Exes Ariana Biermann and Hudson McLeroy are shedding new light on the reasons behind their on-camera breakup that played out during the Next Gen NYC Season 2 premiere.
On the heels of their split in Episode 1 (streaming on Peacock beginning June 25), Hudson noted on the Next Gen NYC After Show that “it was definitely Ariana’s decision” for them to end their 10-year, on-and-off relationship. Separately, Ariana further unpacked why she’d ultimately called it quits with Hudson.
“He kind of just got lazy in the relationship,” she explained. “We weren’t going on dates. He wasn’t complimenting me. He wasn’t, like, lifting me up. He was sitting on the couch. Like, I want you to have drive, I want you to have passion, I want you to do the things that make you happy, and all these different things. And that just didn’t happen.”
Ariana Biermann detailed Hudson McLeroy’s “lies” prior to their split
From there, Ariana slammed Hudson for his “lies” that apparently contributed to their breakup. “My dad’s always told me, ‘All a man ever has is his word,'” she said. “And his was demolished for me.” More specifically, The Real Housewives of Atlanta daughter claimed that Hudson “did not stick to what he said he was gonna do” when her probation began in May 2025, following an alleged DUI.
“I was like, ‘We don’t need to drink. We can do all these fun things,'” Ariana continued. “He didn’t come with me to some events, which really hurt my feelings. And I know it wasn’t his goal or intention, but just the way that the things were kind of going about, it kind of just felt s–tty, like he wasn’t supporting me.”
RELATED: Ariana Biermann and Hudson McLeroy’s Breakup Was Caught on Camera: Watch
Referring to how her dad, Kroy Biermann, used to hold her mom Kim Zolciak’s purse “while she went on stage and did whatever she needed to do,” Ariana claimed that Hudson never gave her the same consideration amid her own career as a social media influencer taking off.
“You’ve watched me really work hard to try to get to where I am today,” she added. “And it got to a point where it was like, I don’t want lies, I don’t want anything. I will literally work through anything in the whole entire world with somebody, if you’re honest. If you lie, I actually see no point and no purpose, and it shows that you have no respect for me”
Ariana concluded, “I accept responsibility for my actions when I’m wrong, and I’ve had plenty wrong decisions this year. But that’s how you live and that’s how you learn and that’s how you grow.”
Hudson McLeroy reveals he’s made “changes” after his and Ariana Biermann’s breakup
In the same Next Gen NYC After Show clip, Hudson echoed that sentiment. Though he insisted that he and Ariana “never would’ve split,” if it “was up to” him, hindsight helped him gain clarity that their taking some time apart and living separately was actually a positive move.
“Sometimes, in order for somebody to grow, you need to be put in, like, an uncomfortable position,” Hudson conceded. “I wouldn’t’ve been able to make the changes I have if Ariana had stayed with me.”
RELATED: Ariana Biermann & Hudson McLeroy’s Relationship Timeline: Sweethearts, Rekindled Love & a Big Breakup
As for his perspective on what led to the breakup, Hudson had also admitted in Episode 1, “After Season 1, we didn’t realize the amount of stress New York had put on our relationship. I just wasn’t emotionally growing, not working at anything, not having any kind of drive to want to go do anything. It was kind of becoming unattractive to her, which, in turn, made her break up with me.”
The Next Gen NYC cast reacts to Ariana Biermann and Hudson McLeroy’s breakup
Elsewhere on the After Show, several Next Gen NYC Season 2 cast members shared their reactions to Ariana and Hudson’s breakup news. Brooks Marks, for one, remarked, “I mean, I saw it coming, if I’m being completely honest. … But I didn’t think it would actually happen, if that makes sense.”
Riley Burruss, meanwhile, said she “wasn’t surprised” by the split, while Emira D’Spain similarly chimed in, “I kind of felt like it was gonna happen.” She added, “I feel like there was lots of things like under the surface that [Ariana] was, like, not happy with that were much bigger that needed to be addressed.”
In a separate After Show clip, Riley, along with Shai Fruchter, Georgia McCann, and Charlie Zakkour, also confessed that they felt Ariana and Hudson’s social media breakup statements were unnecessary. “You could’ve kept that post to yourself,” Riley commented, while Charlie said, “It’s a bit presumptuous to, like, feel the need to do that.”
Georgia, for her part, weighed in, “I would not probably make an announcement that I broke up with someone over social media, especially ’cause it’s like, it’s an emotional time. I don’t know. I mean, I wouldn’t do it right away, that’s for sure.”
She and Ava Dash also reiterated that they were skeptical of the announcement’s timing. “She posted it like the day before we started filming,” Ava explained. “I think that’s what gave, like, the idea that possibly it was for the show and maybe not real.” Georgia said she’d also wondered, “Is this to get us all talking about them?” adding, “If that was the goal, then it worked.”
Now the Season 2 is officially underway, find out everything to expect from the Next Gen NYC After Show.
