Kim Zolciak Defends Daughter Ariana & Insists She ‘Was Not Impaired’ At Time Of DUI Arrest

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Kim Zolciak-Biermann, 44, has broken her silence following her daughter Ariana Biermann‘s DUI arrest on August 14. Ariana, 20, was reportedly involved in a car collision in Atlanta, Georgia and was subsequently arrested and cited for a DUI. But Kim claimed that isn’t the full truth in a message on her Instagram Story two days later. “Ariana was involved in a minor fender bender. When police arrived on the scene, the investigating officer immediately initiated an investigation for DUI of alcohol,” the Real Housewives of Atlanta alum wrote. “Despite Ariana’s constant invocation that she was upset and anxious from the minor accident, the officer incorrectly concluded she was impaired. That was not the case.”

Kim went on to explain more about what happened with Ariana that night, despite saying that the mother-daughter duo “have no desire to litigate this case in the media.” According to Kim, Ariana “was not impaired by any substance, including alcohol or marijuana. Since she was being cooperative and honest, she admitted to consuming marijuana the day before, meaning over 24 hours prior to her contact with the law.”

The former Don’t Be Tardy star claimed that her daughter was wrongfully charged with “impairment by alcohol” by the arresting officer. “She wholly denies these allegations and intends to fight these charges because she is not guilty of them,” Kim said.

At the time of her arrest, Ariana denied drinking any alcoholic beverages, though she did admit to smoking a THC vape pen the night before which her mom referenced in her message. Her driver’s license was taken away and she was booked in Forsyth County Jail and charged with three misdemeanors, including driving under the influence of alcohol, improper/erratic lane change, and underage possession/purchase of alcohol, according to the arrest report. She was reportedly released on $5,120 bond.

There’s some obvious differences between what Kim said about Ariana’s arrest and the details from the arrest report. For starters, the arresting officer reportedly smelled alcohol on Ariana’s breath, and also noticed that the 20-year-old had “a noticeable sway” at the time of a field sobriety test. The officer also apparently observed “four out of six clues” that she was intoxicated. Kim’s statement was near-identical to the statement that Ariana’s lawyer, Justin Spizman, gave to HollywoodLife.

In addition to Ariana, her boyfriend, Hudson McLeroy, was arrested for allegedly driving under the influence and allegedly furnishing alcohol to a minor and violating the conditions of his limited driving permit. It’s unclear if Hudson is also denying the allegations.