Who Are the Next Gen NYC Cast Members’ Parents?

A group of Gen-Zers are taking the big city by storm on Next Gen NYC Season 2, and though some are Real Housewives legacy kids, many of them are finding their own path away from their iconic, famous and successful parents.

The Next Gen NYC cast’s parents include four Real Housewives legends: Kim Zolciak (Ariana Biermann’s mother), Teresa Giudice (Gia Giudice’s mother), Kandi Burruss (Riley Burruss’ mother), and Meredith Marks (Brooks Marks’ mother). That’s not all, though — the cast’s parents also include celebrities and business titans, such as actress Brooke Shields, mom to Rowan Henchy; music legend Damon Dash, dad to Ava Dash; and Zaxby’s fast food chain owner Zach McLeroy, father to Hudson McLeroy.

While the Next Gen NYC cast’s parents come from different backgrounds and professions, their children all aspire to build their own identities and carve their own path, while also navigating careers, relationships, and never-ending drama in the Big Apple. In short, Next Gen NYC follows a group of friends trying to leave their mark on New York City and the world — just as their parents did.

Who are the Next Gen NYC cast’s parents?

• Gia Giudice, 25, daughter of Teresa Giudice (RHONJ) 
• Ariana Biermann, 24, daughter of Kim Zociak (RHOA) 
• Riley Burruss, 23, daughter of Kandi Burruss (RHOA)
• Brooks Marks, 26, son of Meredith Marks (RHOSLC)
• Rowan Henchy, 23, daughter of actress/model Brooke Shields and writer/director/producer Chris Henchy 
• Ava Dash, 26, daughter of music producer Damon Dash and fashion designer Rachel Roy
• Hudson McLeroy, 24, son of Zaxby’s founder Zach McLeroy
• Charlie Zakkour, 31, son of former Bank of America executive Anwar Zakkour and art collector Elizabeth Williams

Gia Giudice, daughter of Teresa Giudice (RHONJ)

• Gia Giudice’s parents are Teresa Giudice and Joe Giudice.
• Teresa and her family appeared on The Real Housewives of New Jersey Seasons 1 through 14, and Gia’s mother Teresa, as well as her aunt Melissa Gorga and her uncle Joe Gorga, are set to appear on RHONJ Season 15. 
• Gia grew up on RHONJ, and was just 8 years old when Season 1 premiered. She’s been in the spotlight ever since, and even strutted on the runway during a fashion show in Season 2. But Gia really made her mark in reality TV history when she sang a song she penned for her sister Milania’s fifth birthday in Season 3, crooning, “Waking up in the morning, thinking about so many things.” The song became so notorious it was even mentioned on Next Gen NYC. 
• Teresa has made several appearances on Next Gen NYC, dating back to the series’ very first episode when she went out for dinner and spotted a familiar face behind the camera. “Hi!” she exclaimed, and added as she broke the fourth wall, “He’s on my show!”

RELATED: Gia Giudice Shares Unseen Moments Filming Next Gen NYC with Mom, Teresa

Ariana Biermann, daughter of Kim Zociak (RHOA)

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Riley Burruss, daughter of Kandi Burruss (RHOA)

• Riley Burruss’ mother is Kandi Burruss and her stepfather is Todd Tucker. Kandi and Todd’s divorce was finalized in March 2026. 
• Kandi appeared on The Real Housewives of Atlanta Seasons 2 through 15. She also starred on multiple Bravo spinoffs, including: Kandi & The Gang, The Kandi Factory, Kandi’s Wedding, and Kandi Koated Nights. Kandi also starred in two shows that followed her music career: Xscape: Still Kickin’ It and SWV & XSCAPE: The Queens of R&B. 
• Riley grew up on RHOA, and was 7 years old when her mother Kandi joined the show during Season 2. Riley’s complicated relationship with her biological father was featured on the show, as Russell “Block” Spencer was frequently absent from Riley’s life, and Kandi primarily raised her as a single mother before marrying Todd. Fans saw their efforts to reconnect during RHOA in 2016.
• As Riley graduated from college and marked her transition to adulthood during Next Gen NYC, Kandi’s financial involvement in Riley’s life has been a recurring issue. Kandi even visited her daughter during Season 1, Episode 5, and bluntly told her to “figure out [her] finances.” 

RELATED: Does Kandi Burruss Financially Support Riley Burruss or Mama Joyce More? She Says…

Brooks Marks, son of Meredith Marks (RHOSLC)

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Rowan Henchy, daughter of Brooke Shields and Chris Henchy

• Rowan Henchy’s parents are actress and model Brooke Shields and writer/director/producer Chris Henchy.
• Rowan described her relationship with her mother Brooke as “amazing” during Next Gen NYC Season 2, Episode 3. She admitted she’s her mother’s helper and protector as well: “She’s gonna hate me for saying this, but sometimes I am my mother’s babysitter. She’s like, ‘Where are my glasses?’ I’m like, ‘They’re on your head.’ ‘Where’s my phone?’ ‘It’s in your hand.’”
• Rowan also described how she’s hoping to use her upbringing to become a successful journalist and writer. “Right now I am pursuing a career in entertainment journalism. But at the same time, I’m in the middle of writing my first feature film,” she shared on Next Gen NYC. “I think it comes from my father.”

