Kathryn Dennis Confirms ‘Southern Charm’ Exit Amid Rumors of Being Fired

It is official: Kathryn Dennis’ time on Southern Charm has come to an end. The reality star confirmed her exit last night (Jan. 11) following rumors of her firing from the Bravo reality series.

Dennis had been part of Southern Charm since its debut in 2014, first appearing as guest star in Season 1, which followed her on-and-off relationship with regular cast member Thomas Ravenel.

She was quickly promoted to a series regular in the second season and, over the years, gave insight into her custody battle with Ravenel over their two shared children and the aftermath of her stint in rehab.

“What a wild ride it’s been! Can you believe I was 21 when I first started filming Southern Charm, back in its first season? That was in 2013, and in the decade that followed, it’s safe to say my life changed in ways I could never imagine,” Dennis wrote in a statement announcing her exit.

She continued to express that things “haven’t always been easy” on the series and admitted that there are “moments” from the show she’d like to forget.

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Often entwined with the show’s drama, Dennis has had her fair share of controversies. In 2020, she was accused of racism after sending offensive messages to Black activist Mika Gadsden. Per Buzzfeed, Dennis reportedly sent over 20 direct messages to Gadsden, at one point, using a monkey emoji and calling her a “psycho.”

The situation was addressed on the series, which led to a feud between Dennis and her costar, Leva Bonaparte.

Nevertheless, Dennis’ exit comes as bad news to some fans, one of which has cried that “Southern Charm is over now” on Twitter. Another wrote, “Thank you Kathryn Dennis. She literally gave us SO much, including an amazing character arc. I’m going to miss her.”

In her statement, Dennis continued to look back on her time on the series with gratitude. “Y’all watched me grow up, become a mom to two amazing children, and build friendships I’ll always treasure. And through it all, the love y’all have shown for me not only gave me the strength I needed to tackle it all, but helped me realize that I wasn’t alone. I’m so grateful,” she shared.

The reality star wrote, “I’ll be carrying that love with me as I enter this next chapter of my life, away from the Southern Charm lens. I’m thankful for Bravo, the producers at Haymaker and my Charleston cast mates for everything, and I’m excited for whatever comes next.”

Dennis concluded her statement by saying, “If it’s anything like the last decade, it’ll be a memorable ride. LFG.”

Earlier this week, rumors circulated that Dennis’ role in the upcoming season of Southern Charm had changed, with The Sun claiming that she had been fired and Deadline reporting that she was demoted from the main cast. The alleged firing followed allegations of Dennis being late to set or being a no-show. “I know Bravo didn’t offer her a contract, but when you treat people poorly like she has, they finally get sick of it,” an insider told The Sun.

After confirming her exit from the show, Dennis posted a selfie with the caption, “In order to rise from its own ashes, a phoenix first must burn.”

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While Dennis’ future in the reality TV world is unknown, she has made it clear that she’s not disappearing from the public eye. Earlier this week, she joined OnlyFans and added the link to her exclusive webpage to her bios on Instagram and Twitter. “You probably know me from Southern Charm on Bravo but you don’t know the real me—at least not yet,” she wrote in her bio on her new platform.

Southern Charm Season 9 has not been given an official premiere date or cast, but new information is expected to drop soon, given that the previous season finished airing in October. When sharing the statement above with Decider, Bravo declined to comment on additional casting information.

You can stream Southern Charm now on Peacock.