“My hands are tied”: RHOA alum NeNe Leakes opens up about her son Bryson’s arrest 

Real Housewives of Atlanta alum NeNe Leakes' son, Bryson Rashard Bryant, was arrested on July 3, 2023, for criminal possession of fentanyl, a controlled narcotic. He is currently held at Gwinnett County Jail.

As reported by People, Bryson was arrested on charges of “violation of probation, possession of a scheduled II controlled substance, loitering/prowling, and providing false name, address, or birthdate.”

Although this event occurred back on July 3, 2023, his mother has spoken out and shared her perspective. During a recent interview with Reality with the King podcast, NeNe Leakes answered many questions about her personal life and her son's arrest. In the podcast with Carlos King, she mentioned,

"I spoke to him on the phone, I think he's doing OK. He needs rehabilitation. 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."

In addition, The Real Housewives of Atlanta alum mentioned,

"As a mom just to watch it, my hands are tied. [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."

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NeNe Leakes discusses how she's taken steps to put Bryson Rashard Bryant on the right path

NeNe Leakes also revealed that she has spent so much money to get Bryson on the right track during the podcast interview. In addition, she explained that she couldn't help him unless he wanted to change himself.

The fact that Bryson Rashard Bryant has a family of his own, she explained how his actions over the years had made NeNe Leakes numb.

NeNe said,

"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."

NeNe Leakes has two children, Bryson Bryant from her previous relationship, and Brentt with Gregg Leakes. Gregg passed away on September 1, 2021. In addition, RadarOnline reports that Bryson Rashard Bryant has three children, Bria'asia, Brayden, and Lil Benny with Ashley Hill.

NeNe joined the cast of The Real Housewives of Atlanta in 2008, and on September 2020, she announced her departure from the show.

Throughout the show's seasons, her children also appeared. In the interview podcast, NeNe Leakes mentioned the following about how reality TV and being on camera affect her son's life.

She said,

"I don't think it helped. I wouldn't say that the sole cause of it, [but] it certainly didn't help because we started on television when Bryson was like in the 11th or 12th grade and Brent was in third grade. And, so they're, they're having to be in a light shine, a light shine on them that they did not ask for. People are picking them apart because of the job that I chose to do."

Additionally, she mentioned that she did not understand the effects addiction can have on a person because she had never experienced it herself.

Fans can watch the latest Real Housewives of Atlanta season 15 episode on Bravo on July 30, 2023.