When your parents’divorce becomes a three-year legal battlefield, maintaining family ties gets complicated fast. That’s the reality Ariana Biermann is navigating as her mother Kim Zolciak and father Kroy Biermann continue their contentious split.
The 24-year-old star of Next Gen NYC opened up to Us Weekly about the emotional toll of being caught in the middle. She hasn’t been staying in regular contact with her dad, the retired NFL linebacker. Instead, their communication has been limited to practical matters—mostly when Ariana needs to arrange time with her younger siblings. It’s a stark reality for someone who grew up in a blended family structure; Kroy adopted her and her sister Brielle, 29, shortly after marrying Kim in November 2011, making him the only father Ariana has known for most of her life.
The backstory here matters. Kim and Kroy tied the knot over a decade ago and had four children together: Kroy Jr., 15, Kash, 13, and twins Kaia and Kane, 12. But the relationship unraveled publicly starting in April 2023 when they filed for divorce. They briefly reconciled that July, only for Kroy to file again that August. Fast forward to May 2026, and Kroy was granted temporary custody of the minor children, with joint legal custody still in place but Kroy holding the final say on educational, medical, and religious decisions.
The custody battle has been anything but civil. Kroy accused Kim of being“both unstable and unfit”as a parent, claiming she prioritizes her image and work over her kids’wellbeing. Kim fired back with an emergency hearing, alleging that Kroy wasn’t properly caring for the children and let them go hungry. It’s the kind of warfare that leaves adult children in an impossible position, forced to choose sides or step back entirely.
Ariana’s choice? She’s standing firmly with her mom. She told Us that Kim will fight for her kids“literally to her very last breath,”and suggested that battle isn’t ending anytime soon. The whole ordeal has stretched into years with no clear resolution in sight. For Ariana, maintaining distance from her dad seems like self-preservation—a way to stay out of the crossfire while navigating her own healing journey after a recent breakup from Hudson McLeroy.
At 24, she’s learning that sometimes loving your family means knowing when to step back from their battles.
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Local Lawton
Local Lawton is a contributor to LocalBeat, covering local news and community stories.