south Bronx in 1972, where they lived “in the projects."

From an early age, John understood the importance of earning money to support his family. “I got my first pizza job at 9 years old. I had made enough for my mother to retire by the time I was 11. At 18, I opened the first Famiglia Pizza store on Amsterdam Ave in NYC."

He continues, "Now, I have 142 stores all over the world, from Hong Kong to Hawaii.”

Ever humble, John says his success is due at least in part to his having “been blessed by Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior."

While John has already gotten off to a memorable start on Real Housewives of Atlanta, viewers can look forward to seeing more of him in the future. “I think I'm in three or four more episodes. I'm not getting paid, and I'm not interested in the fame. I just feel lucky and blessed to be spending time with NeNe."

Hey NeNe, this one sounds like a keeper!