Ava Dash, daughter of Damon Dash and Rachel Roy

• Ava Dash’s father is music producer Damon Dash, and her mother is fashion designer Rachel Roy.
• Ava, who grew up in Manhattan’s Tribeca neighborhood, explained that her dad is also an “entrepreneur” during Next Gen NYC Season 1, Episode 4, noting, “He cofounded Rock-A-Fella Records and Rocawear.” Roc-A-Fella Records was launched by Damon, Jay-Z and Kareem “Biggs” Burke in 1994. In 1999, Damon and Jay-Z also launched a clothing brand together called Rocawear Clothing Company — and it became a family business. “When I was like four years old, I was in the Rocawear campaigns,” Ava shared on the Bravo series.
• Ava has admitted that growing up with a mother as a fashion designer inspired her own career ambitions. Rachel launched her “ready to wear and accessories business into a globally recognized brand” in 2004, according to her website. 

RELATED: How Ava Dash’s Famous Parents Reacted to Her Being on Next Gen NYC (EXCLUSIVE)

Hudson McLeroy, son of Zach and Carol McLeroy

Charlie Zakkour, son of Anwar Zakkour and Elizabeth Williams

• Charlie Zakkour’s father is former Bank of America executive Anwar Zakkour and his mother is art collector Elizabeth Williams.
• Anwar has held a high-profile career in banking and investing. He served as the global vice chairman of investment banking for J.P. Morgan Chase, where he handled deals including selling the Los Angeles Clippers to former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, according to CNBC. He also worked as Bank of America’s global head of technology, media and telecommunications investment banking. 
• Anwar put the pressure on Charlie during Next Gen NYC Season 1, as he asked him about his “plans” as he approached age 30. 
• Charlie confessed to producers he never felt good enough for his father’s high expectations. “I mean at a certain point, I can’t live to make him happy,” he admitted. “And he’s rarely happy. I would get a 99 on a math test, and like, it’s like, ‘Yo, why did you miss that one point?’ There’s always something wrong.”

Emira D’Spain’s parents and family details

• Emira D’Spain is 29 years old, and her parents are not public figures. 
• Originally born in Dubai, Emira moved to Dallas, Texas with her family as a child, according to an interview with Elite Daily. She shared that her mother’s background is what inspired her to launch her own career as a hair and makeup influencer. “My mom is a beauty queen, and I’d watch her get ready,” she told the outlet, and later shared that her parents worked in “finance and engineering careers.”
• Emira’s mother listened to Emira’s struggles with stress and providing for her family financially during Next Gen NYC Season 2, Episode 3. “I had this pressure that I’d put on myself where I feel the need to be successful so that my family can fall back on me,” Emira confessed, and revealed she’d purchased a home for her mother and little brothers after her parents divorced, in addition to paying the bills for her mother’s car.

Liam Obergfoll’s parents and family details

• Liam Obergfoll is 29 years old, and his parents are not public figures. As he explained on Next Gen NYC Season 2, Episode 1, “My parents are not [Real] Housewives. They’re not celebrities. But like, they’re successful in their own way.” 
• Liam’s parents raised him in New York City, but they also own a home in upstate New York that includes a stable to hold Liam’s horse, Chewy. 

Georgia McCann’s parents and family details

• Georgia McCann is 27 years old, and her parents are not public figures. She revealed during Next Gen NYC Season 1, Episode 5 that her father died when she was “young.” 
• She’s also opened up about her early life and her parents’ professions on the show: “My parents grew up between poor and middle class. They both became lawyers, and started their own law referral company together. The company was doing really, really well, and then 9/11 happened … I think that really derailed my father. I think it triggered a major PTSD response in him. So, he kinda like went off the rails in a sense, and ended up leaving my family and moving upstate. That’s where he ended up dying.”
• Georgia admitted that her father’s death caused her to go to therapy at an early age, and still influences her decisions and life today.

Shai Fruchter’s parents and family details

• Shai Fruchter is 25 years old, and his parents are not public figures. 

Kendall White’s parents and family details

• Kendall White is 29 years old, and her parents are not public figures. 

How the Next Gen NYC cast’s parents shape the show’s drama

The Next Gen NYC cast’s parents play just as big a role in the drama as their children —even when they’re not physically on screen. 

For example, Teresa found herself in the middle of a feud between her daughter, Gia, and Ava during the Season 2 premiere, after it was revealed Gia called Ava a “liar” during a podcast. 

“I’m not feeling great about Gia. Last summer, I noticed that Gia’s mother had followed and unfollowed me [on Instagram], and I guess Gia didn’t think that that was true,” Ava explained.

Producers then showed a flashback to Gia recalling on The Viall Files podcast, “When Ava said that, I was like, girl, like, you’re just, you’re lying. I know my mom, and she doesn’t care that much to unfollow you.”

The two argued it out during Emira’s birthday bash, with Ava claiming she didn’t “come after” Teresa. They later squashed their issues.

Elsewhere on Next Gen NYC, Kandi and Kim’s longstanding RHOA beef came back to light more than a dozen years later, as Riley and Ariana admitted their mothers’ feud caused them to drift apart from their childhood friendship.

Riley and Ariana conspired during Next Gen NYC to bring their mothers back together. “There [hasn’t] been a time or place yet where they’re both in town at the same time,” Ariana explained in October 2025. “I feel like we need to be there at the dinner when they do reconnect. I can’t see them [meeting] in Atlanta… I feel like we could definitely bring them and reconnect them together.”

Despite Riley and Ariana’s efforts, Kandi revealed in February she still hasn’t touched base yet with Kim. 

Catch up on what’s happening during Next Gen NYC Season 2 here.