“Southern Charm” season 12 officially premiered on Thursday, November 12, giving fans an update on the Charleston crew and what’s been happening in their personal lives. Among the biggest revelations, returning star Molly O’Connell shared an unexpected update about her love life.
During the season 11 reunion, the model revealed that she was in a new relationship with a man nearly 20 years her senior. However, by the time the season 12 premiere rolled around, her relationship status had changed. The Bravo star opened up about what led to the couple’s breakup after just eight months of dating.
Molly O’Connell Opens up About Her Breakup After 8 Month Romance
In the premiere episode of “Southern Charm” season 12, Molly O’Connell gave fans a major update on her relationship status. While speaking to Venita Aspen, she shared, “The guy that I was dating, I think our lives just don’t leave a lot of room for each other.”
She elaborated on why she and her boyfriend, who has not been identified, decided to call things off. “Our schedules are completely opposite, and we didn’t get to spend enough time with each other, so we kinda just ended it,” she revealed.
The episode then shares a flashback from the “Southern Charm” season 11 reunion, where O’Connell shared that she was dating someone new and that the two had a nearly 20-year age gap.
“He’s 56, and I’m 38. I like a little seasoning,” she told host Andy Cohen. She also noted that he was a “musician in Charleston” and called him “extremely talented.”
O’Connell’s Shocking Hookup on ‘Southern Charm’ Season 12
In an unexpected turn of events this season of “Southern Charm,” fans learn that O’Connell hooked up with co-star Austen Kroll. In the trailer, Kroll confesses to their one-night stand with Craig Conover. “Flat out, I went home with Molly last night,” he tells him.
Salley Carson, who hasn’t shied away from expressing her long-time crush on Kroll, learns the news and confronts O’Connell. “The fact that you went home with Austen is [expletive] crazy,” Carson tells her, and O’Connell responds, “Y’all aren’t dating.”
In fact, tensions between the two co-stars appear to escalate when O’Connell is seen racing up the stairs and pounding on a door while hurling profanities at Carson, who is locked inside with Madison LeCroy and is seen hiding underneath a bed to avoid her. It’s not revealed, however, whether the moment stems from her short-lived romance with Kroll.
Besides her hookup with Kroll, O’Connell did share an on-camera kiss with Shep Rose. When she first appeared on the show, she shared her crush on Rose and memorably shared a kiss with him during the season 10 finale. The pair later confessed to having “some adult fun” at the season reunion. But that relationship quickly ended and the two remained friends.
“I think on paper, all of it makes sense, but it’s Shep at the end of the day. But I love Shep. He’s so much fun. We had a fun time — a good time, not a long time,” she told Entertainment Tonight.
Bravo Star Reveals Why She Called It Quits With Boyfriend Nearly 20 Years Older