NeNe Leakes Gets Candid About Son Bryson’s Addiction, Recent Arrest

NeNe Leakes is opening up about her son Bryson Bryant and his struggles with addiction.

In a preview for her interview on the “Reality With the King” podcast, the former Real Housewives of Atlanta star, broke her silence on Bryson’s most recent arrest.

According to reports, earlier this month, Bryson, 31, was booked on multiple charges in Lawrenceville, Georgia, including violating probation, possession of a schedule II controlled substance, loitering/prowling and giving a false name to a law enforcement officer after he allegedly told police he was his younger half-brother, Brentt Leakes.

NeNe Leakes with son Brentt Leakes and husband Gregg Leakes in New York City, November 25, 2014. (Photo by Walter McBride/WireImage)

Bryson “needs rehabilitation” and “a lot of counseling,” NeNe told podcast host Carlos King.

“He has an addiction. He’s been struggling with it for years,” she explained, adding that Bryson has been to rehab and relapsed multiple times.

“As a mom, just to watch it is — my hands are tied. You know, he’s 31 years old, he’s an adult. He has three children, three beautiful children who I adore. He has a wife. [There’s] not much that I can do.”

NeNe further pointed out that it has to be the person suffering from the addiction who needs to be ready to make a change — no family member or loved one can do it for them.

“I have spent so much money to get Bryson where he need to be, but every time I sent him off, I said, ‘You are giving your ass up and we are sending you off.’ But I learned through counseling myself that he has to say, ‘I am ready to go,’ not me making him go,” NeNe shared. “So until Bryson is ready to make a change, there’s nothing I can do.”

See full interview below: