Southern Charm alum Kathryn Dennis was sentenced to jail time after being convicted for her involvement in a 2024 drunk driving crash.
Dennis, 34, was ordered to serve 30 days in jail due to being found guilty of driving under the influence on Friday, October 3, in Goose Creek, South Carolina, according to WCBD News. TMZ reported that Dennis was taken into custody around 7 p.m. ET on Friday to begin serving her 30 day sentence at Berkeley County jail.
Us Weekly confirmed in May 2024 that Dennis was initially arrested after being involved in a three-car collision in Goose Creek.
Officers at the scene of the wreck mentioned in their police report that Dennis had “glossy eyes and an odor of alcohol coming from her person” at the time of her arrest, though she initially denied that she had been drinking. Police reported finding an unopened mini-bottle of Fireball alcohol on the driver’s side floorboard and an empty tumbler elsewhere in Dennis’ vehicle.
Per WCBD, officers noted in their report that Dennis eventually confessed to drinking alcohol “way earlier” during questioning at a local detention center, despite initially denying the offense.
Southern Charm viewers have seen Dennis open up about her struggles with drinking throughout her time on the Bravo series. (Dennis was a main cast member on Southern Charm from season 2 to season 8, in addition to guest starring throughout season 1.)
Bravo cameras documented Dennis and her former partner Thomas Ravenel’s lengthy custody battle over their two children — daughter Kensie and son Saint — where her sobriety was called into question. The reality star first lost custody of her children due to alleged marijuana use, before finally regaining 50/50 parental rights in 2017 due to staying sober for two years.
In October 2018, Dennis requested a change in her and Ravenel’s custody agreement when he was arrested for assault and battery in the second degree over an alleged 2015 incident involving the couple’s nanny. A judge ultimately ruled in August 2019 that Dennis and Ravenel would continue to share joint custody. (Ravenel pled guilty to charges of third degree assault and battery in September 2019.)
The former couple were back in court March 2021 when Dennis temporarily lost custody of Kensie and Saint once again, though she was ultimately allowed supervised weekend visitation.
Bravo made the shocking announcement that Dennis was leaving Southern Charm in January 2023. She had previously been a central figure on the Charleston, South Carolina-based reality show since its inception in 2014.
“What a wild ride it’s been!” Dennis told People at the time. “Can you believe I was 21 when I first started filming Southern Charm, back in its first season? That was in 2013, and in the decade that followed, it’s safe to say my life changed in ways I could never imagine. It hasn’t always been easy, but I’m so lucky to have had reality cameras there, capturing so many moments that I’ll never forget (and a few, even, that I’d like to).”
She went on, “Through it all, the love y’all have shown for me not only gave me the strength I needed to tackle it all, but helped me realize that I wasn’t alone. I’m so grateful. I’ll be carrying that love with me as I enter this next chapter of my life, away from the Southern Charm lens. I’m thankful for Bravo, the producers at Haymaker and my Charleston cast mates for everything.”
Southern Charm was renewed by Bravo for an 11th season in May.
