Tragic Details About Southern Charm's Kathryn Dennis
Bravo's docu-series "Southern Charm" follows a group of socialites as they navigate the ins and outs of life and love in Charleston, South Carolina. While the Southern town is known for its hospitality, the cast of the series isn't afraid to throw some shade. In a town as small as Charleston, gossip doesn't stay secret for long. The show has spanned nearly a decade of drama since it graced our television screens in 2014, and each season new characters bring new controversy. While Southerners are known for their polite manners, the same can't be said for the cast of "Southern Charm." We've seen plenty of scandals, cast shake-ups, break-ups, and extravagant booze-filled cocktail parties that have entertained us season after season.
Kathryn Dennis has been a part of the show since its debut, and she's no stranger to controversy — since she's usually the center of it. Nothing soils faster in a small Southern town than one's reputation, and no one knows it better than Dennis. She battled backlash from the start of the series for dating Thomas Ravenel, a controversial character who is nearly 30 years her senior. The television personality shares two children with the former South Carolina state treasurer (who was disgraced after being indicted on cocaine charges), and the two have been involved in custody battles for years since they split in 2016. With Dennis fired from the show in 2023 after eight seasons, it only makes sense we break down all the tragic details about the "Southern Charm" star.
She was fired from 'Southern Charm'
Kathryn Dennis has been a "Southern Charm" staple for nearly a decade, and the news of her exiting the series in 2023 shocked the Bravo universe. As per The Sun, the reality television star was demoted from a full-time cast member to a guest role for Season 9. Dennis decided to decline the offer to appear as a guest, ultimately leaving the show behind. The decision came after insiders on the show revealed that Dennis had a history of bad behavior, including her showing up late and disagreements between her and her cast mates and crew.
"I hear filming has wrapped on the latest season and she didn't shoot at all, even though they offered her a guest appearance," a source told The Sun. "It's surprising really as she has money troubles and has never had a real job, but she was being picky. To Kathryn, it's all or nothing." Dennis is grateful for her time on the show, however, one she became a part of at just 21 years old. "Y'all watched me grow up, become a mom to two amazing children, and build friendships I'll always treasure," she said in a statement to People. "I'll be carrying that love with me as I enter this next chapter of my life, away from the 'Southern Charm' lens. I'm thankful for Bravo, the producers at Haymaker and my Charleston cast mates for everything." Since the announcement of her leaving the show, Dennis has started an OnlyFans account where she offers monthly subscriptions at $14.99 a month.
Does Kathryn Dennis have a drinking problem?
In the wake of her being fired from "Southern Charm," sources close to Kathryn Dennis claim that the mother of two may be struggling with alcohol abuse. It wouldn't be the first time Dennis's drinking has been called into question — as the Bravo star was arrested in 2012 for underage drinking and disorderly conduct. Over a decade later, her past may be coming back to haunt her — as insiders say her friends and family are pushing her to seek treatment. "She was so messed up on the last season, drinking too much and coming to work hungover," a source told The Sun, adding, "They often had to edit her out, and this is one of the reasons she was cut as a main cast member on the show ... She does still have a few people supporting her, but even her family is sick of her sh**."
Dennis previously sought treatment in 2016 for marijuana use after she failed a drug test and lost custody of her two children, Kensington and St. Julien. The "Southern Charm" star opened up about the effect rehab had on her, telling People, "Staying sober, putting 100 percent into being the best mom, and learning the court system got me to an even playing field," she said. "No matter what your struggle is, you really will do anything to protect your children." The statement fell on deaf ears for her ex Thomas Ravenel, however, who later accused his baby mama of appearing on a May 2019 episode of "Watch What Happens Live" intoxicated.
If you or anyone you know needs help with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
She's battled depression
Kathryn Dennis got candid about her struggles with mental health when she opened up to her castmate and close friend Shep Rose. During Season 5 of "Southern Charm," she revealed that she takes medication for depression after her castmates became concerned that she had disappeared. "It's simply, like, I fell off the grid because I deal with depression and I stopped taking, like, my meds that one week, 'cause I thought I was good," Dennis admitted. She went on to reveal that people associate her absence from the social scene as a sign she has a substance abuse problem, a label she continues to battle.
In 2018, the Bravo star was dealing with the aftermath of her ex Thomas Ravenel's former partner Ashley Jacobs — who infamously called Dennis an egg donor. After her friends and castmates couldn't get in touch with her for a week, the mother of two revealed she purposely shut off her phone and took some personal time. The television personality was previously diagnosed with anxiety and depression following her stay in a treatment facility in 2016 for marijuana use. She went on to reveal she suffered negative effects after she chose to stop taking the anti-depressants she was prescribed. Dennis admitted that while she thought it was okay to stop using the medicine, her anxiety worsened. "Getting this diagnosis gave me some relief as to why I was choosing, irresponsibly, to numb out those emotions," she revealed on the show. "That being said, I now take anti-depressants."
If you or someone you know needs help with mental health, please contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741, call the National Alliance on Mental Illness helpline at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), or visit the National Institute of Mental Health website.
She lost her custody battle
It's been a rocky ride for Kathryn Dennis and Thomas Ravenel ever since their split in 2016. As if their relationship on the show wasn't explosive enough, their custody battle involving their two children is just as tumultuous. Following her breakup with Ravenel, Dennis failed a drug test over marijuana use and checked herself into rehab to undergo treatment. After initially losing custody of her two children, Kensington and St. Julien, she ultimately got sober again and was awarded 50-50 custody in 2017.
