The Shady Side Of Kim Zolciak-Biermann
Viewers of "The Real Housewives of Atlanta" have watched as Kim Zolciak-Biermann evolved from being a single mom of two who was dating a mysterious married man to being swept off her feet by NFL free agent Kroy Biermann. She has since starred in her very own Bravo TV spin-off series, "Don't be Tardy," and added four more little ones to her family. Sure, some of the scenes on these reality shows may be nothing more than scripted drama, but she has also been entangled in a few real-life incidents that have definitely raised some eyebrows. For example, the reality TV star made headlines in 2023 after her Georgia mansion allegedly entered foreclosure. This certainly isn't the only scandal Zolciak-Biermann has faced.
From claiming her RHOA co-star made a move on her, to battling it out with her mom over a porta-potty, and rumors that she altered one very peculiar part of her body, her wacky antics make for good TV and tabloid fodder. Let's take a closer look at the shady side of this (in)famous former housewife.
Bills, bills, bills
While the ladies who star in the "Real Housewives" franchise live seemingly lavish lifestyles, Zolciak-Biermann has faced plenty of legal drama for supposedly not paying her bills. According to TMZ, when she and her family overstayed their welcome in a house they were renting, the landlord fined Zolciak-Biermann $600 for each day she and her family allegedly squatted in the home. Wifey initially denied that her lease had ended, but later came clean to the tab, pledging to pay the fine in a lump sum when she finally moved out.
In December 2017, she made headlines once again over an unpaid bill harking back to Christmas 2016. Back then, Zolciak-Biermann reportedly hired a company to put thousands of dollars worth of seasonal decor on her humble abode, but she allegedly refused to fork over the cash for months, and months, and months. According to Page Six, the decoration company slapped her with a lawsuit to force her to pay the bill.
Zolciak-Biermann's lawyer told Page Six the "original bill was for $9,500 ... The decorator was trying to take advantage," but that decorator, Jeanne Rollins, implied that the $5,000 agreed upon in court was still less than what the reality star owed. Clearly, someone is going to wind up on Santa's naughty list.
She had a very married sugar daddy
Prior to marrying Kroy in November 2011, Kim Zolciak-Biermann was entangled in a truly scandalous relationship with a mystery man who she affectionately referred to as "Big Poppa." In fact, the "RHOA" star was technically not even even a housewife. She was the other woman! Oh, the drama!
During the show's series premiere (via E! News) Zolciak-Biermann phones her elusive lover and asks for permission to buy a brand new Cadillac Escalade ... with his funds, of course. Seconds later, she's writing a check for $68,000 and officially the proud owner of the flashy SUV. Her big spending on Big Poppa's dime only made internet sleuths more curious as to the identity of her sugar daddy. Some guessed it was fellow Atlanta resident and media mogul Ted Turner, but it was later revealed that Zolciak-Biermann's anonymous beau was real estate developer Lee Najjar.
Zolciak-Biermann was even allegedly engaged to Najjar at one point — which doesn't make a lick of sense since he was already married to someone else — but she was spotted with a rock on her ring finger nonetheless. These two had a rocky on-again-off-again relationship until Zolciak-Biermann met her now-husband at a charity event in 2010.
Her lewd tweet about John Legend tickets
When Zolciak-Biermann found out singer John Legend was scheduled to perform in Atlanta, she reached out to the Grammy winner's wife, model Chrissy Teigen, to request tickets. Leave it to this housewive to turn a simple request into one of the most cringe-worthy moments on this list. Her tweet read: "@chrissyteigen sooo ur hubby is comin to ATL may19 & Kash is beyond OBSESSED w him! who does Brielle have to blow in order to meet him?? LOL."
In case you didn't know: Brielle is her child. The internet went ballistic over Zolciak-Biermann offering her daughter's services in exchange for concert tickets. Thankfully, Teigen was a good sport about the whole thing, and in a since-deleted tweet, she wrote, "Plz don't blow anyone it's not that good of a show. Jk it's good but I'll get you tix without the oral." In the end, most of the family, including Brielle, got to see Legend live and enjoy a G-rated meeting with the singer backstage.
She's duking it out with her parents
"RHOA" co-stars aren't the only folks Kim Zolciak-Biermann has battled in court. As her brood continues to grow, there are two people who have been noticeably absent from her family life — her parents.
The reality star's rocky relationship with her mom and dad was documented on her televised wedding special, but according to TMZ, things got so bad that her parents "told a Georgia court that Kim was unfairly blocking them from visiting her children." Her dad, Joe, told TMZ his daughter is a "pathological liar" who is "trying to make a mockery" of their family. "She has been married twice and has three different fathers of her four children. Let's face the facts," he said.
