Kim Zolciak’s ex Lee ‘Big Poppa’ Najjar from RHOA has died, reports say

ATLANTA — While he may not have been seen during the early years of “Real Housewives of Atlanta,” Lee Najjar, otherwise known as Big Poppa, was definitely known to fans of the show.

The ex-boyfriend of former cast member Kim Zolciak has died at age 68, according to People.

Najjar’s daughter posted on Instagram that he had passed on Tuesday. His cause of death has yet to be released.

Zolciak and Najjar had dated in the early seasons of the show, but he was never named or seen. Zolciak just referred to him as “Big Poppa.”

He is also credited with funding her extravagant lifestyle early on in the show.

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“We were engaged. And he’s a great person,” Zolciak told People in an interview in 2008. “He’s still a part of my everyday life at this point. I don’t know what the future holds. I’m crazy about him. And he’s great to my girls.”

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Their relationship became controversial during the early seasons of the show over speculation that Najjar was still married.

“He is legally married, but he’s estranged from his wife,” Zolciak told People at the time. “It’s kind of like Shereé [Whitfield]. I always give this analogy. Shereé’s been going through a divorce for three years. Sometimes things take a while to move forward.”

In 2009, Zolciak said that the two had broken up, but then began dating again in 2010. They would officially end things shortly after.

Zolciak would go on to marry former Atlanta Falcons player Kroy Biermann. The two are currently going through a bitter divorce.

Najjar was a wealthy Atlanta real estate investor. He is survived by his wife Kimberly and children Katelin and Jeremy.

Kim Zolciak’s ex Lee ‘Big Poppa’ Najjar from RHOA has died, reports say

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