Shep Rose Talks Quitting Southern Charm

Getty Shep Rose returns to season 7 of "Southern Charm."

The new cast of Southern Charm looks a little different this year. Cameran Eubanks – who has appeared on the show since its beginning – announced in May that she will not be returning to season 7 of the Bravo reality show. Chelsea Meissner and Naomie Olindo also announced around that time they’d be leaving the show as well.

Eubanks was one of the few Southern Charm cast members who stayed on the show since season one, along with Shep Rose, Craig Conover, and recurring roles from Kathryn Dennis and Danni Baird. Rose recently confessed that both he and Eubanks were struggling to make a final decision for season 7.

“Last season was hard for me, and I’m not pointing fingers because I’ve pointed them at myself, as well,” Rose told ET on November 4. “I was disillusioned. I talked to Cameran and was like, ‘I don’t think I want to do this anymore,’ just because of social media…It’s just hard when people are hammering you…[and] it’s hard to block everything out.”

Last season, the 40-year-old had issues with all of his costars, especially with his close friends Craig Conover and Austen Kroll. Rose consistently criticized Conover for being single and prioritizing his sewing career over his law career. Kroll’s girlfriend Madison LeCroy started a rumor that Rose gave Baird an STI. Rose got revenge by bringing two women to a party that Kroll had previously hooked up with.

“Cam hasn’t been hanging out a lot lately with any of us,” Rose said in a confessional during the season premiere. “I think last year left a bad taste in her mouth. I sympathize with her, I didn’t like what happened either.”

Rose Said He Stayed for the Same Reason Eubanks Left

After last season’s antics, Shep Rose had to take a second and decide if he’d like to return to Southern Charm. While Cameran Eubanks decided to leave, Rose ultimately wanted to prove himself.

“I don’t think she sort of liked last season,” Rose told ET on November 4. “I don’t think she liked the tone of it – I sure didn’t, but I wanted to…continue and sort of let my soul shine through, hopefully. So, that was kind of my determining factor. I was like, let’s do this again, because we can do it better.”

Rose also confessed that because it’s reality television, nobody loves every moment. “We’re all going to bury our head in our hands in certain moments, but as long as it’s an even flow, and it peaks and troughs and stuff, then I can deal with it,” he told ET.

Shep Rose Weighed In on Austen Kroll & Madison LeCroy’s Relationship

Ever since last season, Rose made it clear he didn’t approve of Kroll and LeCroy’s relationship. The two have dated on-and-off for over two years, but during the Southern Charm season 7 premiere, they were back together and going strong. Rose hosted a party during the premiere, and he accidentally invited someone whom LeCroy had previously hooked up with, and LeCroy was convinced he was back to his antics.

In regard to the situation, Rose told ET, “We hadn’t filmed in a long time, so I feel…we all put pressure on ourselves like, OK, here we are again. What does everybody know? What’s going on? So, there was a little bit of an information dump on that first big party, where everybody was together. There was a lot of murmuring.”

While he stands by his innocent motives, Rose isn’t completely letting go of the past. “We’re all sort of sick of the whole, what are you guys?” Rose told ET. “What the hell? Can you define yourselves? Can you define your relationship? At a certain point, is it Madison or is it Austen? It takes two to tango. So, yeah, she might have him wrapped around his finger, but he’s the idiot that’s wrapped around the finger, and he allows himself to be whatever it is that he is to her.”

Rose hinted that their relationship draws even more attention throughout the season. “Here’s the dilemma: If you hear something about our friend who’s in a relationship, whether it be him, her, anybody, do you tell them or do you keep your mouth shut?” he told ET.

The reality star continued, “I think a real friend tells, but Austen doesn’t even know if he wants to be told. It might just be rumor, right? But if people are talking about it, what do you say? What do you do? How good of friends are you? Do you want to get involved? And I don’t want to get involved, but then my friendship overrides that sometimes, you know?”

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