Ariana Biermann Is Not ‘As Close’ With Dad Kroy Amid ‘Tough Situation’ With Mom Kim Zolciak (Exclusive)

Fans who watched the Biermann kids grow up on Bravo over the years may be sad to learn that Ariana Biermann‘s relationship with dad Kroy Biermann has suffered a bit during his divorce from her mom, Kim Zolciak.

During an exclusive interview with Us Weekly about the upcoming show Next Gen NYC, Ariana, 23, revealed where she stands with Kroy, 39, amid his and Zolciak’s ongoing divorce, saying, “Growing up, he really was my best friend — more than my mom was for a while.”

Ariana is “trying to still” have a relationship with her dad, but the relationship has had its challenges.

“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,” she continued. “But I really do try to keep the divorce and my relationship with him and my mom separate. It just gets hard at times.”

News broke in May 2023 that Zolciak and Kroy, 47, filed for divorce after more than a decade of marriage. Two months later, the pair dismissed their divorce, but their reconciliation was short-lived. Kroy refiled in August 2023, claiming that the twosome’s marriage was “irretrievably broken.”

Zolciak and Kroy, who tied the knot in 2011, share sons Kroy “KJ” Jr., 13, and Kash, 12, and twins Kaia and Kane, 11. Kroy also adopted Zolciak’s daughters Brielle, 28, and Ariana from a previous relationship.

Before joining Next Gen NYC, Ariana and her family were featured on The Real Housewives of Atlanta from 2008 to 2012. Zolciak subsequently received her own spinoff show titled Don’t Be Tardy for the Wedding, which focused on her nuptials with Kroy. The series was renewed — and renamed to Don’t Be Tardy — for a second season and continued to air until 2020.

Ariana is now at the center of the drama on Next Gen NYC, which stars fellow Housewives kids Riley Burruss, Gia Giudice, Brooks Marks and newcomers Ava Dash, Emira D’Spain, Shai Fruchter, Georgia McCann, Hudson McLeroy and Charlie Zakkour as they establish their identities in the Big Apple.

The cast should look familiar for Real Housewives fans with Riley, 22, appearing on RHOA with mom Kandi Burruss while Gina, 24, and her mom, Teresa Guidice, starred on The Real Housewives of New Jersey and Brooks, 25, previously appearing on The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City with parents Meredith and Seth Marks.

“I think it was just a really incredible opportunity for us to showcase more of who we are outside of our moms and to do our own thing,” Ariana told Us. “[The show] follows us as we are living our lives in New York.”

Ariana credited Gina for her getting involved, adding, “Gia was like, ‘You’re coming to New York and you’re doing this show with me.’ She’s like, ‘I need you. It’s going to be so fun and I need to know I have somebody in my corner too.’ I was like, ‘Definitely.’ And I love any opportunities and it was a blessing. I was super excited to just come.”

Next Gen NYC premieres on Bravo Tuesday, June 3, at 9 p.m. ET. New episodes stream the next day on Peacock.