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Regarding his issues with alcohol, Craig Conover is being brutally honest. On the March 6 episode of the Bravo series, the Southern Charm star had a heart-to-heart with her longtime best friend Austen Kroll and for the first time acknowledged that she struggled with excessive drinking.
Austen's previous accusations that Craig had so drastically cleaned up his act while dating then-girlfriend Paige DeSorbo that it damaged their enjoyable moments together were the source of the heated discussion.
To his co-star, the founder of Sewing Down South said, "Austen, listen, you're one of my best friends." "I never tried to improve myself or distance myself from other people. I had no idea how much our friendship would change as a result. I'd like to return to an environment of love."
Austen, however, reaffirmed that he was unaware of Craig's transformation into a stifled individual.
"If I'm being honest, I feel like where all the disconnect has come is you've created this wonderful image of yourself, and you're terrified of disappointing someone or something," he stated to Craig. "Now, in order to maintain this, you're saying, 'I need to sit at my house and not see me with a beer in my hand,' or something."
asked whether he was presenting a "picture that isn't me," to which Austen answered, "I do."
"It's like Craig doesn't want to hang or do this because he's got the image to protect," Austen said. "You just got wasted on Craig, a nice guy. All I ask is that you relinquish some control."
Craig acknowledges that he battles addiction and that it is interfering with his friendship with Austen. He is confined to his couch at home and feels as though he is no longer with him. Austen has never used the word "addict" with Craig, so this revelation astounds him. Craig's battle with addiction serves as a clear reminder of how crucial it is to keep up positive relationships with other people.
Craig also acknowledged that he had never "said it out loud" until he witnessed costar Shep Rose, who had been turned down by his then-lover Sienna, get completely inebriated during the cast vacation in the Bahamas.
According to Craig, "I was like, 'This is why I don't do it anymore,'" regarding his drinking. "Dude, I'm very fortunate. I'm fortunate that I got out of it. That's why I can comment on Shep, he's not out of it."
Austen apologized for not fully understanding his relationship with Paige, who he credited for helping him through his recovery before their November breakup. Craig shared that Paige was right with him and helped him beat a demon. The honest conversation proved to be a breakthrough for the besties after their falling out, and Austen was cautiously optimistic about the future of their friendship. Craig's addiction doesn't excuse him from being an angry person, but it is the starting point. Both Craig and Austen felt the same way, expressing gratitude for the transparency and the opportunity to have had the conversation sooner.