Zolciak-Biermann didn't buckle. She reportedly filed court documents of her own, alleging her parents were horrible people. How's that for a family feud? According to Heavy, a whole lot of nothing came out of the lawsuits, and the grandparents "have still not met some of their grandchildren." We wish her family the best, but maybe it's time for someone to be the bigger person and make amends.
That infamous Porta-Potty incident
During her wedding special, Zolciak-Biermann became agitated when her mom, Karen, asked to borrow a pair of shoes prior to the wedding ceremony. Oh, the nerve! But that was nothing. During the wedding reception, the poo really hit the fan.
It all stemmed from an incident involving a portable toilet. Yes, you read that right. The mother of the bride and the bride actually got into a tiff over the bride supposedly forcing her mother and her aunt to use rented facilities in the backyard instead of the restroom inside the home. You see, Zolciak-Biermann had reportedly rented the portable commodes for her special day and banned all guests from using the indoor plumbing — even her own mother.
When Karen and said aunt decided to sneak into the house and use the restroom anyway, the groom confronted them. That's when the restroom rebels reportedly yelled, "F**k you!" The bride then had her mother and aunt escorted out of the house by security guards. Lovely.
Did she rip off a co-star who helped launch her career?
Fellow "RHOA" cast member Kandi Burruss, who has a professional singing background as a member of the since-revived '90s group XSCAPE, worked some studio magic to help Zolciak-Biermann create a danceable dance track called "Tardy for the Party."
Problems arose when Burruss felt she was unfairly compensated for her role in the hit tune and took the songbird to court, alleging copyright infringement. With fellow (and now former) "RHOA" castmate Phaedra Parks as her lawyer, Burruss claimed she paid $4,000 for co-writing and producing the song with no royalty agreement, according to Access Atlanta (via The Wrap).
A judge dismissed the case, prompting Zolciak-Biermann to tweet: "The truth always prevails." Though she may have taken home the "W" in the court of law, we wouldn't be surprised if Zolciak-Biermann's co-stars think twice about doing business with her in the future.
Is she alienating her husband's family too?
It's bad enough that she's on the outs with her own parents, but some believe Zolciak-Biermann is driving a wedge between her husband and his family, as well.
During an episode of "Don't Be Tardy," Zolciak-Biermann is sitting around a campfire with friends and family when she reveals that "Kroy's parents weren't very happy" with their marriage, claiming her in-laws were concerned because she was already a mother of two when she met their son. The reality starlet admits that she's not "picture perfect," and that's when Biermann jumps in, assuring his wife that she is "picture perfect," just not to his parents.
The defensive hubby also expresses frustration that his kids are apparently no longer able to see his parents because of their negative feelings towards Zolciak-Biermann. Is this starting to sound familiar? Yep, moving on.
Don't ask her about her nose
On an episode of "Watch What Happens Live," host Andy Cohen grilled Zolciak-Biermann about the changes in her appearance, particularly the shape of her nose. After her husband, Kroy, insisted it was the "exact" same nose from years ago, Zolciak-Biermann added, "Everything has kind of changed," before denying she had ever tweaked her nose.
While she admitted to a boob job and a tummy tuck in an interview with E! News, questions about the noticeable changes to her face have always been a touchy subject for the star. "It's frustrating but it's a battle I'm not going to win," she told People magazine. "People can say what they want to say."
She told the publication that her face had naturally "thinned out a little bit" over the years. "But I have nothing to hide, and also I have nothing to prove!" We're giving her the side eye because her before and after pictures tell a different story, but we'll just have to take her word for it.
She says she'll never forgive her mom
On an episode of "Don't Be Tardy" (via People), Zolciak-Biermann reveals that the relationship with her mother is broken beyond repair. "My children, I will always be in their life," she says. "But my mom? I will not let her back into my life, let's just be clear."
People reported that Karen shopping a tell-all book and suing for visitation rights with her grandchildren has continued to fuel the tension between mother and daughter. "My mom and I have always butted heads," said Zolciak-Biermann. "She's kind of tormented me for many years."
Karen reportedly extended an olive branch by texting Zolciak-Biermann when her son, Kash, was bitten by the family's dog, but the "RHOA "star was not impressed. "My mom knows where I live. [She] could have sent a card." Even though Zolciak-Biermann's daughter, Brielle, has expressed interest in spending time with her grandparents, the reality star has said, "I would never call my mom back in a million years..."
