Shep Rose grilled Craig Conover and Austen Kroll during the Southern Charm season 10 premiere after they ghosted him following his BravoCon blackout.
“What happened in Las Vegas was very sobering, no pun intended,” Shep, 44, confessed during the Thursday, December 5, episode of the Bravo series. “Something had to change. I went to Costa Rica for this psychedelic retreat for self-realization and examination and it was very powerful.”
The reality star recalled getting blackout drunk during BravoCon in November 2023, which he previously addressed during the season 9 Southern Charm reunion, which aired in January. At the time, Shep said he was “at a crossroads” with his sobriety.
Craig, 35, and Austen, 37, revealed they didn’t attend Shep’s come to Jesus’ powwow that he had with close friends in Charleston to talk about his drinking problem.
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While Craig and Austen told Shep during the reunion that they still loved him, Shep admitted in the season 10 premiere that he felt like he was abandoned by his costars.
“After Vegas I reached out to Austen and Craig, they sort of blew me off. I want them to understand how much they hurt me,” Shep said in a confessional, which was filmed in March. “Because when I have a problem for them to say, ‘No, thank you,’ is beyond anything that I’ve ever known about a friendship.”
He added: “My relationship with these guys, it’s kept me up many a night and a morning. It was like a lot of anger and pain.”
Craig and Austen agreed to go to Shep’s parents’ farm in Boykin, South Carolina, ahead of the Carolina Cup race to talk about their fractured friendship. “I want to have a relationship with Shep again. I miss him,” Craig told Austen as they drove together to the farm. “We see each other at the gym and it’s pretty surface level. It’s not what it used to be.”
Once the guys arrived at Shep’s family home, he sat them down and didn’t mince words about the hurt he felt. “After Vegas, I was like, ‘I think I’m a little out of control and I don’t know what’s going on internally.’ And if anybody can give help, guidance, support or harsh correction it’s us, right?” Shep said. “And you guys didn’t do any of that. That hurt more than you’ll ever know.”
Craig noted that Shep’s feelings were “fair” but pointed out, “The s— that you did in Vegas, you chose to get so f—ed up to put yourself in that position.” Austen agreed, saying that Shep “doubled down in Charleston,” which caused him and Craig to reevaluate their friendship with him.
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“It was after no one would talk to me,” Shep claimed, asking, “Don’t you understand? This is friendship.”
He reminded Austen that they “used to talk” two to three times a day before the blackout drama. “Craig, come on, we’ve known each other [for] 10 years,” Shep added, to which Craig replied, “But you affected my work. You sucked me in.”
Craig told the cameras that he “never shut the door on Shep until BravoCon” because he “instantly saw” that Shep was a “blacked-out mess” while on the stage for their Southern Charm panel. “I’m a business owner. I can’t be associated with Shep’s unhealthy behavior,” Craig confessed.
Shep was taken aback by Craig’s claims about his actions. “You’ve gotta be kidding me. The litany of things that Craig has pulled over the years is quite extensive,” Shep told the cameras. “For Craig to play the victim because of my actions, doesn’t really hit home for me.”
Back at the table, Austen admitted to Shep that he didn’t know if he was “being real” about wanting to change after BravoCon or if it was all talk. “At that moment, I made a choice,” Austen revealed, saying he told himself, “You need to set a f—ing boundary right now if this is going to be Shep’s behavior.”
Shep confessed, “I just didn’t know I was such a pariah. I mean, this is all news to me,” claiming, “It sounds to me like you don’t see relationships the way I do.”
Craig didn’t agree, arguing that Shep “f—ed up and you needed to never do that again” for him to back him completely.
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“I’ve heard about some bad nights you’ve had since New York [following the reunion],” Craig said, which Shep admitted was true. “What do you think I’m masochistic and I’m going to keep sticking around?” Craig asked.
Shep fired back, claiming, “You never stuck around,” but Craig argued that he did “for years.” Shep told Craig that he’s “not a charity case,” but he wanted Craig to “impart some of your journey” about getting sober with him. (Craig cut out liquor a few years ago, which he said “changed everything” for him.)
“Sometimes you need to step back from people, that’s all,” Craig confessed to Shep, who called out his friends and said that “communication” would have been nice. “Even if that lunch was, ‘This is how we feel and we’re gonna take a step back,’ that would be something I would’ve used,” Shep explained.
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Austen replied, “You’re right,” and Craig acknowledged that they should have told him they were taking a break “instead of just ghosting you.”
Austen later told the cameras, “With Shep, sometimes I’m like, ‘You are a son of a bitch and good f—ing riddance,’” noting that he’s previously had to stop Shep from getting arrested on King Street. “But at the same time, I don’t completely agree with how Craig can set boundaries, which is just a hard cut off.” Austen concluded, “At the end of the day, I f—ing love the guy.”
The conversation ended with Shep saying, “Let’s rest,” and Craig and Austen agreed. Craig then lightened the mood by accidentally breaking one of Shep’s chairs.
Ahead of the season premiere, Craig exclusively told Us Weekly that Shep’s ups and downs with drinking will be a “big part of this season.” He teased in June, “I think the viewer and us as friends — we’re basically like family — have a lot to look forward to for Shep’s future.”
Southern Charm airs on Bravo Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET.
