Who would’ve thought? Ariana Biermann, the youngest daughter of Kim Zolciak, is the breakout star of Bravo’s Next Gen NYC. I still remember her as the young pre-teen who wasn’t in love with the idea of reality TV. But somehow, she is winning viewers over. And not because she’s the loudest, the messiest, or the thirstiest. It’s because, somehow, Ariana is giving something few reality stars her age do: authenticity. While the rest of the Next Gen cast is busy posturing for the camera, Ariana is quietly stealing scenes with her down-to-earth energy, emotional honesty, and moments of surprising vulnerability. She’s not just the daughter of a former Real Housewives star. She’s carving out her own identity, and it’s not what anyone expected.
Ariana Biermann revealed parents Kim Zolciak and Kroy Biermann took her money
Perhaps one of the most jaw-dropping moments from Next Gen NYC so far came when Ariana sat down with her castmates and casually dropped a truth bomb no one saw coming. She revealed that her parents had used money from her trust fund to cover their own mounting financial issues. The budding fashion designer shared, “I started posting on Instagram. I got my first brand deal when I was 14.” She added, “I was doing like three posts a week. You can get paid astronomical [amounts] to do a story or to do an Instagram post, and I made quite a bit of money.”
Then, out of nowhere, Ariana revealed, “Unfortunately, my parents took my money.” As viewers tried to pick their jaws up off the floor, she noted, “I can’t say exactly what they used it on, because I just found out that it was gone two years ago.” Ariana stated, “I don’t even know how much money I made over the time period. Nobody was honest. There was no transparency. And I have no idea where it actually went.” The admission stunned viewers. Not only because of the betrayal, but because of how calmly Ariana delivered the news.
Next Gen NYC shows a down to earth Ariana Biermann despite her influencer status
Given her social media presence, which, let’s be real, is full of contour, curated outfits, and thirst-trap energy, fans like me weren’t expecting Ariana to be relatable. But that’s what makes her Next Gen NYC journey so surprising. Onscreen, she’s funny without being mean, self-aware without being self-important, and refreshingly open about not having it all figured out. I’m a grown adult and still don’t feel like I have it all figured out. She discusses working while trying to launch her own brand, navigating friendships that aren’t always genuine, and figuring out who she is beyond her family’s fame.
And that isn’t easy, especially when she is in a cast full of people trying hard to be the stars. I appreciate how Ariana doesn’t pretend to be the most successful, the most dramatic, or the most connected. She just shows up, and fans are responding. Even longtime Bravo viewers who were skeptical have begun to warm up to this new version of Ariana. She’s not trying to be her mom. She’s just trying to be herself, and it’s working.
Ariana Biermann’s relationship with her parents remains complicated
During an episode, Ariana revealed, “I wish I would have been kept in the light about it, because I feel like I was grown enough to know the truth. To know there is nothing left, our house is about to be gone. Instead of the lying. I get it. The lying is why I moved out.” It seems Ariana’s relationship with both her parents is on rocky ground. She told Access Hollywood, “I try to keep my relationship with them very separate,” hinting at Kim and Kroy Biermann’s messy divorce.
Ariana continued, “I don’t read the tabloids, I don’t want to know, I don’t like to know. It’s been a difficult couple of years, but [we’re] definitely trying to stay together as much as a family, in whatever ways to get through this.” Viewers also learned that Ariana hasn’t spoken to Kroy in a fair amount of time. While on Gia Giudice’s podcast, Casual Chaos, Ariana noted, “The whole situation of everything brought me and my mom, and my sister close. And we’re kind of like the three best friends, which I’m really grateful for.”
Next Gen NYC is available to stream on Peacock and Hayu in the UK and Ireland.
TELL US – WHAT DO YOU THINK OF ARIANA ON THE NEW BRAVO SERIES?
