The Big Apple isn’t always so sweet.
One year after second-generation reality royals Ariana Biermann, Riley Burruss, Brooks Marks, Ava Dash, Gia Giudice and the rest of the Next Gen NYC gang documented their new lives away from their famous folks, Bravo’s young stars are ready for another season of drama starting Wednesday, June 24.
A major plot point involves the breakup of on-and-off high school sweethearts Hudson McLeroy and Ariana, 22, who announced their split three months after season 1’s July finale. “I can deal with scrutiny for myself. I can deal with it from the world. I’ve kind of dealt with that my whole life,” Ariana exclusively tells Us Weekly. “But I’ve never wanted to hurt him.”
Though there’s been speculation that the two have reconciled, she hints at some rocky season 2 moments between them: “Obviously nobody wants to see the person they’ve been with forever with somebody else, and I think that’s going to be tough. But what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.”
Another big change? The cast is more confident now that they have an entire season — and its aftermath — under their belts. “Our parents were obviously a big part of our lives,” Riley tells Us, “but now we’re seen more as individuals.”
Cast members Emira D’Spain, Charlie Zakkour, Shai Fruchter and Georgia McCann also return, and newbies Liam Obergfoll and Rowan Henchy join the fun — and friction.
“We’re a group of ambitious, independent young adults,” Liam teases. “That lends itself to some fun times, some weird times and some chaos.”
Before new episodes return, Us got to chat with every cast member in their first interview ahead of season 2. Keep reading to see what they experienced in the Big Apple.
And Next Gen NYC season 2 premieres on Bravo Wednesday, June 24, at 9 p.m. ET. Stream episodes the next day on Peacock.
Ava Dash
After jump-starting her modeling career, Ava, 26, is ready to conquer New York City all by herself. “I pay all my own bills,” the daughter of record exec Damon Dash and fashion designer Rachel Roy tells Us. “I work very hard. If I didn’t do that, I wouldn’t be able to live in this city.” This season, as the activist and author navigates a “whole new chapter,” she finds herself in some “silly” drama with certain cast members. “I don’t want to seem like I’m gossiping,” the Manhattan native teases. “Let’s just get out of your head and get into it.” Say no more — we are ready to get into it!
Ariana Biermann
The thought of reliving season 2 makes Ariana, 24, “actually want to throw up,” she says. In addition to moving through a public breakup from Hudson, the former Don’t Be Tardy star finds herself navigating a love triangle and anger toward certain costars. “It’s definitely my crashout season,” Ariana, 24, tells Us. “And also my life-lesson season.” As cameras capture raw emotions from Kim Zolciak’s daughter, she promises to always keep it real and speak her truth. “I definitely lived very authentically to myself and how I was feeling in the moment,” she says, “which I feel might bite me in the ass a little bit.”
Hudson McLeroy
Hudson, 24, still isn’t sure whether he’ll be watching season 2. “It was difficult with the breakup,” he tells Us about his split from Ariana. “I was also trying to run a business out of Atlanta at the same time, so it was a lot of things at once.” Though he’s staying mum on where he and Ariana stand today, Hudson is “excited to see what everybody has to say” about their dynamic. Whether or not things are romantic, “Ariana and I will always be close,” he says. As for the upcoming seasons: “Just put on your seat belts and strap in.”
Georgia McCann
Before cameras rolled on season 2, creative strategist Georgia, 24, knew she had to do something crucial. “I was really unhappy with my hair the whole first season,” she says. “I literally couldn’t believe it.” Her first move was a keratin treatment. After that, the priorities were building new businesses and repairing broken friendships. “It’s very messy,” she says about season 2. “It’s a whirlwind.” But, Georgia reminds any potentially judgy viewers, “We’re kids in our 20s at the end of the day. Your 20s are for figuring things out for real.”
