Nick Viall and wife Natalie Joy are still catching heat for an interview they did last month with Austen Kroll. In a January interview with the Southern Charm star, Natalie made a sudden transition which listeners called “insensitive” and “unprofessional.”
During a discussion about his show, Natalie said, “Quickly jumping out of Southern Charm … I didn’t know this about your sister passing at 9.”
Austen’s sister died in a tragic accident while his family was on vacation. While visiting Chimney Rock, North Carolina, his sister Kyle fell off a cliff during a family hike. At the time, Austen was seven and his sister was nine. Previously, he’s spoken about how his sister’s loss affected his family.
One content creator is “reluctant to buy into the narrative that the woman ruined everything”
After Natalie so awkwardly introduced the personal tragedy, Austen appeared to be uncomfortable speaking about it. But she pressed on, asking questions like, “What was this cliff?”
While he initially stumbled to respond, Austen eventually replied, “I won’t even say the name of the town.” Though the discussion soon moved on, many listeners found the ham-handed way Natalie handled such a sensitive subject disturbing. After a clip was shared online, the Daily Mail shared fans’ displeasure with Natalie’s line of questioning.
“Maybe get some training on how to do your job professionally and with class,” one viewer wrote.
Another added, “You are TERRIBLE PEOPLE.”
Even Austen’s co-star Salley Carson expressed that her “heart broke” for Austen during her own interview. “That must have been, you know, just really hard,” she said.
Furthermore, this isn’t the first time The Viall Files has faced backlash over an unprofessional line of questioning. In December, Natalie incurred accusations of mom-shaming Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star Whitney Leavitt.
After Whitney landed the role of Roxie Hart in Chicago, Natalie questioned how she would balance motherhood with starring on Broadway. In the December 2 Viall Files episode, Natalie asked, “How is she managing, prioritizing being a mom and her kids? … I’m just so curious.”
Meanwhile, another content creator told the Daily Mail, “I am reluctant to buy into the narrative that the woman ruined everything. I think it is more a situation where Nick still says dumb things on a somewhat frequent basis.”
TELL US – SHOULD NATALIE HAVE ASKED ABOUT THE TRAGEDY? SHOULD SHE HAVE BEEN MORE SENSITIVE?
