Kim Zolciak-Biermann Facts For Every Housewives Fan
Kim Zolciak-Biermann is easily one of the most talked about stars to have come out of the "Real Housewives" franchise. Since making her Bravo debut on the first season of "The Real Housewives of Atlanta" back in 2008, she's had her own spinoff show, "Don't Be Tardy," and has stayed in the spotlight ever since. Even after the series was canceled in 2021, she wasn't fazed. "She feels like she's finally free after a 13-year-long relationship to get to do other projects she's wanted to do," a source told Us Weekly. Indeed, she's managed to stay in the spotlight and has kept fans (and haters) intrigued with everything from her long-running family feud to her relationship with hubby Kroy Biermann and her shady antics. Zolciak-Biermann's even gotten people talking about what she eats in a day.
Given Zolciak-Biermann's long-running stint on reality television and how active she is on social media, fans may think they know everything about this real housewife, but there's always something new to learn about the outspoken mom of six. These are the essential Kim Zolciak-Biermann facts every "Housewives" fan needs to know.
Kim Zolciak-Biermann's childhood wasn't easy
"The Real Housewives of Atlanta" viewers know Kim Zolciak-Biermann for her fierce, unapologetic personality and her lavish lifestyle. However, life was very different for Zolciak-Biermann when she was growing up. Long before she became a reality TV star, she was your average kid, living in Windsor Locks, Connecticut, with her parents, Karen and Joe Zolciak, and her older brother, Michael Zolciak, whom she called her "lifeline for 18 years" during a 2019 episode of "Don't Be Tardy."
Taking a walk down memory lane, Zolciak-Biermann actually visited her childhood home in 2020 and posed in front of the Subway where she had her first job, as well as the local McDonald's where she had her second. "I got fired all the time for giving my friends free food," she revealed. Not to mention she struggled with working inside a small outdoor booth at McD's. "I'm so claustrophobic that I would repeatedly open and close the door to make sure I wasn't stuck," she wrote.
While remembering the past, Zolciak-Biermann also shared the harder side of her teenage years, namely being bullied by two girls. However, she's since gotten even. "Guess what they both have reached out on Facebook to me since those horrible traumatizing high school days just like I knew they would," she shared, quipping, "I'm thankful for those b****es because they really gave me intense motivation to get to where I am today."
The real reason her relationship with Big Poppa failed
When Kim Zolciak-Biermann appeared on the inaugural season of "The Real Housewives of Atlanta," she was dating a mystery man she nicknamed Big Poppa. During their time together, he allegedly paid for her home and her car, and showered her with luxe gifts. Eventually, he even proposed, but as fans later learned, Big Poppa (whose real name is Lee Najjar) was married the entire time – and that didn't change after he popped the question.
According to Life & Style, Najjar is a successful real estate developer worth millions who's married to another Kim named Kim Najjar, with whom he has two kids. The family even appeared on a 2009 episode of "Teen Cribs" during which the businessman revealed his true colors, proclaiming, "We didn't mean to make it this luxurious house or be better than anybody else – we're humble people." That same year, Zolciak-Biermann broke off their engagement, telling Essence that after four years of uncertainty, she had enough. "I got a commitment ring last year and so when I got this new ring, I was led to believe that his divorce was final," she shared. "I found out that I was still on the same merry-go-round." Speaking with Us Weekly, she added, "He will always be the love of my life, but it's time for me to move on."
Kim Zolciak-Biermann doesn't believe in divorce
Kim Zolciak-Biermann vowed to move on from her failed romance with Big Poppa and it didn't take long for her to meet her soulmate. In 2010, she begrudgingly attended a Dancing With Atlanta Stars charity event where she met her future husband, Kroy Biermann. As she later recounted to E! News, she was instantly drawn to his... behind. "I've never seen an a** that big in my life," she admitted, noting that was her exact pickup line. Unconventional, yes, but it worked and the couple tied the knot in 2011. Jump to 2023 and they were still happily married with six kids. As the reality star told the outlet, their secret to success is lots of communication and sex. On a more serious note, she added, "Choosing to love that person day in and day out, I think it's a choice and a lot of times people are just so quick to throw in the towel."
It also helps that she doesn't believe in divorce. Speaking with Fox News, Kim proclaimed she'd never fall victim to the "Housewives" divorce curse because splitting is the easy way out. "That's not an option in my house," she mused. That would explain why, when she and Biermann hit a rough patch at the very start of their relationship, she wasn't about to throw in the towel. "Fun Fact: Today 8 years ago Kroy TRIED to break up with me," she revealed on Instagram in 2018. "that lasted only 24hrs."
She's a seriously protective mom
Talk about a big family. Kim Zolciak-Biermann is a proud and protective mom of six. She had her first daughter, Brielle Biermann, in 1997 when she was just 18, followed by Ariana Biermann in 2001. While the identities of their dads have never been made public, they were both legally adopted by Kroy Biermann in 2013. "He's really fantastic with my girls," Kim gushed to People in 2010. "I couldn't have asked for a better partner ever." The happy couple then grew their brood with the arrival of Kroy Biermann Jr. in 2011, Kash Biermann in 2012, and twins Kaia and Kane Biermann in 2013. "My own personal biggest and best accomplishment in life has been being a mother," the reality star wrote on Instagram. "It's like I have my heartbeat beating outside my body x6."
Given that unwavering love, it's no surprise she's always stood up for her kids. Like in 2022 when Ariana was arrested and charged with DUI and Kim publicly claimed, per ET, "The officer incorrectly concluded she was impaired." That same year, she unleashed her protective mama mode on trolls who accused Ariana and Brielle of having plastic surgery. Taking to Instagram, she slammed, "I am appalled at the fact that some of you are flat out computer bullies that are bored to tears and have nothing better to do then to take time out of YOUR day to write something negative!"
Kim Zolciak-Biermann's medical scare
While competing on "Dancing with the Stars" in 2015, Kim Zolciak-Biermann suffered a frightening medical emergency. As she later revealed, she had a Transient ischemic attack (TIA) which Mayo Clinic describes as "a temporary period of symptoms similar to those of a stroke." It's also called a ministroke and although its effects are rarely permanent, it signifies an increased chance of having an actual stroke. In Zolciak-Biermann's case, it also revealed a lifelong health issue that had never been diagnosed: a hole in her heart.
Zolciak-Biermann quickly withdrew from the show and underwent successful heart surgery, which included implanting a permanent device on her heart. Her new reality now includes taking a blood thinner every day and, as she shared on Instagram in 2021, "I have no physical limitations but at times I can't find the 'right' word, or I completely lose my train of thought." These days, she's also adamant about educating others on the warning signs to look out for. Recounting the entire ordeal in detail on Instagram, she told fans how it all started with the most painful migraine she'd ever had. From there, she was overtaken by motion sickness – "It was almost like I was on a boat, everything was rocking back & forth" – and eventually she began feeling faint, unable to speak, and numb. As she's since taken to reminding people again and again, "I had my stroke at 37!! It can happen to anyone at any age!!"
Kim Zolciak-Biermann's rocky relationship with her parents
"Housewives" fans will recall the explosive moment that pushed Kim Zolciak-Biermann's relationship with her mom, Karen Zolciak, over the edge. During Kim's 2011 wedding to Kroy Biermann, security forbade her mom and aunt from using a restroom inside her home. Instead, they were told to use the luxe $5,000 port-a-potty like everyone else. Karen threatened to burn down the house while cussing out Kroy. They cut ties and in 2012, Karen took her daughter to court, claiming she was forbidden from seeing her grandchildren. As TMZ learned, she filed a petition for visitation and blamed Bravo for sparking drama between her and Kim. In her filing, which was seen by E! News, she alleged Ariana and Brielle Biermann "live such a crappy, abnormal life being on TV — they need a normal haven to relax and unwind and just be kids."
Ariana and Brielle didn't agree. While Kim asked the judge to dismiss the case, the sisters swore under oath, per TMZ, that they had simply grown apart from their grandparents and assured, "We are not forced to appear on television with our mother." That's when Kim's dad, Joe Zolciak, jumped into the fold, telling TMZ, "Kim is a pathological liar PERIOD." As of 2017, they still hadn't spoken. "I will not let her back into my life," Kim declared on "Don't Be Tardy." "My mom and I have always butted heads – I took it for 34 years until I finally said it's not worth it to me."
Her parenting has been critiqued non-stop
Kim Zolciak-Biermann may be unhappy with her parents, but plenty of folks are unimpressed with her parenting skills. Over the years, the reality star has repeatedly been shamed for her eyebrow-raising choices, like letting a 4-year-old Kash Biermann hold his dad's real gun, gifting Brielle Biermann a custom rose gold Glock 43 for her 21st birthday, and simply looking on when a 14-year-old Ariana Biermann put on an electrified dog collar and let her stepdad zap her. However, perhaps one of the most cringeworthy moments came in 2017 when Zolciak-Biermann tweeted at Chrissy Teigen to ask for tickets to John Legend's Atlanta concert and wrote, "Who does Brielle have to blow in order to meet him?? LOL" Folks were outraged that she would make such a sexual comment about her own daughter while Teigen tried to bring levity to the situation, responding, "Plz don't blow anyone it's not that good of a show."
And those are just the things she's admitted. Zolciak-Biermann has also had to clap back at haters who accused her of parenting choices she's adamant she never made, like photoshopping photos of her 4-year-old twins, using the wrong size car seat, and letting her 5-year-old daughter wear makeup. Asked about all the hate on a 2019 episode of "Watch What Happens Live," she said she simply ignores it. "I feel like I'm a really good mom," she said. "We all make mistakes and we all learn as we go, but I'm very proud of all of my children."
She has been involved in multiple lawsuits
The drama never ends for Kim Zolciak-Biermann. Since making a name for herself as an OG member of the "Housewives" franchise, the mom of six has been involved in a number of lawsuits. The first came in 2013 when Kandi Burruss sued her former castmate for copyright infringement over the song "Tardy for the Party." Burruss, who helped write the track, claimed that Zolciak-Biermann unrightfully profited off the single and didn't share the cash with her. In the end, a judge sided with Zolciak-Biermann who happily tweeted, "The truth always prevails!" In 2022, another of her former co-stars, NeNe Leakes, cited her in a lawsuit she filed against "The Real Housewives of Atlanta" production crew (including Andy Cohen), alleging racist behavior. On an episode of "The Nightcap with Carlos King," Zolciak-Biermann was dismissive of the claims. "She knows what she's saying is not true in regards to me," she said, even threatening to countersue. "I'll deal with her when she's done with them."
Money trouble came in 2018 when American Express National Bank sued Zolciak-Biermann for failing to pay off $215,925.90 in charges. As Radar learned, the bank even served Kroy Biermann legal papers at the couple's home, but the reality star ignored them. In 2019, a judge sided with AMEX and ruled in their favor by default when Zolciak-Biermann didn't show up in court. She was ordered to pay off $215,822.68, but as of 2021, she had yet to do so.
Did Kim Zolciak-Biermann almost lose her house?
She leads a lavish lifestyle on TV and social media, but Kim Zolciak-Biermann's finances may not be as solid as she'd like folks to think. In addition to her legal drama with American Express, the reality star's financial problems came to a head in 2023 when her home was reportedly almost foreclosed on. As InTouch learned, it all started in October 2022. While full details of the situation remain unclear, the outlet claimed that Zolciak-Biermann and her hubby, Kroy Biermann, had failed to pay off a $300,000 loan that was taken out on the house. Meanwhile, ET reported that they had actually defaulted on their $1.65 million mortgage. As for court documents, while they didn't provide specifics, they stated that the property would be foreclosed because of "failure to pay the indebtedness as and when due and in the manner provided."
Indeed, Fulton County issued a foreclosure notice the following February and the couple's mansion was set to be sold at auction on March 7, 2023. A source told InTouch that the news really shook Zolciak-Biermann. "She's a bragger at heart, so this is super embarrassing for her," the tipster said. However, the auction was called off on February 22. No official reason was given, but an insider told People, "The couple has taken the action to clear this up." Meanwhile, a real estate expert told the outlet that the issue most likely stemmed from them missing mortgage payments or (less likely) for failing to pay property taxes.
She's been upfront about her plastic surgery work
Kim Zolciak-Biermann isn't shy about speaking her mind, nor her truth. In 2016, she came clean about all of her plastic surgery, telling ET everything she's ever done. "I've been getting Botox since I was young, for migraines initially and now it's the obvious reason," she shared. "I've had my boobs done." She also loves her lip injections and was adamant she'll try anything to find what works and had recently given skin-tightening treatment Ulthera a go. She also had a tummy tuck, but as she previously told People, it wasn't something she actually planned for. "I had a major hernia after my twins, so I had to have it repaired regardless, and they do it the same way almost as a tummy tuck, so I said you might as well do the repair," she explained. What's more, her daughter Brielle Biermann revealed on Twitter, "My mom gets filler in her ears because her diamond earrings are too heavy."
But that's it. Zolciak-Biermann is adamant she isn't hiding anything and has not had a nose job in recent years. "You think I'm gonna have a stroke and then go do something?" she asked People, saying she couldn't get surgery if she wanted to because she's on blood thinners. Similarly, she denied rumors in 2020, proclaiming on Instagram Stories, "I don't really give a f*** if you think that my face looks altered because I wanna know who the f*** is getting an altered face during quarantine, sweetie?"