Love her or hate her, NeNe Leakes has become most popular among the ladies on the The Real Housewives of Atlanta. Her flamboyant personality and willingness to say anything that’s on her mind has broken up a friendship with BFF Kim and deepened the rivalry with former pal Sheree. And in the latest episode, NeNe found out that her now-deceased mother had lied to her about who her father is her entire life. As the series approaches its season finale (Nov. 18 on Bravo), NeNe chats with PEOPLE about that infamous song she sang about Kim — “I wish I could take it back,” she says — the shocking revelation about her family, the identity of her real father and what she thinks of people who call her “ghetto.” – Chris Willard

Were you shocked to learn that Curtis wasn’t your biological father?
I was extremely broken up because Curtis has always been the person I have known to be my father. I’ve always had this idea of being a daddy’s girl and I always looked up to him, even though he wasn’t always around and he wasn’t a great dad. It was devastating to know that someone would write a letter to me and say that he’s really not your father. I couldn’t believe someone would keep a secret for so many years.

Do you who know your father is? Is it someone you’ve met?
I know exactly who the person is supposed to be … I could remember in Queens, where we are originally from, I was in the car with [my mother] one day, and I remember she told my siblings they couldn’t go. Just she and I went to the store. And we pulled up and I remember this guy. I don’t remember what he looked like, but that has always stayed in my mind. I remember the person looked at me and it was like she was showing them me. So, the both of them had the secret because he’s the one that went to my family members and said, “I’m really NeNe’s father.” It’s someone that she’s known and they held the secret together because she was in a relationship with Curtis. A lot of people have said that he has a very famous daughter and that the world knows and I look a lot like them. So we may go back into it second season.

How are things between you and Kim and Sheree at this point?
Oh, wow. Well, we are cordial. That’s about it.

Is it hard to keep up that niceness because sometimes on the show you just let loose?
I’ve learned how to act around them. I think of it as business and we’re cordial [but] they better not mess with NeNe. I tell you that. I’m not the kind of girl who can walk in anywhere and just be fake. It’s just not gonna happen. I like to come in, I be myself and they better not mess with NeNe. Honey, they better leave NeNe alone. Team NeNe here!

Where does the animosity between you and Sheree come from?
Sheree and I have known each other the longest of all the housewives. I’ve known her for seven years. And she and I have shared a lot over the years. We traveled together, we double dated with our husbands, our children played together. She and I have hung out, and we’ve shared secrets and our falling out came before the show actually started filming. It had nothing to do with the show and nothing to do with Kim at all. Sheree and I just had a disagreement. It happened maybe about a month before we started shooting.

What was the disagreement about?
I felt Sheree wasn’t being a good friend. I tried to figure out a way to get her out of my life. I have goals every year. When the New Year comes in, I go through my cell phone and delete people out of my contacts if I felt they’ve been negative in my life this year or they bring stress to my life. I don’t want friends that bring stress to my life. I felt Sheree fit in that category and she needed to be deleted.

You said on the show that you thought Sheree held influence over Kim. Did she turn Kim away from you?
No, I can’t say that. It was about Kim. Kim did this all herself. She wanted to be friends with Sheree, which was absolutely fine with me. I don’t think Kim actually knew how to be friends with both of us. I have girl friends who don’t really like each other and I’m friends with them. You can be friends and put a fuel on the fire, though. You gotta be able to separate the two.

How did you feel watching the scene at DeShawn’s birthday party, where you got drunk and made up a song about Kim?
At DeShawn’s party, while we were at [the restaurant], we were having fun and I thought that scene was great. In the limo, I didn’t like that scene so much … We were just having fun and somebody blew it out of proportion and made Kim feel that I was talking very badly about her. The honest truth is I didn’t mean to hurt Kim’s feelings. I would have apologized to Kim and told her I was sorry if she had come to me and said, “NeNe, I heard you did something and it hurt my feelings.” I was just having a good time. I wish I could take it back, but the truth of the matter is I can’t. All I can do is say I’m sorry and move on.

How has life changed for you? Are you a big celebrity in Atlanta now?
It’s amazing that I can’t go anywhere. It’s a tuh-rip. I have an invite to something every single night. The funny thing about it is I love restaurants. I love to go to a restaurant and sit down and it makes me feel happy. And I can’t even eat in the restaurant because there’s always somebody standing over my food talking. Always.

How do you react to people who call you “ghetto” and say you don’t have any class?
I’ve read a lot of the blogs where they said I was ghetto. It’s OK. I think people have it mixed up. When you’re outspoken and you say what you mean and you keep it real a lot of the people in the Black community say it’s ghetto to do that. That’s fine with me because I’m not changing. I’m keeping it real. I just believe you should be very honest and if people don’t like what you’re saying they can close their ears.

Is everyone excited about the show’s success?
I think everybody is. We all have different fans and I just happened to be the most popular one of the housewives and why is that, I don’t know. I think that a lot of people really appreciated me being able to say what I feel. But the other girls, they have their fans and everybody is pretty happy. All the girls are excited about it. It was a great platform for us to put our businesses out there and to put ourselves out there.

How is your charity Twisted Hearts doing?
I’m so proud of Twisted Hearts and I’m so proud of myself because I was truly a victim of domestic violence and there are lots of women out there who are afraid to stand up. I want to take a road tour to maybe 8-10 cities, show up and do big hat brunches all across the world. All the women had a great time and it makes you feel really good. I may steal an idea from Kelly Ripa too. I may have all the women put on high heel shoes and let’s do a race in high heel shoes. I’m gonna do it and I’m gonna invite all the housewives. I want them to be a part of it. They can wear their shoes and their floppy hats, honey, and take off running.

Can you give us a teaser for what will go down in the upcoming finale and reunion special?
Oh my God. In the finale and in the reunion, all I can tell you is drama, drama, drama! And watch what happens. It was tough for all of us to sit there together and try to work things out, but in the end I think it was successful. It didn’t start off so great but I think it ended up OK.