Charlie Zakkour
Love him or hate him, club kid Charlie, 30, wasn’t interested in changing for the cameras after surviving season 1 — and real-life headlines linking him to legal issues, for which he was never charged. “There are certain topics I decided to steer clear from,” he says, “but I don’t think I approached [season 2] much differently.” Charlie’s not-so-cautious antics this time around include a flirtation with Ariana and “lots of surprises,” he says, as some cast members find themselves isolated from the group. “Georgia was very much on the outs,” he says of his former friend. “I’m in with at least half the group.”
Brooks Marks
“It definitely was not an easy season,” Brooks, 26, tells Us. In fact, says the son of Real Housewife of SLC Meredith Marks, it showed “how strong my aversion to conflict was.” With this friend group, though, navigating tough conversations is as important as being able to navigate the New York City subway. “There was definitely some sort of roller coaster we were on, and this car just went off of it,” he says. “It was off the rails.” Even amid the drama, Brooks makes time to work on his clothing line and find peace with his boyfriend, whom he affectionately calls “my person.”
Riley Burruss
Riley, 23, was the resident grown-up in season 1, and now she’s leveling up even more. “We’re really seeing me trying to figure out what adulthood looks like for me,” she says. “I’m starting to place the puzzle pieces.” She calls season 2 “hectic,” but the former Real Housewives of Atlanta star — and daughter of Kandi Burruss — remains “solid” with a majority of the cast. She does admit, though, that some scenes will be hard to relive. “I think all of us are going to have a difficult time watching everything back,” the New York University grad tells Us. “We have different views of life, so sometimes it’s hard to mesh.”
Emira D’Spain
Emira, 29, is ready to open up like never before in season 2 — even if it comes at a cost to her closest friendships. “There’s a lot of bonding and boundaries,” she tells Us. “I would describe the season as messy.” While Emira is trying to work things out with Charlie after “he really throws our friendship for a loop,” things with Georgia seem less hopeful. “I personally am OK with the way things are right now,” she says — meaning she’s fine with their lack of a relationship. “I feel like there needs to be more time. You’ll see it play out.”
Liam Obergfoll
Confident and determined, newcomer Liam, 29, has no problem balancing his life as a ski instructor, a volunteer firefighter and an actor. He’s not quite as good at steering clear of drama with his new group of friends. “I don’t love when it finds me,” he says, “but if it finds me, I’m ready to handle it.” Liam gets himself into trouble after setting his sights on newly single Ariana, and he knows he may end up in the hot seat with his castmates once the season airs — or even big daddy Andy Cohen. “If I’m in it, I’ve got to turn it around on someone else,” he jokes.
Shai Fruchter
Shai, 26, doesn’t know why, but he always finds himself in the middle of drama.“I just accidentally get myself into a little bit of tough positions here and there,” he tells Us. “It’s always been kind of a theme in my life.” After a job loss and a breakup, this season’s Shai is ready to launch his upcycled vintage clothing line, About Time, and finally see what New York City has to offer. He also develops an unexpected bond with Charlie. “I think it’s fresh,” he says about season 2. “It’s exciting but also very vulnerable.”
Rowan Henchy
Brooke Shields tells Us she was nervous about her daughter doing reality TV, but Rowan was ready. “I can go and get a coffee and she’s stressed,” she jokes about her mama bear’s worry. “She’s a mother.” The Hollywood icon did give her daughter some advice: for Rowan to just be herself. For the 23-year-old Manhattan native, that meant stepping back from drama anytime there was miscommunication within the group. Looking back, Rowan has “no regrets.” “I would gladly do this again,” she says. “I now have a friend group that I know I can text at any given moment.”
Gia Giudice
Even though she grew up on The Real Housewives of New Jersey, Gia, 25, had to come to terms with striking out on her own with season 1. “This isn’t our mom’s show,” she tells Us about moving out of the family house. “It’s OK to leave home, and my family will be OK without me. I think that was a big pill for me to swallow.” Boyfriend Christian Carmichael remains Gia’s No. 1 supporter, she says, and the content creator spends a lot of season 2 trying to correct misconceptions about her. “I’m actually super sweet,” she says, “and my intentions are always so pure.”
For more from the Next Gen NYC cast, pick up the latest issue of Us Weekly — on newsstands now.
