“Southern Charm” fans think there’s more to Austen Kroll’s friendship with Salley Carson than the two are letting on. In January 2026, the Bravo stars appeared in an Instagram video shared by co-star Madison LeCroy, and fans wondered if it was a teaser ahead of a hard launch.
In the clip, LeCroy and her husband, Brett Randle, are seen sharing parenting duties while holding their infant daughter, Teddi. Meanwhile, Kroll and Carson are throwing back shots and partying together.
“Single vs married,” LeCroy, who used to date Kroll, wrote on the video. She captioned it with, “Everybody say… growth.”
Fans Reacted to Madison LeCroy’s Video With Questions About Austen & Salley
Fans weighed in on the New Year’s clip, with many commending LeCroy for developing a friendship with Kroll more than five years after their messy breakup.
Others wanted to know if there was something going on with Kroll and Carson.
“IS THIS A DOUBLE DATE????” one commenter asked.
“Sooooo are Salley & Austen a thing?” another asked.
“Austin and Salley are dating, didn’t see this one coming 😂,” another chimed in.
“I’m sat and ready for the Sally & Austen hard launch. I think they are cute together,” another fan wrote.
Salley Carson Admitted She Was Interested in Austen Kroll and Went ‘After’ Him This Season on ‘Southern Charm’
Carson has made it clear she had her eye on Kroll—at least while the 11th season of “Southern Charm” was filming last year. During a January 2026 appearance on “Watch What Happens Live,” she admitted to host Andy Cohen that she’s “taken her shot” with Kroll after his split from his former girlfriend, Audrey Pratt.
“Y’all thought I was thirsty for Craig,” she cracked, referencing co-star Craig Conover. “Y’all just wait. I mean, y’all think I’m going after Craig. Like, y’all just wait because you’ll see me going after someone.”
“Craig’s never been on my radar,” she added. “Austen’s always been on my radar. …Austen’s just become one of my closest friends, he genuinely, there’s not a day we don’t talk. We were just talking in the dressing room. We do have very similar personalities. We have a lot of fun together.”
Kroll was still dating Pratt at the beginning of the 11th season of “Southern Charm,” but in November, he told E! News that his relationship was a “casualty” of the season.
Austen Kroll Recently Said He’s Not Dating Salley Carson
BravoDespite the fan speculation, Kroll has stated that he is not dating Carson. In an interview on the Viall Files that aired in January 2026, he admitted that he was flattered by Carson’s comments about him.
“It’s been a long time since someone’s been that complimentary about me on TV,” Kroll said. “Salley and I grow close, and we are close now. Like, she texts me, I have four texts from her, and we have become close.”
“But no, you know, we’re not dating anything like that,” the “Southern Charm” star clarified. “I really, really like where me and Salley are. And you’re going to see all of that because as we just said, Salley’s not shy about talking about, you know, her feelings, so she certainly lays them out there.”
