Former “The Bachelor” star Nick Viall and his wife, Natalie Joy, came under heavy fire from fans after he asked about “Southern Charm” star Austen Kroll’s late sister, which seemed to come out of nowhere during a January episode of “The Viall Files” podcast. In the weeks that followed, the couple remained silent, sparking frustration among fans and even Kroll’s Bravo co-stars, who demanded a public apology.
In a recent interview with Page Six Radio, Salley Carson confirmed that Viall and Joy privately apologized to Kroll. However, like many fans, the “Southern Charm” star believes more should be done.
Salley Carson Confirms Nick Viall’s Private Apology to Austen Kroll
GettyAppearing as a guest on Page Six Radio on Feb. 10, “Southern Charm” star Salley Carson weighed in on the insensitive questions Nick Viall and Natalie Joy asked Austen Kroll about his sister’s death during “The Viall Files” podcast.
Carson confirmed that the couple did apologize to Kroll, though it was done privately. “They both apologized to him. They both called him and apologized,” she revealed. Still, that wasn’t enough for Carson, who added, “I do think there should be a public apology for sure.”
“I think that it needed to be a lot bigger,” Carson said. “I’m kind of like, are y’all not wanting to apologize because you don’t really want to admit that it was wrong?”
Carson shared that she immediately phoned Kroll following the interview. “It honestly kind of broke my heart for him. I called him to see if he was OK because I’m like, ‘I am so sorry that must have been so hard.'”
She then shared, “I could tell he was uncomfortable because his leg was shaking. I’ve been friends with him for a while and I haven’t asked [about Kyle]. That’s something that I feel like he should bring up when he feels comfortable.”
What Was Kroll Asked on ‘The Viall Files’ Podcast?
Kroll appeared on a Jan. 7 episode of “The Viall Files,” where Joy abruptly brought up his late sister, saying, “Quickly jumping out of ‘Southern Charm,’ I’m sure we’re gonna jump right back into it, but going into your childhood, I didn’t know this about your sister passing at 9.” Kroll, clearly taken aback, responded, “Okay we are switching gears.”
Kroll was then asked follow-up questions about his sister’s passing, including whether he had been present when the accident occurred. He appeared visibly uncomfortable, shaking his leg and even refusing to reveal where she had passed.
According to a news report by Go Upstate, Kroll’s sister, Kyle Kroll, was 9 when she fell off a cliff while hiking with her family, in North Carolina, with Austen being 7 at the time. Kroll first spoke about the tragedy on “Southern Charm” in season 4, and in season 10, revealed he had gotten a tattoo of her birth year, “1984,” as a tribute.
