NeNe Leakes "Embarrassed" By Housewives Screaming Match With Kim Zolciak

USMagazine, Wednesday, January 19, 2011, 7:36am (PST)

She may not have minced words during Sunday's volatile tour bus blow-up with Kim Zolciak, but days later, Real Housewives' NeNe Leakes admits she's embarrassed by her actions.

"It's an embarrassing thing to see as a mother and as an adult," Leakes tells TVGuide.com. "I apologize to my viewers and fans, and to my children and family and friends who love and care about me. ...I apologize to them for them having to see me stoop to such a trashy level. When you fool with trash, it can get all over you."

VIDEO: NeNe sounds off on other wild Housewives moments

Leakes and the pregnant Zolciak got heated on the Real Housewives of Atlanta episode during a confrontation over the way Zolciak treated her longtime assistant, Sweetie Hughes.

The pair's latest altercation comes a year and a half after Zolciak filed a police report against Leakes, alleging that her Bravo reality costar "strangled" her.

So why did Leakes choose to get so fired up this time around?

PHOTOS: More reality TV catfights

"I got up out of my seat because I feel like Kim is a child," she says. "I feel like you need to get up, like you would do for your child, get down to their level, look them dead in the eye, and say, 'I'm not playing with you. I am dead serious. You need to shut your mouth now.' That's what I feel she needs. It's almost like you need to wake that b---- up. My intentions were to get in her face and let her know, 'Listen, don't play with me. I've had it.'"

On the heels of her dust-up with Zolciak, the star tells TVGuide.com she isn't even entertaining the idea of a fourth season.

PHOTOS: Hellish Housewives romances

"Right now, I'm just not interested. I don't know if I would change my mind later," Leakes, who will appear as a contestant on Donald Trump's Celebrity Apprentice in March, says. "With everything going on in my life, I can't work with a bunch of women who are non-supportive. I can't work with a bunch of women who don't support one another. I just can't work like that anymore. For my own sanity."

The Real Housewives of Atlanta airs Sunday at 10 p.m. (EST) on Bravo.

By Allison Corneau for UsMagazine.com. For more Channel Surfing, click here.

Get more Us! Follow us on Twitter, Friend us on Facebook, Subscribe to Us Weekly