Paige DeSorbo and Craig Conover’s relationship is long over, but a new Southern Charm and Summer House crossover romance may be brewing between Venita Aspen and Carl Radke! Dating rumors began when Venita and Carl both made very telling comments about one another at BravoCon.
Both Bravo stars had unsuccessful romances with their co-stars. On Southern Charm last season, Venita had a confusing situationship with Jarrett “JT” Thomas that ultimately ended with him blocking her. And Summer House viewers can’t forget the disastrous end of Carl’s engagement to Lindsay Hubbard.
So, it wouldn’t be surprising if Carl and Venita tried to date outside of their respective casts. But what’s really going on between these two? Here’s everything we know about Venita and Carl’s rumored romance so far.
Southern Charm’s Venita Aspen spills on her date with Summer House’s Carl Radke
Venita gave an update on her dating life when she appeared on the Not Skinny But Not Fat podcast. Venita revealed that, two weeks before the interview, she and Carl went on an official date. The Southern Charm star told podcast host Amanda Hirsch that their first date was “very nice.” The evening began at Soft Bar, Carl’s non-alcoholic venue. Venita said she got to “see the whole experience.”
The 32-year-old continued, “Then, we went to dinner at a Mexican restaurant around the corner.” The date went so well, Carl and Venita “had to be asked to leave” the restaurant and “shut the place down.” All in all, Venita revealed that the date “lasted for almost five hours. We were together, the whole day, for about five hours.” Sure sounds like the reality stars hit it off!
Venita gushed that Carl was “sweet.” And she made sure to be very mindful of his sobriety during their date. The fashionista revealed, “I literally texted him before we went on the date, and I was like, ‘Hey, like are you OK with if I drink?’ He was like, ‘Well, first of all, no one’s ever asked me that.’ I’m fine to not drink, and if someone’s trying to date someone or get to know someone better, they might not want their partner to drink. I was just like, ‘Oh, let me ask.’” Throughout the night, she just had one margarita.
Venita and Carl’s rumored romance made waves at BravoCon 2025
Romance rumors really kicked off after Venita and Carl’s comments about each other at BravoCon in November. On the Summer House panel, Carl shared, “I had a really nice time hanging out with Venita yesterday.” He gushed, “She’s beautiful, she’s really cool.” He revealed that they hung out when Venita visited the Hamptons house. So, expect to see Venita on Summer House Season 10. On another BravoCon panel, Venita said she would marry Carl in a game of FMK.
BravoCon wasn’t the first time the reality stars interacted. Or the first time Bravo fans shipped them together. In the podcast interview, Venita shared, “I feel like what really kind of sparked everything is when we did NBC Upfronts last year, there was a photo of us and our hands were just touching.” She continued, “Mind you, I never really thought anything about him until that moment. Then the internet blew it up.” After that, Venita admitted, she and Carl “kept being cheeky with each other.”
Which Summer House star played Cupid for Venita and Carl?
Both Carl and Venita confirmed that they were set up by his Summer House castmate Ciara Miller, who is good friends with Venita. Interestingly enough, Carl had a crush on Ciara on Summer House last season. Ciara also had a failed romance with Venita’s co-star Austen Kroll.
Recently, Ciara made headlines for defending Venita against backlash from Southern Charm viewers. Venita was criticized for her feud with Craig, which kicked off when she took Paige’s side in the public breakup. In a TikTok comment, Ciara wrote, “Imagine being the only black girl on a predominately white cast in the SOUTH. No one ever sees Venita’s side. And her cast only expects her to be submissive to their opinions and limelight.” While she didn’t name Craig specifically, Ciara also alleged that another main cast member refused to film with Venita. And, in doing so, tried to push her off the show.
Venita was asked about this elsewhere in the interview. She said that Ciara’s comment did help other people see her perspective. And she confirmed that Craig refused to film with her on Southern Charm this season.
While some Southern Charm fans are critical of Venita, others see her side. Many applauded Ciara for being a supportive friend. Who may even bring new love into Venita’s life! For now, we’ll have to keep watching to see if Venita and Carl’s connection turns into something more. But a five hour date is a promising start!
Southern Charm and Summer House are available to stream on Peacock.
TELL US – ARE YOU SURPRISED BY THIS SOUTHERN CHARM/SUMMER HOUSE CROSSOVER? DO YOU THINK VENITA ASPEN AND CARL RADKE WOULD MAKE A GOOD COUPLE?
