While in the Bahamas, Southern Charm star Austen Kroll accused Craig Conover of being overly concerned with his image. Austen wants him to “loosen the reins a little bit” and go out with his buddies like he used to.
Finally, Craig admits he has a problem with alcohol. He explains that he can’t let loose “because I don’t have any leash on myself. That’s any addict.”
But is Craig currently living a sober lifestyle?
Southern Charm’s Craig Conover admits he is an alcohol “addict,” but is he now sober?
“I was like, ‘F*ck, me trying not to be an alcoholic is now affecting my friendship with Austen,’” he adds. “I was in the trenches by myself, trying to, like, better my life.”
“And then you were like, ‘Oh, you’re never with me anymore,’” Craig continues, becoming emotional. “I’m like, ‘Dude, I can’t. I gotta stay on my couch, because if I leave my couch, I’m gonna drink a bottle of Jäger and do dumb sh*t.’”
Austen wonders why his buddy never shared any of this information with him before. He would have understood. “The word ‘addict,’ you never used with me,” the Trop Hop founder says.
“No, I’ve never said it out loud,” Craig admits. It wasn’t until he saw Shep Rose pass out drunk on the beach that he made the realization. “I was like, this is why I don’t do it anymore. I’m really lucky, dude. I’m lucky I got out of it.”
Austen remembers when Craig was studying for the bar exam after finishing law school. “You know, with the whole Adderall thing,” Austen recalls. “You were struggling.”
In flashback, we revisit Craig confessing that he would go three days without sleep, then “sleep for twenty hours.” At the time, even Shep acknowledged that it wasn’t healthy behavior.
Craig’s friends were concerned that he was addicted to Adderall. SC alum Cameran Eubanks warned that Craig’s abuse of the prescription drug was “a recipe for f*cking disaster.”
Southern Charm’s Craig Conover is relieved he can finally be “transparent” with his friends
Apologizing for “not understanding what you were going through,” Austen explains that he thought Craig was just missing his then-girlfriend Paige DeSorbo, who lives in New York City.
“She was right with me this entire time,” the Sewing Down South founder shared. “She helped me beat this demon.”
“It just explains a lot,” Austen agreed.
“Craig’s addiction doesn’t excuse him from being an asshole,” Austen shares in a confessional. “It doesn’t excuse him from being an angry f*cking person. It doesn’t excuse a lot of things, but it is a starting point, and it definitely is not what I expected him to say … I have to give him grace for finally being as open and vulnerable as he is with me right now.”
After hugging it out and sharing how much they love each other, the two friends apologize and make up at last.
In a confessional, Craig is relieved to finally be able to be “transparent … If we would’ve just had this conversation sooner, it would’ve saved us a lot of heartache and grief and frustration.”
Craig has previously shared that he no longer drinks alcohol. I commend him for recognizing the problem and doing something about it before it ruined his career, as well as his health. I hope he’s getting the support he needs, especially following the breakup with Paige at the end of 2024.
Southern Charm airs Thursdays at 8/7c on Bravo.
TELL US – ARE YOU GLAD CRAIG FINALLY CAME CLEAN TO AUSTEN?
