Legal action was taken against former Southern Charm star Thomas Ravenel this week, as the reality star was arrested in South Carolina on Tuesday, and was charged with second degree assault and battery for a crime that was first reported back in 2015. Ravenel was released later that day after bonding out, though the $20,000 personal recognizance bond meant he didn't have to pay anything to be released.
Thomas Ravenel's arrest came in the middle of a fairly tumultuous time for the former state treasurer, as he was previously under investigation for an alleged rape that possibly stems from the situation that got him arrested. As stated on an affidavit from January 25, 2015, a woman identified as Dawn was working for Ravenel as a nanny, and on that day, he allegedly undressed in front of her, forced her to touch his genitals, and also put his hands on her private parts. Ravenel then reportedly tried ripping her clothes off, and according to Live 5 News out of Charleston, the underwire from the nanny's bra cut into her skin, and she wasn't able to breath because her shirt was wrapped around her neck.
The accuser appeared at Thomas Ravenel's bond hearing on Tuesday afternoon, stating that she had no idea he was going to be arrested that day. But she also claimed that the alleged actions he was arrested for are not the extent of his criminal behavior, stating that both his kids and her own were constantly exposed to drugs and alcohol in the home. In her words:
There's a need for accountability here. There's children involved. Since I was a nanny, a registered nurse now, my main concern is for the health and safety of others, so that's a priority for me.
Though Thomas Ravenel was released back out into the free world, he was ordered by the judge to surrender his passport, and will need to stay in South Carolina for the duration of the legal process. As well, he has to avoid making contact with his accuser.
In the midst of facing such high-stakes allegations, Thomas Ravenel announced in August that he would be leaving Southern Charm of his own volition, with additional implications that the show's editing was fictionalizing his life. But just in case anyone thinks that the accused might decide to return for a future season, Bravo confirmed on Tuesday that Ravenel will not be back on Southern Charm for Season 6 when it premieres. (Bravo is having some issues lately, with a former reality show guest having recently been arrested on multiple rape charges.)
Thomas Ravenel, who resigned from the state treasury in 2007 after pleading guilty to cocaine possession, was also accused of sexual assault earlier this year by real estate agent Ashley Perkins. Her mother allegedly met Ravenel on Tinder in October 2015, and it's reported that during a date some months later, he assaulted her on a bed in his home. The mother is reportedly unable to speak about the case, due to an alleged financial settlement with Ravenel's legal team. The assault claim was denied by Ravenel.
While neither Ravenel nor the similarly accused-and-departed J.D. Madison will be around for it, Southern Charm will presumably be back on Bravo with Season 6 at some point in the spring of 2019, and we can expect future seasons of the Savannah- and New Orleans-based spinoffs as well. In the meantime, though, our fall TV premiere schedule will keep you set with all the best new shows.