Dennis filed for sole custody of her children in 2018 following multiple women accusing Ravenel of sexual assault. In 2019, Ravenel settled the case, and the judge ordered temporary joint custody for the co-parents. There was a brief lapse for Dennis in 2021 when her 50-50 rights were demoted to weekend visitations, and the reality star lost her temporary custody rights for reasons unknown — due to court records being sealed.
More courtroom drama surfaced again in 2023 when Ravenel was awarded permanent sole custody of the two children. He confirmed the news to All About The Tea revealing, "I make all the parenting decisions. Kathryn has the right to supervised visitation by an approved supervisor between the hours of 9:00 am — 7:00 pm, every other weekend." The former politician went on to add that Dennis is not allowed to spend the night with the children. Insiders revealed to The Sun that the decision came after the Bravo star failed several drug tests.
If you or anyone you know needs help with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
Her late mother was her best friend
Kathryn Dennis is no stranger to tragedy. The "Southern Charm" star lost her mother Allison, who was just 59, in 2019 after a long battle with cancer. On her first Mother's Day without her mother, Dennis took to Instagram to remember her. "Miss ya MoMo. Especially dancing with you in the kitchen, shaking our laffy taffy and furrrsure [sic] your pound cake. Still can't find that recipe," she wrote, adding, "You are missed."
The reality television personality admitted to People that her mother was her best friend, revealing that she took care of Allison in her home while she battled the disease. "It's great to have her around, especially because she's so good with the kids. She's amazing. She's the best mom I could ever hope for with everything," Dennis said in April 2019.
Dennis has leaned on her father Luke in hard times, with whom she is incredibly close. She shared an Instagram tribute to him on Father's Day, just months before her mother's passing. Following Dennis's decision to leave "Southern Charm" sources revealed to The Sun that the star is living with her father, as of this writing. The mother of two posted Instagram Stories from the plantation in Moncks Corner, where her father has resided since her mother passed.
She got into a car accident with her children
Just days before her mother lost her battle with cancer in 2019, Kathryn Dennis was involved in a car accident. The mother of two was driving with her kids in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, at the time of the incident, which involved her vehicle hitting a guardrail, three trees, and two light poles. The accident occurred after Dennis says she lost focus on the road due to her children in the backseat. The "Southern Charm" star wasn't given a ticket for the crash, and she and her kids walked away uninjured.
It wasn't the best month for the Bravo star, who got in yet another accident just weeks later. According to police reports (via ABC News), Dennis rear-ended the car in front of her after a line of cars on the highway came to a stop. It triggered two more crashes, with the two cars in front of her colliding with the cars in front of them. At the time of the crash, Dennis was driving at 18 miles per hour while the other vehicles were at a standstill. The "Southern Charm" star was issued a citation, although no individuals in the four cars involved were harmed.
She was evicted
Kathryn Dennis's troubles have seemed to follow her following her exit from "Southern Charm." As per documents obtained by Radar, the reality star received an eviction notice in March 2023 from East Bay Apartments. The television personality has been hit with eviction notices twice before in 2022, but she settled those cases out of court.
Weeks after being served the eviction notice in 2023, Dennis settled the dispute and moved out of her apartment. The mother of two paid anywhere from $1,640 to $2,725 a month for her former unit. Dennis has reportedly started selling her personal belongings on Facebook since the eviction notice, and she's posted Instagram Stories from her father's property leading fans to believe she is residing with him at Monck's Corner.
The news of Dennis's move comes amidst insider claims that she is struggling with finances. "I was not shocked to see that Kathryn has made an OnlyFans page," a source told The Sun, adding, "She's never had a 9 to 5 job so she found another way to make fast income on her time." Her ex-partner Thomas Ravenel has seconded that notion, previously mentioning his children's mother's finances in a past custody battle in 2020. "Kathryn has made hundreds of thousands of dollars over the past few years as a reality TV star yet is consistently broke," court documents obtained by The Sun read. He went on to claim that the reality star has spent an exorbitant amount of money on a wardrobe while neglecting to pay her water bill.
She opened up about having an abortion
Kathryn Dennis has quite the history with her ex Thomas Ravenel, but things got heavy in 2016 when the Bravo star decided to have an abortion. Dennis and Ravenel briefly reconciled in 2015 after the birth of their second child St. Julien, leading the Bravo star to become pregnant in 2016. Court documents obtained by the Daily Mail state, "This time, I did not believe that Thomas and I would ever get back together... I didn't think we could handle a third child. Accordingly, I had an abortion in February of 2016," as per Dennis's account.
The documents were in relation to a previous custody case in 2019. According to the papers, the reality television personality underwent the procedure to terminate the pregnancy before her 2016 rehab stint. Ravenel's lawyers had previously claimed that Dennis chose to enter a treatment facility to avoid news breaking about her abortion. The "Southern Charm" star refuted this claim, however, stating that she had a complication called Menorrhagia involving a uterine lining buildup after undergoing the procedure. "'This medical complication arising from the February abortion occurred while I was in rehabilitation, but I still finished the 30-day program and was discharged. I was not pregnant while in rehabilitation," Dennis stated in court documents.