Southern Charm’s Shep: Craig Is ‘Lashing Out’ After Naomie, Whitney Hookup

Trouble down south? Shep Rose and Craig Conover aren’t seeing eye to eye when it comes to their friendship on Southern Charm in Us Weekly’s exclusive first look video from Thursday’s all-new episode.

After facing ups and downs throughout season 8, the pals go head-to-head on the Thursday, August 18, episode of the Bravo series. This time, however, Shep, 42, is convinced that Craig, 33, is really mad at Naomie Olindo and Whitney Sudler-Smith, who hooked up shortly before their cast trip.

“This is not about Craig and I’s relationship,” Shep told the cameras in Us’ exclusive sneak peek at the episode. “Craig’s anger is directed toward Naomie and Whitney being together.”

The Commodore co-owner explained that Craig was “lashing out” after learning that his ex-girlfriend, whom he split from in 2017, made out with Whitney, 54, one week prior. Shep added that his pal needed to “snap out of it, a–hole!”

The L’Abeye founder’s hookup with Whitney will also come to light on Thursday’s episode — but Bravo already teased part of the reveal on Tuesday, August 16. In a preview clip, Naomie, 29, said she had “fun” with the Southern Charm producer and that “he spent the night” following the group’s puppy wedding.

Despite seemingly being upset by Naomie and Whitney’s fling, Craig directed his anger toward Shep in the upcoming episode as seen in Us‘ sneak peek.

“I’m in such a happy place,” Craig told Shep in the video as the two sat around the campfire on a group getaway to Buford, Georgia. “I needed for my own personal growth and health and happiness to remove myself from everything I knew. And I needed to go find another path.”

Shep, on the other hand, offered up an alternate “theory” as to why Craig recently distanced himself from the Southern Charm crew.

“I think a part of you likes being around people who don’t know the Craig from eight years ago,” the Average Expectations author said in the teaser. “And there’s a part of you that resents the fact that we knew you at your lowest.”

The Sewing Down South founder explained that he didn’t agree with Shep, but he could see his side. The friends’ conversation, however, was cut short when Whitney chimed in and told Craig, “You’ve actually become more of an a–hole.”

The Delaware native brushed off Whitney’s dig and focused on his issues with Shep. “You were awful to me,” he claimed, referring to the reason he stopped hanging out with the South Carolina native earlier that year. “You went against all of my entrepreneurship.”

Shep didn’t agree with Craig’s analysis of their fallout, saying, “What? Are you crazy?”

While the costars have yet to fix their friendship on screen, Shep exclusively told Us Weekly in June that the pair had “a lot of fun” working on their bromance. He noted that he and Craig had to “recalibrate” their relationship after past tension.

Southern Charm airs on Bravo Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET.

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