Go Backstage at the Southern Charm Season 9 Reunion to See Who's Texting Who and More Behind-the-Scenes Secrets
Find out what really went down backstage at the Southern Charm Season 9 reunion.
The countdown is on for the highly-anticipated Southern Charm Season 9 finale and the subsequent reunion, the latter of which saw Andy Cohen bring together the cast to hash out everything that's gone down in Charleston as of late.
In attendance were cast members Shep Rose, Olivia Flowers, Craig Conover, Taylor Ann Green, Austen Kroll, Madison LeCroy, Jarrett "JT" Thomas, Venita Aspen, and Leva Bonaparte, as well as friends Rod Razavi and Rodrigo Reyes. While fans will have to wait to see what sort of drama unfolded at the actual reunion, we're revealing a few behind-the-scenes details now since BravoTV.com was backstage with the cast as the prepared to take the reunion stage.
Read on to see who was texting who, which Charm-er felt "anxious in a good way," who was expecting a few "surprises," and more reveals from backstage at the Southern Charm Season 9 reunion.
Who the Southern Charm Cast Last Texted Before the Season 9 Reunion
It should come as no surprise that besties Craig and Austen were texting each other the morning of the reunion taping. Austen told BravoTV.com that Craig was the "obvious" answer to the question, and Craig provided some context to their conversation.
"I was at me and Paige [DeSorbo]'s apartment and I spoke to Austen, 'cause I was like, 'Hey, whatever happens today, don't take it too personally. Your life's not ending, but there's some stuff that you have to answer to.'"
Shep, meanwhile, revealed Taylor to be the last person he had texted before the reunion. "I want to make sure Taylor's okay," he said. "That's all I care about, is Taylor."
Taylor, for her part, last texted Rodrigo. Why? As she put it, "He was wondering if he should shave his mustache or not."
Rod was also chatting with Rodrigo, while Leva and Venita were texting Olivia.
Olivia herself named Madison, and Madison named Venita.
How the Southern Charm Cast Felt Going into the Season 9 Reunion
Taylor, much to her own surprise, was feeling relatively good going into the reunion. "I'm feeling confident, honestly — weirdly enough, feeling good and confident," she told BravoTV.com. "[I'm] ready to clear the air."
Olivia agreed, noting that she was "feeling good" but with "the usual jitters." "But I'm looking forward to getting this on with," she added.
What about first-time reunion attendees Rod and JT? Rod said, "I feel pretty good. I don't think I have a lot to defend. It'll be nice to button some topics up, but [I'm] feeling energized and ready to go."
JT, meanwhile, was feeling "a mix of nerves and excitement," he said. "I'm excited to be in there today."
Craig and Venita were also "excited" for the reunion, with the latter cast member adding, "I'm feeling 100 times better than I was last year. I'm happy to not be in the thick of it."
Why Shep and Austen Were Anxious Before the Reunion
On the more nervous side were Shep and Austen. As Shep told BravoTV.com, "I mean, I was strangely very anxiety ridden considering my season wasn't so bad. I feel anxiety for others that I care about, and anxiety over how and what I'm gonna say and what I need to say or want to say, because in the past things got lost, messages got lost with the wrong deliverance of said messages. And so I literally lay awake at night thinking about this day."
"I want everyone to walk away and say, 'Okay, that was fair,' and 'That was a lot of things that needed to be said,'" Shep added. "But I don't know. This season, man."
Austen expressed a similar sentiment, telling BravoTV.com, "I'm feeling anxious — anxious in a good way. I just honestly want to hash out and flesh out the things that need hashed out, and move the f-ck on."
What to Expect from the Southern Charm Season 9 Reunion
Craig's predictions for the reunion were simple. "What's really gonna happen is people are gonna say dumb sh-t, and I'm gonna correct them," he explained. "I don't have any agendas or motives or things to correct, but as they need correcting, I will do so."
Madison felt equally removed from the majority of the drama as well, telling BravoTV.com, "I don't think I have a dog in this fight, but sometimes [I'm] a little taken by surprise, so I'm ready."
Although, "I don't think anybody's gonna cross me if they have a brain," she added.
Like Craig and Madison, Leva was expecting an "easier year" for her than in the past. "I feel like I don't have 17 targets on my back," she said. "[But] I'm feeling a little anxious because I know it's been a really trying year for us."
Taylor, meanwhile, was ready to set the record straight. "We're gonna be touching on everything," she said, "and I look forward to clearing up everything."
Added Austen, "I think that there a few obvious people that I'm not the best with, but there are some real friendships here and things need to be talked about ... We'll see."
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