Season 6 of Southern Charm has finally descended upon us. In the premier episode we met Austen Kroll’s new(est) girlfriend, Madison LeCroy. Madison is a clone of Jessica Simpson currently Patricia Altschul’s hair stylist and friends with Naomie Olindo, so she is already familiar to the group. She is also familiar with Austen’s lies tendency to have his cake and eat it too. After walking in on her beau having dalliances with two other women, she “forgave” him and continued the relationship.
Austen was able to talk his way out of that unfortunate circumstance, I guess it helps to have a television show. He certainly cannot fall back on his ambitious career choices. But what do Austen’s close pals think of his lady friend? In the trailer for the new season, we saw Madison tell Austen she thinks Shep Rose is a “bad influence” on him. But is Shep just an easy target, or does he really have some kind of leverage over how Austen behaves?
Meeting your partner’s friends and family can be a daunting process. While Madison has “charmed” (you’re welcome) most of the cast already, she has faced a roadblock in Shep. Austen spoke to Bravo’s The Daily Dish about the sensitive situation between his girlfriend and his buddy. “They just don’t get along. People don’t really go up against Shep much,” he explained. “A lot of people let a lot of things slide, but Madison does not. She’s very like, ‘You come at me, and I’ll take your legs out from under you.'” Apparently after Austen was busted ON VIDEO, (thank you, random hook up girls) Madison took it upon herself to have a revenge fling. Not the most mature response, but it does help with a storyline. Shep felt some type of way about this and found it to be trifling, at best. You know, Shep the relationship expert. Shep, the guy who has never dated the same girl twice in the history of Southern Charm. Shep, who at almost 40 years old, considers 2pm an appropriate wake-up time.
With that, Austen continued, “She thinks he’s an awful influence on me. No girl I’ve ever dated has liked Shep,” he said. “He’s the perennial bachelor. You go out with Shep, and they’re like, ‘What are you doing tonight, chasing women?’ So yeah, she thinks that he’s a bad influence on me.”
RELATED: Austen Kroll Explains What Happened When Girlfriend Madison LeCroy Caught Him With Two Women
Okay right, listen, Shep has his flaws but it isn’t like he is a horrible human being. He doesn’t kick dogs or generally trash people on the regular. Madison is well within her girlfriend rights to be worried about Austen going out on the town without her, but I’m not sure Shep can be blamed for his behavior. Austen has demonstrated some sketchy manners in the past when he dated the long-suffering Victoria, after his fling with Chelsea Meissner kind of ended. No one really wants to be told their man picked up their ex in a huge bear hug or cuddles with them on a chilly boat excursion.
Austen defended his friend by stating, “I can understand how people can perceive it as very surface type, like they go out, they get drunk together, they chase women, they go home, wake up, repeat. It’s not the truth. I think that [Madison] knows that I, of anybody, of anybody, I have the hardest time saying no to Shep,” he said. “So if he’s like, ‘All right, man, I’m right near your house. You want to meet up for a drink?’ And I could be in my PJs and be like, ‘All right, fine, let’s do this.’ So she sees that, and she’s not happy about it [laughs].” Um, yeah, this is not Shep’s fault.
RELATED: Southern Charm Season 6 Premier Recap: Austen Kroll Reveals Kathryn Dennis & Whitney Sudler-Smith Hookup
At the end of the day, his girlfriend is not happy because he had a three-way with a couple of chicks. She clearly doesn’t trust him, who would? But Shep is taking the heat for it. Austen concluded, “When it comes to telling you how it is, she’s, like, not gonna hold back. So you try and get in the way of what she wants to accomplish, you’re gonna catch a mouthful, that’s for sure,” he shared. “God, I love her, but man, is she tough.”
Maybe you need someone tough, dude. OR, don’t get into a relationship with someone and be wishy-washy. OR, Madison could wake up see the writing on the wall. This triangle will definitely play out on upcoming episodes of Southern Charm. Thus far, I can’t blame Shep for the actions of another thirty-something man.
TELL US- DO YOU THINK SHEP IS A BAD INFLUENCE ON AUSTEN? DO YOU THINK MADISON SHOULD HAVE BROKEN UP WITH AUSTEN AFTER SHE CAUGHT HIM WITH TWO OTHER WOMEN? DO YOU THINK MADISON AND AUSTEN WILL LAST?
[Photo Credit: Bravo]
