NeNe Leakes Addresses Son Bryson's Shocking Arrest for the First Time, Says He 'Needs a Lot of Counseling'

NeNe Leakes is speaking out about her son Bryson Rashard Bryant's recent arrest for the first time.

While appearing on the Monday, July 24, episode of Carlos King's "Reality with the King" podcast, The Real Housewives of Atlanta alum opened up about her oldest child being charged with violation of probation in two cases, possession of a scheduled II controlled substance, loitering/prowling and giving a false name, address or birthdate.

"I spoke to him on the phone, I think he's doing OK," Leakes revealed while noting that Bryant is still behind bars at Gwinnett County Jail in Georgia on a $6,100 bond.

"He needs rehabilitation," the Glee actress said of the 33-year-old. "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. He's been in rehab for a couple of times and he still has come back out and relapsed."

Leakes — who also has a 23-year-old son Brentt Leakes with late husband Gregg Leakes — noted that despite the heartache, the only person who can truly help Bryant is himself.

"As a mom just to watch it, my hands are tied," she told the former RHOA executive producer. "[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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"I've spent so much money on trying to get Bryson where he needs to be," the ex-Bravo star admitted. "But every time I've sent him off is because I said, 'You are getting your a-- up and we are sending you off.' But I learned through counseling myself that he has to say, 'I'm ready to go,' not me making him go. So until Bryson is ready to make a change, [there's] nothing I [can] do."

Bryant was taken into custody before the July 4 holiday after he was found "loitering/prowling" around 1 a.m. at a home in Lawrenceville, Ga., after "evading police and claiming he knew the people that lived at the residence, which was false."