Ariana Biermann & Liam Obergfoll Relationship Timeline: July 2026

Love was already in the air when Ariana Biermann and Liam Obergfoll met on Next Gen NYC.

Newly single following her breakup from longtime boyfriend and castmate Hudson McLeroy, Ariana instantly caught newcomer Liam’s eye at the beginning of Season 2 (streaming on Peacock), and the two began exploring a potential romance shortly afterward.

Read on for details on Ariana and Liam’s budding relationship, so far, on Next Gen NYC Season 2.

Liam Obergfoll reveals his first impression of Ariana Biermann

After the two exchanged pleasantries, Liam coyly offered in a confessional, “She’s cute.”

A bit later, Liam was sitting next to Ariana in a booth when she shared with him, several of their castmates, and others, that she was on probation for an alleged DUI at the time. The two compared notes on the advice their fathers had given them, should they ever find themselves in that situation with police. When a producer asked Liam how he felt about Ariana’s probation, he replied with a grin, “I think it’s pretty hot.”

Hudson McLeroy reacts to Liam Obergfoll’s attraction to Ariana Biermann

Hudson was also in attendance at Emira’s party and quickly noticed how closely Hudson was sitting next to Ariana. After he shared his observation with Charlie Zakkour, the latter encouraged him to “saying something” to Liam.

“This Liam kid, I don’t really know who he is,” Hudson explained in a producer interview. “But Liam has decided to flirt with Ariana. So, he can do whatever the hell he wants to; he’s a grown man. But he’s gonna have to hear something from me eventually.”

RELATED: Who Is Liam Obergfoll? Meet the Next Gen NYC Newcomer With “His Eye on Someone in the Group”

Hudson McLeroy issues Liam Obergfoll a warning about dating Ariana Biermann

Having already predicted that he and Ariana would “get back together” eventually, Hudson didn’t wait long to seize the opportunity to talk to Liam. A flashback shown in Episode 2 revealed exactly what was said during a previously unaired moment from Emira’s birthday bash.

After introducing himself to Liam and explaining he was newly “separated” from Ariana, Hudson told the Season 2 newbie, “I am gonna go into some boundaries.” Liam, for his part, responded by insisting that he “was not trying to step on [his] toes,” prompting Hudson to reply, “Bro, I am not a dick, dude. Like, that’s not who I am.”‘

Outside Emira’s after-party, Liam recapped his “crazy” talk with Hudson for pal Brooks Marks. “Do you think he was, like, intimidated?” Liam asked. “It almost felt like he was trying to control her decision.”

Eventually, Ariana confessed to a producer that Brooks had already filled her in on Hudson’s conversation with Liam. “I am aware, from a little birdie, that Hudson has put some “boundaries” with Liam about me,” she said. “Knowing that now, I’m especially gonna go hang out with Liam.” Ariana sounded giddy, though, when she added, “I did hear he said I was cute.”

RELATED: Ariana Biermann Slams Hudson for “Lies” Leading to Their Split: “No Respect for Me”

Ariana Biermann gushes over “amazing” Liam Obergfoll

Despite Hudson’s declaration that Ariana was off-limits, Liam was prepared to cross the line, by the time Season 2, Episode 3 rolled around. “I am definitely attracted to Ariana,” he revealed to a producer. “I definitely think she’s beautiful and I just want to get to know her.”

To accomplish that goal, Liam recruited Shai Fruchter and his longtime friend Kendall White to join him and Ariana at a lawn game-themed bar. As the group played an oversized version of beer pong together, Shai and Kendall clocked that Liam wasn’t even trying to hide the fact that the was heavily flirting with Ariana.

While outwardly declaring his romantic intentions, Liam remarked in a confessional, “Ariana’s got this immediate presence. She brings this vibe. Yeah, f–k that boundary.”

The attraction appeared to be mutual, too. “I think Liam’s amazing,” Ariana added in a separate producer interview, as the lawn game scene played out. “He has 800 hobbies. He doesn’t like to stay in the house. He rides a motorcycle.” 

During a girls’ night debrief later on, she also shared, “We had a great time. He’s really cool.”

Ariana Biermann questions if Liam Obergfoll is “friend zoning” her

By the end of their meetup with Shai and Kendall, Liam had even convinced Ariana to make a deal with him: If he came over to her new Brooklyn apartment and assembled her closet organizer, she would repay him by going for a ride on the back of his motorcycle. They tackled phase one of their agreement in Season 2, Episode 4.

“I honestly really hit it off with Liam,” Ariana gushed in a confessional. “I always said I wanted a handyman, and Liam’s being really handy. In all honesty, I’m not really thinking about the closet right now.”

On the Next Gen NYC After Show, Ariana and Liam both admitted that romance was lacking amid this particular get-together, however. In fact, Ariana had even questioned if Liam was “friend-zoning” her. “Because Liam is so friendly and, like, so fun with everybody, like, I don’t know if he’s building this closet, though, as a friend thing, or if he’s, like, pulling a move, she said. “I learned quickly he was not friend-zoning me. It was a short-lived thought.”

Similarly, Liam detailed how, initially, Ariana “was in the other room” and left him to begin assembling the shelving unit by himself. She was just baking a snack for him, though, and he eventually dialed up the flirting. “Why wouldn’t I be flirting? I’m not just here to build a f–kin’ closet, duh,” Liam joked on the After Show. “It’s a move in my sense of, like, I’m gonna offer to help you any way I can. I’m good with my hands, most people say.”

Liam Obergfoll invites Ariana Biermann to meet his family

Mid-assembly, Ariana and Liam took a break to enjoy the pumpkin-banana bread that she had just baked for them. That’s when Liam took the opportunity to invite Ariana to his upcoming birthday celebration at his parents’ Upper West Side home.

“Am I jumping the gun on inviting her to a family dinner and to meet my family? Yeah, maybe I am,” Liam conceded to a producer. Ariana, for her part, weighed in, “I’m going to go meet his whole family, and we haven’t gone on a date. I’m nervous as s–t.”

The Next Gen NYC cast reacts to Ariana Biermann and Liam Obergfoll’s romance

As Ariana and Liam’s connection grew stronger on Season 2, Episode 5, their castmates had mixed reactions. “I ship that,” Ava Dash told Brooks Marks, who responded by giving them a couple name “Li-Ana.”

However, Charlie and Shai had a different perspective. As Charlie explained to Liam, because of his recent friendship developing with Hudson, he took issue with “somebody f–king his ex-girlfriend.” Although Liam explained he wasn’t sleeping with Ariana at the time and the “goal is to get to know her,” Shai still noted he felt he “overstepped” when he played a part in setting Ariana and Liam up. 

Amid the potential new romance on Next Gen NYC, get exclusive details on why Ariana and Hudson broke up during the Season 2 premiere.