“Southern Charm” star Salley Carson found herself right back in cowboy territory at BravoCon 2025 — and Bravo and Cocktails readers already know why this run-in mattered. After months of fan speculation sparked by Salley’s first known public interaction with Steven McBee Jr. (yes, the infamous August fire-emoji moment) and a sighting of the two at a Missouri event, the BravoCon reunion energy was bound to get weird. And according to Salley? It absolutely did.
Salley Says Her ‘McBee Dynasty’ Run-In Was “Weird” and Talks ‘Southern Charm’ Season 11
“The McBee boys are here. That was a weird run-in,” Salley, 30, told Us Weekly at BravoCon. “It was just a little awkward.”
Fans will remember that Salley and Steven Jr. first raised eyebrows on August 31, when Steven Jr. posted a shirtless boat photo from Fort Lauderdale — and Salley dropped a fire emoji in the comments. That tiny spark kicked off an instant frenzy.
The only time they were ever spotted together IRL came weeks later, when we at Bravo and Cocktails posted an exclusive video of Salley and Steven Jr. at a Missouri event connected to Craig Conover. That single clip was enough to fuel weeks of fan theories… even though Salley insists things were never that deep.
“It was, like, a second,” she said when asked if anything romantic happened. Rodrigo Reyes, sitting beside her, immediately chimed in with, “Wow, I bet he’s gonna love to hear that.” Salley tried to clarify — kind of. “No, not like that. I mean, kind of like that,” she said, laughing.
She added that she “vibed” more with Steven Jr.’s brothers — Jesse, Cole and Brayden McBee — and other family members. “He’s amazing but our personalities didn’t match,” she explained.
Still, fans will get plenty of romantic chaos from Salley when “Southern Charm” season 11 premieres on Wednesday. She teased shifting alliances and a changing perspective on Craig Conover. “I love Craig, yeah, but there’s sides to all of us that are ugly,” she said. “I think we all saw every side of each other this season.”
Rodrigo, 40, said Craig, 36, reverts to “old Craig” following his breakup from Paige DeSorbo. “He’s trying to run the straight and narrow path, and now he’s back to being a little bit of a party boy,” he explained.
He added that season 11 finally feels like “the old Southern Charm,” with cast members dropping the performative narratives and letting things get messy on their own. “Everyone’s natural, loose and letting it be,” Rodrigo said.
As for Salley? She’s bracing herself. “I don’t know if I’m excited about myself,” she joked. “I’m most nervous to see all the mess unfold.”
