Salley Carson is not staying quiet.
The “Southern Charm” star is publicly defending costar Austen Kroll after what many fans are calling an uncomfortable and insensitive interview on “The Viall Files” podcast.
“It honestly kinda broke my heart for him,” Salley told SiriusXM’s Page Six Radio on February 10, referring to Austen’s January appearance on the podcast. “I called him and made sure he was OK. I’m like, ‘I am so sorry, that must have been just really hard.’”
Salley said the questioning about Austen’s late sister, Kyle, “came out of nowhere” and that she could tell he was visibly uncomfortable.
The Austen Kroll Interview That Sparked Backlash
During the January 7 episode of “The Viall Files,” cohost Natalie Joy brought up Kyle’s death within the first 10 minutes of the show.
“Going into your childhood, I didn’t know this about your sister passing at 9,” Natalie said. “You obviously don’t have to answer, but my question [is] how old were you when that happened?”
Austen, who has spoken about the loss on “Southern Charm,” answered that he was just 7 years old when Kyle died during a family hike. He described the time after her death as the “dark ages” for his family.
“Then, my youngest sister came around and … was born and that quite literally was like our family rebirth,” he said. “We moved into a new house and it was, like, life could begin again.”
But the questioning didn’t stop there. Natalie followed up by asking whether Austen was present when Kyle fell and added, “What was this cliff?”
Listeners quickly criticized the tone of the interview, calling it “cavalier” and lacking “zero sensitivity.”
Salley Wants More Than a Private Apology
Salley confirmed that Nick Viall and Natalie both reached out to Austen privately.
“They definitely did apologize to Austen,” she said. “But I do think there should be a public apology for sure.”
She added, “I’m kinda like, ‘Are y’all not wanting to apologize because you don’t really want to admit it was wrong?’”
For Salley, the issue isn’t just about Austen being OK now. It’s about accountability.
“I’ve been friends with him for a while and haven’t asked [about Kyle],” she said. “That’s something that I feel like he should bring up when he’s comfortable.”
‘Southern Charm’ Costars Speak Out
Other members of the “Southern Charm” cast also weighed in.
Rodrigo Reyes commented “A POS” under a fan recap of the episode. On another post, he sarcastically wrote, “Hey stop it everyone! They’re too busy calling other people to clean up their mess to apologize. Have some compassion. 🤭.”
Leva Bonaparte echoed the sentiment, writing, “They 10000% owe not just @krollthewarriorking an apology but his whole family. They are such lovely people. I’m in shock that one hasn’t been issued yet. I gasped when I heard it. Anyone who thinks otherwise is unwell. He may have taken it gracefully that’s due to his character-it’s wasn’t OK.”
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