Craig Conover Says Austen and Salley’s Relationship is Unhealthy
· Thought Catalog
Updated 36 minutes ago, October 14, 2026
Craig Conover thinks Austen Kroll and Salley Carson’s undefined relationship is keeping them both from moving on. On the October 13 episode of Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen, the Southern Charm star said their closeness could get in the way of either dating someone else.
“I don’t think it’s a sustainable relationship. I think they are hindering each other from moving forward, and it’s almost like this safety net that they have,” Craig said.
Craig, 37, said “a lot happened while I was gone” filming season 6 of The Traitors in Scotland. He described Austen, 39, and Salley, 31, as “almost regressing.”
“Either date or don’t date, but this middle-ground thing is, I think, not healthy,” he added.
Austen and Salley grew close during Southern Charm season 11 after his breakup with Audrey Pratt. Their public descriptions of the relationship have differed: In February, Salley said on the Not Skinny But Not Fat podcast, “Yeah. I’m still feeling him. I get giddy when I talk about him.”
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During a March appearance on WWHL, Austen said he’d told Salley after their trip to Mexico that he was newly single and needed time. “We’re just really good friends, to be totally honest,” he said.
Earlier this month, both said they’d set boundaries at the start of season 12. Salley said they have fun together, and she had a blunt answer for anyone judging their relationship: “Who cares what they think? F*** ’em.”
Southern Charm season 12 premieres November 12 at 9 p.m. ET on Bravo, with episodes streaming the next day on Peacock.
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