Ariana Biermann admitted that she has “unintentionally” taken sides in Kim Zolciak and Kroy Biermann’s ongoing divorce battle.
“I think it sucks for anybody experiencing their parents going through a divorce,” Ariana, 23, told People in an interview published on Saturday, July 12. “I love my parents’ love. I know people have a lot of opinions about it, but it was really such a pure, honest love. They acted like they fell in love yesterday up until, of course, the end. I think it’s just really sad overall, and it’s been a tough couple of years.”
Kim initially filed for divorce from Kroy in May 2023. Though the couple briefly reconciled, the ex-NFL star once again filed to divorce the former Real Housewives of Atlanta cast member in August 2023. (Kim and Kroy also share Brielle, 28, KJ, 14, Kash, 12, and twins Kaia and Kane, both 11. Kroy adopted Kim’s two daughters from a previous relationship, Brielle and Ariana, after they got married.)
The Next Gen NYC star admitted she was struggling to remain “in the middle” of her parents’ divorce “without disrespecting anybody or making anybody upset.”
“I think it gets hard at times, and unintentionally, you can be going more towards one side than the other when they’re fighting the kind of battles that my parents are going through right now,” Ariana added.
Ariana opened up about her family’s “tough” last few years in June’s Next Gen NYC series premiere, when she alleged that Kim and Kroy “took [her] money” that she made from brand deals as a teenager to help pay their bills. She subsequently clarified on Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen that Kim was not solely to blame.
“Everybody wants this to be my mother; this was a joint partnership in taking the money,” she insisted. “I gave my parents, though, a notice that this was — I’m gonna be telling the truth, my truth, my story, and this is what’s happening.”
She also exclusively explained to Us Weekly that she went public with her story as a way to prove that she doesn’t live off her parents’ money.
“I just continue to build up and make my own money, support myself as being a 23-year-old and just continue to try to take every opportunity I can to build back up everything,” Ariana told Us. “I think I’m the [most] financially stable I’ve ever been in my life, which is awesome. And my mom’s doing great too. She’s working really hard and has a lot of great things going for her, and my dad’s working too — so everything’s going in the right direction and moving forward.”
A source close to Kim exclusively revealed to Us that the Tardy for the Party star wasn’t thrilled with Ariana airing the family’s “dirty laundry” on Next Gen NYC.
“Kim has been very quiet since her divorce, and she doesn’t like airing her family matters for public consumption,” the insider noted. “Kim doesn’t understand why she is talking about it.”
As for Kroy, Ariana disclosed to People in June that her dad hadn’t yet addressed the money issue with her, but did sign a release with Bravo so she could discuss it on Next Gen NYC.
“You have to sign a release for these things in order to talk about things, and he was willing to do that for me and was okay with me sharing my story and the things that have gone on over the last couple of years, and he’s been supportive in that,” she clarified.
Regardless of the controversy, Ariana assured WWHL host Andy Cohen in June that Kim would be her “best friend forever.” However, Ariana confessed that her relationship with Kroy has become much more complicated since her parents split.
“Growing up, he really was my best friend — more than my mom was for a while,” Ariana insisted. “I would say that I’m trying to still have [a relationship]. We’re definitely not as close as we used to be, and I don’t really talk to him very often just because of this tough situation that we’re in. But I really do try to keep the divorce and my relationship with him and my mom separate. It just gets hard at times.”
Next Gen NYC airs on Bravo on Tuesdays at 9p.m. ET and is available to stream the next day on Peacock.
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