Southern Charm’s Venita Aspen Claims JT ‘Popped Up With a Girlfriend’ on Instagram Amid Their Romance

Venita Aspen is spilling the sweet tea about her romance with Jarrett “JT” Thomas — and according to her, it didn’t end well.

“I was also excited to come in [this season] with my best friend JT. That was fun,” Venita said of Southern Charm season 10 during the Thursday, January 16, episode of Access Hollywood’s “Housewives Nightcap” podcast.

She recalled, “We became thick as thieves over the summer. I was ready. Then boom — everything crashed down in front of me.”

The Southern Charm star explained that she and JT were dating by the time the show’s trailer dropped in October 2024, but their romance soon went off the rails.

When asked whether JT “ghosted her,” Venita replied, “No, he popped up with a girlfriend on Instagram.”

JT went Instagram official with Ali Pereless in November 2024, captioning a series of cuddly photos of the couple, “Long overdue 💟.”

While Venita didn’t go into any more details about JT’s new romance, she said it had been eight weeks since they last talked.

“I think we need to get him to show up and get him to talk. Because I have no idea [what happened],” she said on the podcast. “It was very jarring. I think that I’m still kinda digesting it.”

The fashion influencer recalled: “One day I was supposed to be going to lunch with his mom and him and hang out, and the trailer drops and he starts acting crazy. Falls off the face of the earth.”

Venita said looking back, “I think he was nervous to see how he was going to be portrayed this year. I think the anxiety got the best of him.”

Days after he debuted his new romance on social media, JT raised eyebrows again when he announced he “resigned” from Southern Charm. He made the announcement in November 2024, shortly before the new season was set to premiere.

“I no longer wish to participate in any ways moving forward with the TV show,” he wrote via Instagram at the time, explaining that he would not be taping the “2-3 remaining green room interviews.”

Venita, who to start off season 10 was close with JT, said on Thursday that she is “doing my best” to not say “too much about the situation” until she has a chance to speak with JT.

“I want to hear what he has to say. I don’t want to dig too hard on him,” she said. “I know the moment will come when I can lash out at him, but I can’t do it yet.”

Venita added that JT disappearing from her life and the show was really hard because she is the “only person who really stands beside” him all season.

“That put me in a position of messing up friendships that I had been working on building for years,” she explained, noting that fans will see the fallout transpire this season. “I ended up risking all of those friendships.”

She added that “his day will come,” and while JT “thinks he played me,” that is not the case. “That’s the funny part because I haven’t had my time yet,” Venita concluded. “You wait until you’re back in front of me and I get to say my peace. You actually got played here, not me.”

While Venita is upset with JT for her own reasons, her fellow costars have her back — and their own bones to pick with him should he return for the season 10 reunion.

During the first part of the season, JT butted heads with Madison LeCroy after he claimed her husband, Brett Randle, thought they hooked up during a past trip to Jamaica.

JT also claimed that he heard Austen Kroll was dating other women when he started seeing his girlfriend, Audrey Pratt. JT was then accused of calling Patricia Altschul a bitch, which he has denied.

“He was no longer wanted in the group,” Madison, 34, exclusively told Us Weekly of JT in December 2024.

Taylor Ann Green told Us at the time that it was “very selfish” for JT to “have a hiccup and then all of a sudden bail.”

Southern Charm airs on Bravo Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET.