NeNe Leakes says Kim Zolciak is "not okay" after reaching out to check on her former Real Housewives of Atlanta co-star, whose 15-year-old son, Kroy "KJ" Biermann Jr, faces multiple felony sex crime charges.
Appearing on Friday's Big Tigger Morning Show, Leakes told host Francesca Amiker that she recently spoke with Zolciak, she believed the previous week, to make sure she was okay.
"I recently spoke to Kim. I think it was last week. I just hit her up, wanted to know how she was doing, and made sure she was okay with what her son is dealing with," Leakes said. "I know that's a tough time and I know she's not okay. So I just wanted to reach out and I did."
Leakes and Zolciak had a long and explosive rivalry during their time on The Real Housewives of Atlanta, the long-running Bravo reality series. Leakes recently made a special appearance in The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip: Roaring 20th, a spinoff of the franchise.
'Associates,' Not Friends
Despite reaching out, Leakes stopped short of calling Zolciak a friend, describing her instead as more of an "associate."
"I'm cool with Kim. Friend, when you say the word friend, that's just a real serious word to me so I just, you know... Friend, no, associates, yes," the YouTube host clarified.
Staying in Touch With the RHOA Cast
Leakes said she has stayed in contact with a number of cast members from the show, both past and present, though not on a daily basis.
"I reach out to a lot of these girls. We reach out to each other. But we're not in contact on a daily basis," Leakes said. "If I need to call Porsha (Williams), K Michelle, any of them on the show, they all will answer. I don't have no beef with them to the level where they won't answer my call."
"Girls from the past. If I call Sheree (Whitfield) right now, she will answer. If I call Kandi (Burruss), she'll answer. I'm not fighting with anybody. I call Kenya (Moore), she's answering. Marlo (Hampton), she's answering. Cynthia (Bailey), I just spoke to her like two days ago," she said.
"We don't have a beef but we're not as close as people think we are," Leakes added.
Zolciak has previously acknowledged that she and Leakes share a complex history. Despite their frequent clashes on the show, she has said the pair have occasionally texted and were "always in a great place when they're not working together," according to Bravo.
KJ Biermann's Sex Crime Case
Zolciak's son, KJ, was arrested on March 17 and later indicted on seven felony charges, including aggravated child molestation and aggravated sodomy, related to an alleged sexual assault involving an underage girl. Police said the incident happened on April 23 inside a changing area at a Life Time Fitness gym in Alpharetta, Georgia.
During a bond hearing on Friday in Fulton County, prosecutors said investigators had found videos on KJ's cell phone showing sexual encounters with a family member under the age of 12. Deputy District Attorney Caitlin McGillicuddy said KJ used "predatory" and "derogatory" language during the multiple recorded encounters found on the device.
Defense Pushes Back
Defense attorney Jason Sheffield told the Daily Mail in a statement that "the matter arose from inappropriate, crude behavior involving two middle-schoolers" and "did not result in an adjudication for statutory rape, sexual intercourse, or any comparable offense."
"Any suggestion otherwise is inaccurate and creates a materially misleading impression of how the juvenile matter was ultimately resolved," he continued.
The judge eventually granted a $200,000 bond for KJ, whose father is Kroy Biermann, a retired NFL linebacker who played for the Atlanta Falcons. The decision followed intense arguments from both sides.
KJ was set to be released under strict terms, including total house arrest and monitoring, no contact with minors, no use of digital devices or social media, virtual schooling and travel restrictions.
He is next due in court for his arraignment on October 14.
Zolciak Speaks Out
Last month, Zolciak called the allegations "reckless and deeply troubling" in a statement to the Daily Mail.
"He categorically denies ever being involved with this woman or engaging in the conduct she has alleged," the former Bravo star said. "My son voluntarily took a polygraph examination regarding these allegations and passed. Additionally, an examination was conducted, and no DNA belonging to my son was found."
"We remain confident that the facts and evidence will establish the truth, and we ask that people allow the proper process to take its course rather than spreading unproven allegations," she said.
