Southern Charm recap: Venita wants to have a tough conversation with Olivia

Madison LeCroy and Venita Aspen’s joint birthday party continued on Southern Charm season 8, episode five. Last week’s episode ended with Kathryn Dennis snapping at Naomie Olindo and the intense garden-themed lunch went on from there.

“Kathryn, I know everyone else attacks you at the table, but I’m not here to do that,” Venita said. Kathryn brought up earlier in the party how Venita asked, in not so many words, if she was raising her kids to be racist. The question insulted Kathryn, but it wasn’t resolved from there.

The conversation shifted to be between Venita and Olivia Flowers, who had a disagreement in episode two, and they walked off to talk privately. Olivia said that she had three girls coming at her at Naomie’s party, and Venita came back saying that Olivia had told her to calm down. 

“I was uncomfortable at the fact you walked away,” Venita said. “Because I heard you throw out the word ‘racist’ and I’m not about to stick around for that,” Olivia replied. 

Venita asked if she didn’t want to stick around for that because she’s racist or because she’s not racist. Olivia said that she was uncomfortable hearing that word so easily tossed out. 

Venita’s stance was that Olivia shouldn’t have walked away and should have addressed it, but Olivia said that her issues with Kathryn had nothing to do with her. “I think you had another agenda for this conversation,” Olivia said. The two agreed that their talk got them nowhere, and they would have to have a real conversation about it at another time.

Craig Conover and his long-distance girlfriend, Paige DeSorbo of Bravo’s Summer House, headed out for a drink. They talked about Craig’s ex-girlfriend, Naomie, who is in the same circle as him, so they still see each other. “I think being cordial and being friends are two very different things,” Paige said. 

Craig then started to pick Paige’s brain about situations that could happen between him and his ex of five years, like if they went to lunch together. “No, that would be crazy,” she said. 

Craig thought it would be fine to go to a restaurant with Naomie during the day, have a drink, and catch up. However, he ultimately agreed with Paige, noting that it would be especially shady since he hooked up with Naomie (more than once) recently.

Craig, Shep Rose and Austen Kroll headed from Charleston, South Carolina to Charlotte, North Carolina, Austen’s hometown. The mini boys’ trip was needed after they had been on the rocks since before the first episode even filmed. It was planned because Austen’s parents were moving out of his childhood home, and he also had a (successful) business meeting to sell his beer. 

When the guys met up at a bar afterwards, Shep brought up how his girlfriend, Taylor Ann Green, told him to be good on the trip. A year and a half ago, Shep had been unfaithful when he kissed another woman in a stairwell, something that appears to still bother Taylor. However, he didn’t want to discuss it any further at the moment.

Later on, Craig, Shep and Austen went out to continue their drinking (and bowling) for the evening. Taylor was texting Shep paragraphs of text messages, referring to their talk earlier when she told him to be good. “Please, I’m begging, don’t be defensive towards me,” she wrote. 

Shep left the guys to get cash out of the ATM, and ended up talking to a woman at the bar and buying her a drink. Craig and Austen chatted, and Craig said that both he and Austen (and “everyone”) know things that Taylor doesn’t. Maybe it wasn’t just a kiss in a stairwell after all?

Southern Charm continues on Thursday, July 28 at 9 pm ET on Bravo.