She blamed editing for her insensitive comments
During part three of the Season 10 reunion special of "RHOA," Zolciak-Biermann was called out by her cast mates for her shady actions — in particular, an incident where she said her costar, NeNe Leakes, lived in a "roach nest." Many of her cast mates felt the term was fueled with racist undertones associated with black women who live in the projects. "You're reaching. Reaching," Zolciak-Biermann said in response (via People). "Don't try it. It has nothing to do with the projects or none of that s**t. A roach is a roach."
She was peeved about being associated with racism (which wasn't the first time, BTW), and after storming off stage with her husband in tow, her verbal diarrhea flowed incessantly. "This whole racism thing in this day in age is bulls**t. Everyone of those motherf*****s on that couch owe this world a f*****g apology for this racism s**t," Zolciak-Biermann told host Andy Cohen. "They already tried to claim that s**t long ago. Nobody bought into it then because the social media wasn't there and racism wasn't f*****g all that real. You know it."
She was pummeled by intense backlash from viewers, and after going ghost on social media, she returned with a written statement to shift the blame. It read, in part, "I made a comment that confused and offended people. I sincerely apologize. Edited out of context, I understand why my remark angered people."
Dishing out some gossip backfired
Season 9 dealt with the vicious rumor about Kandi Burruss (pictured) and her husband, Todd Tucker, allegedly plotting to drug and take advantage of their cast mate, Porsha Williams. As the cast attempted to move past the heinous allegations at the start of Season 10, Zolciak-Biermann fanned the flames when she told fellow "RHOA" star, Shereé Whitfield, that Burruss had once propositioned her for some fun below the belt. "On my kids' life, if God strikes me dead, I wouldn't let her," the mother of six said (via Us Weekly). Burruss took to her Twitter to clap back. She wrote, in part, "I'm sick of these b*****s lying on me. @KimZolciak I have NEVER wanted you or your box. And stop swearing on your kids while you're telling lies. Lying a*s b***h." Burn!
Ironically enough, Zolciak-Biermann is the only RHOA cast member who viewers have witnessed engaging in a full-blown, same-sex relationship. She and her ex-girlfriend, DJ Tracy Young, dated for at least eight months, according to a statement Young gave to Page Six. The DJ gave more insight into their past romance in a tweet where she confirmed she was the "receiver" in their then-relationship.
That's some major TMI, but it makes the reality star look even more shady than before. While she accused Burruss of attempting to take a dip in her lady pond, she was actually the one who was swimming in her former lover's ocean...if you catch our drift.
Is she addicted to plastic surgery?
While she has denied fiddling with the features on her face, Zolciak-Biermann apparently underwent a bit of tweaking on her earlobes Her daughter, Brielle, let the cat out of the bag in a tweet. "My mom gets filler in her ears because her diamond earrings are too heavy..... #richpeopleproblems," she wrote.
According to People magazine, ear fillers may sound odd, but apparently, they aren't uncommon. "During the procedure, Restalyn [sic] is injected into a person's stretched-out lobes to plump up the ear and make their piercing holes smaller," the website shared.
If Zolciak-Biermann is paying to have her earlobes revamped, isn't it likely that she actually has altered her face with some help from plastic surgery, as well? And not only that, it also makes us wonder if the reality star is going overboard with all of the alleged procedures. The changes to her face from when she first appeared on "RHOA" until now are rather jarring.
Kim Zolciak-Biermann might not be financially responsible
Kim Zolciak-Biermann found herself at the center of another scandal after outlets began reporting that her Alpharetta, Georgia mansion was in foreclosure in 2023. The home was even allegedly going to be auctioned off. "The debt secured by said Security Deed has been and is hereby declared due because of, among other possible events of default, failure to pay the indebtedness as and when due and in the manner provided in the Note and Security Deed," court documents read, according to Us Weekly. It was later revealed that the house's auction was canceled.
It seems that these alleged financial problems didn't influence Zolciak-Biermann to change her spending habits or expensive taste, because she reportedly spent a pretty penny as this scandal unfolded. The reality star took to Instagram Stories to share that she had a lengthy session with psychic Natalie Tomlinson, who has a number of celebrity clients. "Just finished my reading with the best @nataliepsychic (holy s**t look at the time)," Zolciak-Biermann penned in a post that revealed she and Tomlinson spent over three hours on the phone.
