Ariana Biermann is reflecting on the second half of Next Gen NYC season 2 amid rumors she hooked up with Charlie Zakkour.
“As it kind of progresses more towards the end [of season 2] is where I start to have more of a problem with my behavior,” Ariana, 24, exclusively told Us on Wednesday, July 22, when asked about how she’s feeling watching back the latest episodes. “I think I make, you know, just not always the best decisions.”
She confessed, “And maybe some people didn’t deserve exactly how I moved in my life at the time.”
Ariana’s admission came just days before Page Six reported on Friday, July 24, that she and Charlie, 31, “hooked up” during season 2 despite his past issues with Ariana and ex-boyfriend Hudson McLeroy. (Charlie was vocal about his attraction toward Ariana during season 1 when she was still in a relationship.)
Us has reached out to Bravo for comment.
Prior to the rumors about her and Charlie’s relationship, Ariana told Us that her fresh split from Hudson, 24, “definitely” played a part in her questionable decisions this season.
“I think there were also some things, like, behind the scenes that were obviously not shot that kind of put me on like a little bit of a spiral,” Ariana said. “I start up here and here and here, and then I just kind of [go down] and then hit like the bottom.”
Ariana and Hudson dated on and off for nearly a decade before they announced their split in October 2025. During the season 2 premiere of Next Gen NYC, fans watched as Ariana moved out of her and Hudson’s shared apartment in the city and into her own place.
Throughout the season, Ariana has started to find her sparkle again, especially when it comes to dating — even with Hudson watching close by.
In addition to a flirtation with newbie Liam Obergfoll, both Ariana and Hudson have seemingly grown close with Charlie, with whom many of their friends have issues following his controversial actions during season 1.
“I always wanted Hudson to be surrounded by people who made him better, that helped him achieve the potential I’ve always seen in him, because I know he can be this person that he’s talked about being for so long,” Ariana told Us, noting she was surprised when her ex became close with Charlie following their split. “And I didn’t necessarily feel like Charlie was that person that was going to bring him to that level.”
The former Don’t Be Tardy star claimed her feelings weren’t “to say that Charlie’s like a bad person, but just to say that like I didn’t see that.”
Ariana pointed out that Hudson and Charlie butted heads during season 1 after Charlie openly admitted to wanting to sleep with her even though she was not single.
“You know, like, if I’m going to befriend somebody, it’s probably not going to be the dude who just said he wanted to ‘f*** my girlfriend,’” Ariana told Us. “But you know, whatever. To each their own.”
While Ariana teased that Hudson and Charlie are no longer friends, she wasn’t as forthcoming about her status with Charlie.
“I don’t want to speak for him. I don’t really know necessarily the ins and outs,” Ariana said when asked about where Charlie stands with the group. “As the season goes on, you’ll obviously kind of get to see a little bit more into our friendship and kind of the good parts that I do see in him and that I’ve seen in him over time.”
She added, “I think that there’s a few people that always have a problem with Charlie, you know, and there’s obviously a few people who don’t. So we’ll see.”
Romance rumors swirled upon the release of the midseason trailer, which dropped on Thursday, July 23, in which their relationship appears to be more than just a platonic dynamic.
“Ariana came over to like sesh. Clutch your pearls, bro,” Charlie said in the preview.
When one of his castmates asked, “Did you hook up with Ariana?” Charlie teased, “I don’t kiss and tell.”
During a group dinner, Ariana pointed out that all the cameras were directed at her and Charlie.
“She gave up her first class seat to sit back there with Charlie,” Emira D’Spain claimed in the trailer as a clip of Ariana waving at the camera next to Charlie on an airplane flashed across the screen.
When Rowan Henchy reminded everyone that Ariana said she “wouldn’t touch Charlie with a nine foot pole,” Ava Dash quipped, “Honey, that pole’s getting shorter and shorter.”
Next Gen NYC airs on Bravo Wednesdays at 9 p.m. ET.
