Share and Follow
Salley Carson found herself at the heart of the drama in Season 11 of Southern Charm. However, despite the tensions, being yelled at by Craig Conover in the latest episode felt uncalled for.
The relationship between Carson and Conover wasn’t always fraught with conflict. At the beginning of Season 11, Carson was quite taken with the Sewing Down South entrepreneur. She often spent late nights in his hot tub and even bought chickens to capture his attention. Unbeknownst to her, Conover was more interested in her best friend, Charley Manley. When Conover and Manley kindled a romance, Carson’s demeanor shifted dramatically.
Carson, perhaps in an attempt to protect her friend or possibly out of envy, tried to dissuade Manley from pursuing Conover. Her persistent criticisms strained her friendship with Manley, who eventually requested that Carson refrain from discussing Conover altogether. Aware of the tension and desiring to explore her relationship with Conover independently, Manley chose to keep their kiss a secret from Carson.
Inevitably, the truth emerged during the latest episode of Southern Charm. While at a bar in Puerto Vallarta, Carson confronted Manley about “lying” regarding her involvement with Conover. Although Carson claimed her disappointment stemmed more from the secrecy than the kiss itself, it’s debatable whether that argument holds up. The confrontation escalated, leading Manley to convey her frustration to Conover, who then decided to confront Carson.
In a heated exchange aboard a sprinter van, Conover lashed out at Carson for meddling in his personal affairs, derisively calling her a “loser” and “dumb.” This outburst unfolded right in front of Manley, adding fuel to the already fiery situation.
We understand that Carson can be annoying. Hopping around different reality shows like The Bachelor, Bachelor in Paradise, Southern Hospitality, and now Southern Charm has not only branded Carson as a “thirsty pick-me,” but also as someone who isn’t a “girl’s girl.” She didn’t do herself any favors by expressing interest in Austen Kroll while he was still in a relationship, or by turning on Conover the moment he friend-zoned her and went after Manley. Carson’s past fling with Southern Hospitality star Joe Bradley, hookups with Shep Rose and Summer House‘s West Wilson, and alleged hangout with a recently separated Kyle Cooke have earned her quite a reputation in the Bravo universe. It’s safe to say her constant desire for male validation has overshadowed the fact that she is, despite what Conover said, not a dumb girl. I mean, she literally works as a spine surgery robot operator as her day job — and, whether we like to admit it or not, if it weren’t for Carson, the only drama we’d have this season is more catfights between Kroll and Conover.
With that being said, she did not deserve to be berated by Conover in the sprinter van. This would be the second time on this cast trip that Conover has, for lack of better words, lost his shit, on a female co-star (he went after Venita Aspen at dinner the night before). While I can understand Conover’s frustration with both women—Aspen had been taking his ex Paige DeSorbo’s side in the press following their breakup, and Carson was meddling in his relationship with Manley—neither deserved to be cursed at or called names by a grown man.
The episode ended on a dramatic “to be continued,” so I think we’re all curious to see how Manley handles her relationship with Conover moving forward. While she’s been rather lenient in regard to his arguments with their co-stars up to this point, it wouldn’t be surprising if she caught the ick from his most recent outburst. She and Carson have since rekindled their tight-knit friendship, after all. We’ll just have to wait one more week to find out what happens!
Southern Charm airs Wednesday nights at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Bravo. New episodes are available to stream the next day on Peacock.