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BravoCon Returns In 2025 BravoCon

This Is Why Whitney Sudler-Smith Missed BravoCon 2022, According to His Mom

Plus, find out how Southern Charm matriarch Patricia Altschul felt when he was dating Naomie Olindo.

By Brad Witter

When the Southern Charm cast took the stage at BravoCon 2022 on Sunday, October 16, one person was noticeably missing: Whitney Sudler-Smith. Luckily his mother, Patricia Altschul, was on hand to excuse her son’s absence.

How to Watch

Watch Southern Charm on Peacock and the Bravo App.

During Day 3’s Southern Charmers panel, Craig Conover and Austen Kroll were the first to ask Patricia why he wasn’t there to join them. After noting that “Whitney would rather die” than come to BravoCon, several cast members chimed in, “That’s so true.” As the Southern Charm matriarch elaborated, “He is very private.”

That’s certainly evident when cameras are rolling. “I mean, he likes to come on and make snarky comments and then leave,” she joked. “He likes to kinda stir the pot and then stand back.”

Austen, for one, agreed, adding, “He likes to set the world on fire and then just walk away.”

Of course, another topic Patricia addressed during the BravoCon panel was Whitney’s fling with Naomie Olindo. “I’ve always loved Naomie,” she said. “She’s like a member of the family. She and Whitney have had a very close, respectful, loving relationship. And we’re still close. We see each other, we support one another, and couldn’t be nicer for Whitney and for me.”

As Naomie confirmed during the Southern Charm Season 8 reunion, she and Whitney are no longer dating, though they continue to be “great friends.”

Elsewhere at BravoCon, Naomie gave an update on her and Patricia’s friendship on BravoTV.com’s digital interview stage. After host Kate Chastain asked if Whitney’s mom treated Naomie any differently after they started hooking up, she replied in the negative: “She’s always been so nice, and you know, she’s our matriarch, really. So she’s super welcoming… I’m still really close to her.”

Shep Rose, for his part, noted that Patricia “desperately wants Whitney to be in a stable relationship,” prompting Kate to ask Naomie if there’s “still hope” for a romantic relationship. Her response? “No. Whitney and I are just friends.”

Watch Southern Charm on Peacock and the Bravo app.

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