“Real Housewives of Atlanta” alum Kim Zolciak’s ex-girlfriend Lee “Big Poppa” Najjar has died at the age of 68.
The real estate investor’s death was confirmed via his daughter Caitlin’s Instagram Story on Tuesday.
She shared a video of herself and Najjar dancing in a car with the caption, “I love you,” along with dove and red heartbreak emojis.
Caitlyn paired the clip with Dani and Lizzy’s 2016 song “Dancing in the Sky.”
In another story, she shared a photo of a businessman in a classic black suit.
Najjar’s cause of death has not yet been determined. He is survived by his wife, Kimberly, and their children, Caitlin, Jeremy, Jared, and Jamen.
Meanwhile, Najjar and Zolciak started dating during the first season of “RHOA” in 2008.
The former housewife never revealed Najjar’s identity, instead referring to him as “Big Poppa,” the man who financed her lavish lifestyle.
When they were together, Najjar was separated but legally married to his wife.
Ahead of the Season 1 reunion, Zolciak shed light on their on-again and off-again romance and revealed that they had broken up.
“We were engaged, and he’s a wonderful person,” she previously told People. “He’s still part of my daily life at the moment. I don’t know what will happen in the future. I’m crazy about him. And he’s great for my daughters.”
“He’s legally married, but he’s estranged from his wife,” the former reality star added, explaining that “sometimes it takes a while for things to move forward.”
After breaking up in 2009, Zolciak and Najjar reconciled the following year, she later told the outlet.
According to TMZ, the Bravo alum previously called Najjar “the love of my life” during their breakup, saying, “But it’s time to move on.”
Zolciak was married to Daniel Torse from 2001 to 2003, and remarried her estranged husband Kroy Biermann in 2011. The two separated in 2023.
