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If you were an avid watcher of The Real Housewives of Atlanta, you would remember Kim Zolciak’s relationship with a mystery man who she called “Big Poppa.” Big Poppa was a large part of Zolciak’s storyline, showering Zolciak with expensive gifts including a Range Rover. However, even though Big Poppa was a large part of the show, we never saw him on camera and his identity was never revealed. This mystery left a lot of fans wondering, who is Big Poppa?
According to TMZ, Big Poppa is a man named Lee Najjar. He is a real estate mogul, and according to Celebrity Net Worth, he has a net worth of $50 million. During the first two seasons of The Real Housewives of Atlanta, Zolciak spoke vaguely of Najjar, and they were even engaged at one point. However, even though Big Poppa was in a relationship with Zolciak and helped fund much of her lifestyle, he was married to another woman at the time, according to Life & Style magazine. The woman’s name is Kimberly Najjar, and according to Life & Style, the two were still together as recently as 2018.
Zolciak and Lee Najjar seemed to have an on-again-off-again relationship, and in 2009, the two seemed to call it quits for good. “I’m not engaged anymore,” Zolciak told Us Weekly in 2009. “Big Papa and I ended it. At the end of the day, he will always be the love of my life, but it’s time for me to move on.”
In May 2010, nearly a year after she split from Najjar, Zolciak met her current husband, Kroy Biermann, at an event that was captured on camera during filming for The Real Housewives of Atlanta. Zolciak and Biermann got married in 2011 and have four children together.
Zolciak Recently Gave an Update on Big Poppa
Even though Zolciak seems long past her relationship with Najjar, she offered an update about him in 2017. Zolciak revealed to People that year that she hadn’t heard from Najjar in “years.” Zolciak told People, “It’s been years and years and years and years and years. I’ve been with Kroy seven years — I’m obsessed with him. So I definitely haven’t heard from [Big Poppa]. I’m very committed to my husband.”
Zolciak definitely seems committed to her husband and often posts photos of the two of them together on her Instagram page. On September 13, Zolciak posted a photo of the couple kissing, writing in the caption, “Wrapped up in you.” Zolciak also posted a sweet tribute to her husband for his birthday on Instagram on September 13. In the caption, Zolciak wrote, “Happy 35th Birthday to the love of life! We had such a fun day yesterday I forgot to post! Boy did I rob the cradle with you and I’m so glad I did! You amaze me daily somehow, someway …. everyday 🙏🏼 although it’s annoying that you know everything literally 🙈😉😂 You are the most INCREDIBLE DADDY on this planet, an incredible husband and I love every minute we spend together…”
Other ‘Real Housewives of Atlanta’ Stars Were Critical of Zolciak’s Relationship With Big Poppa
When Zolciak was dating Najjar, many of her fellow Real Housewives of Atlanta castmates disapproved of their relationship. In particular, NeNe Leakes was very critical. During the season 1 reunion of The Real Housewives of Atlanta, Leakes infamously said to Zolciak about Big Poppa, “Close your legs to married men, Kim!”
According to People, in 2009, Leakes also wrote about Zolciak in her book Never Make The Same Mistake Twice, “Every dollar that chick has is somebody else’s husband’s money.”
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