Charleston’s grande dame isn’t exactly a fan of co-star Thomas Ravenel’s girlfriend.
Southern Charm’s Patricia Altschul isn’t mincing words when it comes to co-star Thomas Ravenel’s girlfriend, Ashley Jacobs.
“My new favorite word is ‘famewhore,’” Patricia tells ET. “I love to use it whenever possible, so... famewhore! Famewhore! Famewhore!”
It’s safe to say Ashley has been a controversial addition to the cast since her debut at the top of season five. The 33-year-old registered nurse relocated from California to Charleston, South Carolina, to pursue her relationship with Thomas Ravenel. The cross-country move allegedly came after just a handful of dates.
“I think it's hard to fall in love after five dates,” Patricia suggests. “Call me a skeptic, and the fact that she was so adamant about getting a ring, getting clothes, getting jewelry, getting Vuitton luggage, I mean, it seemed a little too obvious to just be love.”
While, at first, the Southern Charm group appeared to welcome Ashley with open arms, things quickly turned sour after she began attacking Kathryn Dennis, Thomas’ ex and the mother of his two young children.
“I was one of the few people that was nice to Ashley over the season,” Patricia notes. “I never really knew how awful the Hilton Head episode was, until I saw it for myself.”
The 77-year-old is referencing season five’s ninth episode, “Hilton Head-ache,” which featured the cast’s trip to co-stars Chelsea Meissner and Shep Rose’s hometown. At one dinner, Ashley and Kathryn faced off in a heated back-and-forth, in which Ashley repeatedly criticized Kathryn’s parenting. Thomas eventually had to pull Ashley away from the dinner table to end the fight.
“She did the opposite of everything that I told her to do,” Patricia claims. “I would say it hasn't worked for her... She's kind of the example of what not to do. If you could write a list of what not to do, she would personify that.”
Ashley would go on to have another blowout fight with Kathryn at the big finale party, hosted by Patricia. It was also at that event where multiple cast members tossed around the allegation that Ashley was a high-end escort, which she defended herself against by citing her career as a hospice nurse, though never flat-out denied it on camera. She does call the claim “disgusting” in a sneak peek at part two of the show’s reunion special, though.
Patricia says she doesn’t know anything about the accusation, but doesn’t seem to think Ashley moved to Charleston for the right reasons.
“I called her a gold digger,” she bluntly states. “I stand by that, and she told [my son] Whitney [Sudler-Smith], which I thought was kind of insulting, ‘If it weren't for Thomas, you’d be my second choice.’”
Six months after filming on season five wrapped, Ashley and Thomas are still an item, though Patricia admits she doesn’t “know anybody on that cast that keeps up with her or him.” She says the events of the season, coupled with allegations of sexual misconduct brought against the 55-year-old former politician in recent months, have strained whatever relationships were left.
Thomas did not attend the season five reunion taping, a mutual decision made with the network following the sexual misconduct allegations, all of which Thomas has denied. Ashley will appear on part two of the full-cast sit-down.
“I guess she went to, to defend Thomas,” Patricia surmises, noting that she, herself, does not attend the tapings and has “no idea what goes on at the reunion.”
“I understand that Ashley blames me for everything,” Patricia spills, however. “Whatever it is, it's my fault … if there's anything that I want to take away from the reunion is, I didn't do it!”
Ashley was unavailable to comment on Patricia's claims in our interview, per a Bravo representative. She did, however, recently open up to Bravo's The Daily Dish about Patricia's newfound bond with Kathryn.
"I think it's interesting because Patricia said some things, like she was the one rooting me on," Ashley said. "When I had said the things that I had said about Kathryn, she liked it. She applauded me for it. She was supportive, so it was just really interesting for me to see that. But, you know, it's like that saying, 'The enemy of my enemy is my friend.'"
Part two of the Southern Charm reunion airs Thursday at 9 p.m. ET on Bravo. For more on the show, check out the links and video below.
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