Patricia Altschul opened up about her dating life in a new interview. In a November 2025 sitdown with The Times, the “Southern Charm” matriarch, who turned 84 in April, said she’s not interested in dating because she’s always preferred to date older men. And therein lies the problem.
“I’ve always liked older men,” Altschul said. “My husbands and my boyfriends were all older. But I’d have to be with somebody 90 — and they’re all dead.”
The Bravo TV personality has been married three times: first to financier Lon Smith, whom she divorced after having one child, son Whitney, and 15 years of marriage. Her second marriage to businessman Edward Stitt Fleming ended in 1995 after six years. Her third husband, investment banker Arthur Altschul, died in 2002.
Patricia Altschul Was in a ‘Stable’ Relationship in 2018
“Southern Charm” fans may recall that Altschul was in a dating relationship during the fifth season of the Bravo reality show and even teased an engagement. Her mystery man was referred to as Mr. C, and then-cast member Cameron Eubank said the two knew each other for years.
“I think they used to live near each other in New York,” Eubank said in one episode, according to People magazine. “He’s freakin’ loaded. He ain’t a spring chicken!”
In an interview with the Daily Dish ahead of Season 6, Altschul said things with her beau were “very, very stable.”“Nothing new to report,” she said in 2019. “Yes [we are still together]. I’m not going to rush into anything. I’m busy and so is he. So everything is copacetic.”
“A few times [I’ve been married],” she added. “I don’t think of myself as Zsa Zsa Gabor, so I’m kind of happy with the way things are.”
But talk of Mr. C eventually dropped off, and fans aren’t sure why. It’s possible Altschul may address the relationship in her upcoming book, “Eat, Drink and Remarry.”
Patricia Altschul Talked About Dating in Today’s World
GettyIn 2017, Altschul told Town and Country she didn’t “understand” today’s online dating.
“The number of people you can check out on dating apps is like a smorgasbord of people, as opposed to a few select people that your friends or family might recommend,” she said. “Online dating is so impersonal, and I think it’s dangerous, too.”
The South Carolina native said it was better to meet people at parties and sporting events—“My idea of a sporting event is the Kentucky Derby,” she clarified— as well as museums and even church.
In The Times interview, Altschul noted that she doesn’t think “young women today are closers.” “They’re too obvious, too acquiescent, too accessible,” she added.
“A lot of women my age, they play golf and play bridge, and their husbands die and they’re left alone,” the “Southern Charm” star added. “Instead, I have great friends, great work, I say whatever pops into my head, and I don’t edit myself. I really don’t care.”
