Ariana Biermann reveals how Brielle secretly played matchmaker in her years-long on-off romance with Hudson McLeroy as she opens up about sneaking out, strict parents and why fate kept bringing them back together - suong

Ariana Biermann and her boyfriend, Hudson McLeroy, have officially been dating for several years. But the Next Gen NYC cast members have a deeper history with one another.

Ariana appeared on the Comments By Celebs podcast on July 10, where she opened up about her relationship with Hudson and their chance meeting, aided by Ariana's older sister, Brielle Biermann. "My sister saw him on the beach when we were 14 and we were in Florida, and she saw him on the beach and was like, 'Oh my God, I need to get your Snapchat and see a picture of you,'" she explained. "'You'd be the love of my sister's life.'"

Although Hudson and Ariana both lived close to each other in Georgia, they had never met until that day. "She gave me his Snapchat, or whatever, and we talked on Snapchat, and I actually ended up getting grounded for a whole year after sneaking out of my house. And my parents didn't let me have a life," she continued.

But Brielle continued to bring them together. "But my sister took me for my birthday present on my first date with him after we'd been talking for six weeks over Snapchat," she revealed. "And we went there and she took us on a date."

Ariana Biermann with Hudson Mcleroy on Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen Season 22, Episode 108; Brielle Biermann attends Game Three of the Eastern Conference First Round Playoffs between the Boston Celtics and the Atlanta Hawks at State Farm Arena on April 21, 2023 in Atlanta, Georgia.

Photo: Charles Sykes/Bravo; Paras Griffin/Getty Images

Ariana Biermann reveals more details on dating Hudson McLeroy

Although they did not meet until Brielle intervened, Ariana admitted that she and Hudson were meant to be together. "I feel like we met when we were 14 officially, but we did live next to each other when we were kids," she said. "So I'm always like, 'It was destiny.' It was put into the stones before we knew."

Hudson feels the same way, as Ariana shared on the podcast that he has the coordinates of their first date from when they were 14 tattooed on him.

Ariana Biermann opens up about getting back together with Hudson McLeroy

Their paths continued to cross, but they never really got serious in the early days of their relationship, she admitted, especially because of how her parents — Don't Be Tardy's Kim Zolciak and Kroy Biermann — handled things. "My parents didn't really let me leave the house a lot growing up at all," she continued. "And I couldn't go over and see him. And when he would come over, he would hang out in my driveway. Like, it wasn't working. That wasn't going to be able to happen."

But she explained that she's grateful for the time that they spent apart. "I feel like we both also just needed to experience dating other people and experience life on our own," she admitted. "Because I don't think we'd be able to be together now for three years if we had been together consecutively for the last nine. Like, that would be crazy."

Ariana posts a photo of herself and Hudson on June 4, 2025 to her Instagram.

Photo: Ariana Biermann/Instagram

Hudson McLeroy opens up about his relationship with Ariana Biermann

Hudson took to his Instagram account on June 24, where he posted two photos of himself and Ariana on the beach together. "I always knew we'd be here together," he wrote in the caption of the post. "I used to dream of days like these when we first met. I love you [Ariana Biermann]."

See inside Ariana and Hudson's comfy new apartment in NYC.