‘Southern Charm’: Who Is Kathryn’s Former Florida State Senator Boyfriend, Joe Abruzzo?

What’s this, a new man for our Kathryn Dennis? As she revealed on the latest episode of Southern Charm, Kathryn was indeed dating a new man, and as she tells Naomie, “This is the first person I’ve dated since Thomas that I feel a connection with, but if Thomas finds out, which he has not yet, he’s gonna flip his shit, especially with all this stuff going on.”

But hey, we wanted to know who was making Kathryn so smitten, so just as Craig was “just being nosy, I one day Googled the guy,” we did the same thing. Here’s what you need to know”

Who is Joseph Abruzzo?

Well, first of all, he’s the man who kept Kathryn from attending Naomie’s party at her family’s restaurant, Nico, because, as Kathryn relayed, “He’s flying me to Boca because that’s where he lives.” She also admits, “Apparently, I have a type,” going on to list, “He’s a senator. He’s a Democrat though,” which causes Naomie’s mouth to drop open. The good news about her “type” is that this guy is only 38 years old, and not, you know, nearly twice her age.

It’s true, Joseph, who Kathryn prefers to call “Joe,” was a Democratic State Representative in Florida who passed 50 bills during his time in office. Beginning at 28 years old, after he served in the Coast Guard, he served two terms in the House before being elected to the state Senate and then one more in the House before he announced that he would not seek reelection in 2018.

He hasn’t quite abandoned politics forever, as last year he told the Sun Sentinel, “I’ve spent my entire life in public service, so I can see myself wanting to return, in some years, if the voters will have me.” Oh, right, that last part. The reason he didn’t seek reelection is that he was a little busy with a messy and public divorce with his wife Brandy Smith Abruzzo and wanted to focus as much time as he could with son, Joseph Abruzzo II.

The two were married in 2014 and filed for divorce in 2015, but it was December 2017 when his estranged wife took to Twitter to accuse him of domestic abuse as well as being a “scam artist and narcissist,” according to the Tampa Bay Times.

Apparently Kathryn had not done as much Googling as Craig when she met him at a Dolphins game last fall, explaining that, “He was there, we talked, we hung out.”

“I really like him a lot,” she gushed to her pal.

But as Craig sums it up for Chelsea, “He’s a disgraced politician in Florida who’s not running for reelection because of this divorce. His wife is accusing him of being physically abusive.”

But what Kathryn liked about him was that “He’s kind, he’s got a three-and-a-half-year-old son, and he wears sunless tanner, like me.” He did tell her that he has a “psycho ex” and Kathryn admitted that “She has a mug shot just like Thomas.”

“Everything that we know about Kathryn and Thomas’s relationship is everything that this guys ex-wife is saying about him,” Craig summarizes.

“I want to be happy for Kathryn but this kind of sounds exactly what Thomas would say to a new girlfriend about Kathryn,” Naomie says. “That’s a red flag waving this big in front of Kathryn’s face.”

So instead of attending the Nico party, Kathryn was apparently “flying to New York with her guy,” according to Danni, who also explains that he wasn’t “technically divorced yet, it’s been a three and a half year separation.” But hey, it’s a win that he hasn’t been to prison!

Is Kathryn still dating Joseph Abruzzo?

Luckily, no she is not. Kathryn has moved on to a guy that is closer to her age with (hopefully) less baggage and lots more musical talents.

Who is Kathryn Dennis dating now?

Kathryn is currently dating musician and former America’s Got Talent contestant, Hunter Price, 26, a current Nashville resident seen here, performing in Patricia’s living room.

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Gearing up for the new season with 2 hot mamas @hunterpricemusic @kathryndennis @madison.lecroy @krollthewarriorking and @caconover #southerncharm #overload

A post shared by Patricia Altschul (@pataltschul) on May 6, 2019 at 12:57pm PDT

And he’s got her friends’ approval too! As Kathryn, Patricia, and Craig exclusively told Decider earlier this month, they’re all big fans of Hunter, who Kathryn has been dating since January.

“I never thought this would happen for 10 more years. Minimum 10,” Kathryn confessed.

“He’s attractive, he’s a gentleman, he’s charming, and he’s very protective of Kathryn. He’s a nice guy,” Patricia said.

Craig agreed, noting that “He’s a great singer,” and that he’s “really easy to get along with and you can tell he cares about Kathryn.”

“He’s really easy to talk to and get to know,” Kathryn confirmed. “He’s not too guarded, he’s very open. And he’s not from Charleston which is refreshing.”

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