The former star of 'The Real Housewives of Atlanta' reveals that her 33-year-old son has been 'in rehab for a couple of times and he still has come back out and relapsed.'
- Jul 25, 2023
AceShowbiz - NeNe Leakes has broken her silence on his son's drug possession arrest. When addressing the matter, "The Real Housewives of Atlanta" alum said there's nothing she can do about Bryson's addiction because she's already tried her best to help him.
"He needs rehabilitation," the 55-year-old states on Carlos King's "Reality with the King" podcast, which preview was obtained by PEOPLE. "He needs a lot of counseling. Like many families out there, I have family members that are struggling with drugs and certain addictions. He has an addiction. He's been struggling with it for years. He's been in rehab for a couple of times and he still has come back out and relapsed."
NeNe admitted that it's been frustrating to see her son struggle, but there's nothing she can do until he's ready to help himself. "As a mom just to watch it, my hands are tied," she explains. "[There's] not much that I can do. For people who have had children or family members that have been on drugs, they know that they have to be ready. They have to simply be ready."
"I've spent so much money on trying to get Bryson where he needs to be," the former Bravo personality continues. "But every time I've sent him off is because I said, 'You are getting your a** up and we are sending you off.' But I learned through counseling myself that he has to say, 'I'm ready to go,' not me making him go. So until Bryson is ready to make a change, [there's] nothing I [can] do."
NeNe continues to elaborate, "He is [33] years old, he's an adult. He has three children - three beautiful children - who I adore. He has a wife. As a mother, I would never wash my hands of my child, right? But, I'm kind of numb to it because it's been happening for so many years. I'm just really kind of numb to the situation." She, however, reveals that she "spoke to him on the phone, I think he's doing OK."
Bryson was arrested on July 3 at around 1 A.M. at a home in Lawrenceville, Georgia for felony possession of Fentanyl, a Schedule II-controlled substance. In addition to the drug charge, he was hit with a misdemeanor "loitering/prowling" charge.
Bryson was booked into the Gwinnett County Jail at around 2:36 A.M. and his bond was set at $5,900. He was released at 12:20 P.M. During booking, he reportedly gave officers an address to a home that NeNe sold off years ago.
