Key Takeaways
- NeNe Leakes said she recently checked on former RHOA co-star Kim Zolciak and knows she is “not OK” amid her 15-year-old son KJ Biermann Jr.’s felony sexual assault case.
- A judge granted KJ a $200,000 bond on seven charges, ordering electronic monitoring, virtual school and no contact at home with anyone under 16, including his younger siblings.
- KJ plans to plead not guilty, while Zolciak maintains that evidence will clear him despite prosecutors raising a separate prior juvenile matter during the bond hearing.
NeNe Leakes and Kim Zolciak have called each other plenty of things over the years. “Friend” is apparently no longer one of them—but that did not stop Leakes from checking on her former Real Housewives of Atlanta co-star as Zolciak’s 15-year-old son secured a $200,000 bond in his felony sexual assault case.
“I recently spoke to Kim. I think it was last week,” Leakes said on Friday, September 11, on The Big Tigger Morning Show. Referring to Zolciak as her “associate,” Leakes said she reached out “to know how she was doing” as the case against Kroy “KJ” Biermann Jr. continues to escalate.
“I know that’s a tough time, and I know she’s not OK,” Leakes added.
That assessment came as a Fulton County judge granted KJ bond on seven felony charges. The teenager may be permitted to leave Atlanta’s Metro Regional Youth Detention Center, but his release comes with tight restrictions. He must remain under electronic monitoring at Zolciak’s Alpharetta home, attend school virtually, and leave only for court or medical appointments. He is also barred from using a cellphone or social media.
Most notably, no one under 16—including KJ’s younger siblings—can live in or visit the home. Prosecutors had pushed to keep him detained, arguing that he could pose a danger to people close to him. “I don’t believe there are any conditions that you can put on him for bond that would adequately safeguard potential future victims,” the prosecution told the court.
KJ’s current charges stem from an alleged April 23 encounter with a female classmate at an Alpharetta fitness center. A grand jury indicted him Sept. 3 on aggravated child molestation, aggravated sodomy, aggravated sexual battery, false imprisonment and three counts of sexual battery against a child under 16. His attorney, Jason Sheffield, has maintained his innocence and said KJ expects to plead not guilty.
KJ’s most recent hearing introduced another serious complication. Prosecutors discussed a prior juvenile matter and alleged that investigators discovered videos on KJ’s phone involving sexual activity with a relative under 12. Sheffield disputed that portrayal, saying the prosecution “grossly misrepresent[ed] both the facts and the ultimate resolution” of what he described as “inappropriate, crude behavior involving two middle-schoolers.”
Zolciak has stood firmly behind her son, calling the accusations tied to the gym incident “reckless and deeply troubling.” She previously said KJ passed a voluntary polygraph and that an examination recovered none of his DNA. “We remain confident that the facts and evidence will establish the truth,” she said.
For longtime RHOA viewers, Leakes showing Zolciak compassion is a huge departure from their relationship, which has rarely been peaceful. The original castmates’ friendship collapsed through years of explosive arguments, including the infamous tour-bus showdown and the Season 10 controversy over a video filmed inside Leakes’ home.
Leakes later accused Zolciak of making racially offensive comments in a discrimination lawsuit against Bravo and Andy Cohen, which was dismissed without prejudice.
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).