As you might imagine, this celebrity psychic's services aren't cheap. She charges $685 per hour, according to her website. Combine this with the fact that Zolciak-Biermann spent about $900 on a pair of designer shoes for her daughter's birthday and was allegedly taken to court over credit card debt and it's perhaps no surprise that she's facing rumors regarding financial distress.
Does the former Don't Be Tardy star alter her Instagram photos?
Reality TV stars and social media influencers alike have come under fire for editing their Instagram photos. Kim Zolciak-Biermann is no stranger to these allegations. Some outlets thought the former "Don't Be Tardy" star deceived her many Instagram followers after looking through photos she's posted in the past. Radar even had photographer Alan Barry analyze the star's pics to look for signs of editing.
He suspected that she altered a mirror selfie among many other photos. "On the left-hand side of her waist that looks really straight, there is a curve to the table underneath," Barry said of Zolciak Biermann's selfie. "The way her hand is indented into her waist on her right, it looks like she's grabbing fat there. Her thumb got lost in the Photoshop process."
"The Real Housewives of Atlanta" alum has also been accused of photoshopping images of her little ones. When her twin son and daughter were only four years old, social media users claimed she deleted a photo of them and later re-uploaded a version in which she edited them to appear slimmer. Zolciak-Biermann took to Twitter to address these rumors. "People are f***in SICK!!," she wrote. "Get the f**k out here!! No post was taken down and no photo has been nor will ever be edited of my children! I will no longer stand for this bulls***t!"
She gave her daughter a gun for her 21st birthday
Kim Zolciak-Biermann sparked controversy once again after she gifted her daughter Brielle Biermann a gun for her 21st birthday. A video shared by TMZ revealed that the mom even got the weapon customized with rose gold accents. "Oh my God, literally, what am I gonna do with this?" Brielle asks in the clip. "You're moving out, so it's time you figure it out," Kim responds. Brielle was hesitant to pick up the gun and even seems a bit afraid of it in the clip. However, she may not be as unfamiliar with the weapon as she appears.
Brielle's home state of Georgia doesn't require gun owners to obtain a license for guns stored in a home, but she reportedly has practiced at a gun range in the past. Along with the gun, Kim gifted her daughter two expensive pieces of artwork. The influencer was set to move into her own condo at the time, so it seems that these birthday presents also doubled as housewarming gifts.
Brielle responded to the backlash regarding her mom's controversial gift in a separate clip shared by TMZ. "I think it's fine to have a gun as long as you're mentally stable," she said in part. The reality TV star went on to share that she felt gun laws should be stricter. However, she explained that she feels safer living alone as a gun owner.
The reality TV star has made some questionable parenting decisions
Back in 2016, Kim Zolciak-Biermann upset fans with some family shenanigans. She shared a video of her daughter, Ariana Biermann, playing with a shock collar that belonged to the family dog. Arianna can be seen removing the collar from the dog's neck and putting it on herself. Next, Kim requests that her husband, Kroy Biermann, shock the then-14-year-old. They all enjoy a good laugh in the clip but some fans didn't find the stunt funny.
"Sometimes in life you have to just not post things on social media," one user wrote on Twitter, adding, "My word just sad that she posted what she did." Ariana's older sister also reacted to the clip. "Ariana what is wrong with you," she penned in a tweet along with two laughing emojis. This shock collar incident was only one of the many times Kim and her husband were criticized for their parenting choices. The couple also faced backlash after their then four-year-old son, Kash Biermann, wrote that he sometimes holds his father's gun. Kash penned the confession on a school worksheet. His mother didn't seem too concerned because she took a photo of the assignment and shared it to social media.
And now, for a moment of redemption
With cameras filming her every move and the magical powers of editing at play, it's no surprise there's plenty of shade overshadowing Kim Zolciak-Biermann's reputation. However, the reality star appears to be focused on repairing her image. She started off by lending her support to "RHOA" cast member and frenemy, NeNe Leakes, after Leakes' husband, Gregg, was diagnosed with cancer. In an Instagram post, Leakes listed Zolciak-Biermann as one of the many people who had reached out by "sending gifts, love, and just good ole words of encouragement." Well, that's one way to bury the hatchet, no?
Zolciak-Biermann also gave back in a major way in September 2017 when she launched a GoFundMe page for a man named Junior — someone her family befriended during a vacation to Turks and Caicos. Junior's home was reportedly destroyed by Hurricane Irma, and Zolciak-Biermann wants to help him rebuild by asking fans to donate $75,000. Nine months into the campaign, roughly 200 people had donated more than $6,000 to the cause, so that's a start.