Kim Zolciak-Biermann has no regrets about stepping away from The Real Housewives of Atlanta.
In Us Weekly’s exclusive sneak peek at the Tuesday, August 13, episode of Surreal Life: Villa of Secrets, Zolciak-Biermann, 46, didn’t hold back when sharing her experience working on the Bravo series.
“I walked away from millions of dollars,” she told Josie Canseco and the Surreal Life cast. “I was eight months pregnant with my son. … It was f–king terrible.”
Zolciak-Biermann helped launch the show in 2008 before quitting in season 5. She has since made brief guest appearances to support friends like Shereé Whitfield, and she led her spinoff, Don’t Be Tardy, from 2012 to 2020.
Despite her recent cameos, Zolciak-Biermann said she has no interest in going back full time.
“I have PTSD from it, like, severe,” Zolciak-Biermann continued as Chet Hanks, Ally Brooke and others listened in. “There’s not enough money to ever go through what I went through, ever. … Karma comes full circle. I’ve watched it happen to people and here I am and well, where are the others — a couple of them?”
Us Weekly has reached out to Bravo for comment.
Zolciak-Biermann’s candor impressed much of the house on the MTV reality series, including Macy Gray, who sang her praises for stepping away from a situation that may not have been healthy.
“It’s really interesting to hear that,” the “I Try” singer said in her confessional. “To me, it says she’s a good person because she stepped away from money and fame because she felt like it was toxic.”
Surreal Life: Villa of Secrets follows eight celebrity strangers as they check in for a unique getaway. Each day, the cast will be surprised with provocative missions that push their limits, uncover their pasts and lead them to divulge their deepest truths.
Before the show premiered in July, Zolciak-Biermann said filming Surreal Life was much easier than working on The Real Housewives of Atlanta.
“It was a nice break, to be honest,” she exclusively told Us Weekly. “This was definitely one of the most incredible experiences of my life for sure. I’m so glad I did it.”
As for a future on Bravo, Zolciak-Biermann may have changed her mind in the months since she finished filming. In a recent interview with E! News, Zolciak-Biermann said she would consider a return to Real Housewives of Atlanta thanks to recent cast changes.
“I know Porsha [Williams] is back, who I love to pieces and absolutely adore her,” she said in July. “She’s hysterical. Happy for her and love that she’s back. I heard rumors Phaedra [Parks] might return, which I would be totally game for too because she’s amazing. I’ve been saying I would never return but, as I’m talking right now, I might think about it because these are two very funny and light-hearted fun people. Porsha and Phaedra might do it for me. We’ll see.”
Surreal Life: Villa of Secrets airs Tuesdays on MTV at 9 p.m. ET.
