Southern Charm season 8: Release date, cast, plot, and everything we know

The city of Charleston, South Carolina, is full of drama thanks to Bravo's Southern Charm, as lovely as the cobblestone streets and pastel houses are. Season 8 is almost upon us, and we'll be met by both familiar and new cast members. It's been over a year and a half since the first episode of last season, so there's a lot to catch up on with the cast (more on that later!). There's been an engagement, a couple of new romances, and friendships that have gone from solid to shaky since the show ended. Don't worry, we'll get to see everything (and then extra) in season 8. Pour yourself a drink of sweet tea (or something stronger...) and settle in to discover what your favorite Southern socialites are up to in South Carolina.

Southern Charm season 8 release date 

On Thursday, June 23 at 9 p.m. ET, the first episode of Southern Charm season 8 will air on Bravo.

Southern Charm season 8 cast

Craig Conover, Kathryn Dennis, Austen Kroll, Madison LeCroy, and Shep Rose will all be back in season 8. Kathryn has a new boyfriend, Chleb Ravenell, though the two have since broken up, according to sources and her erased Instagram photographs (opens in new tab). Last season's newcomers Leva Bonaparte, Venita Aspen, Taylor Ann Green (Shep's girlfriend), and John Pringle are all returned. Olivia Flowers (Austen's supposed lover) and Marcie Hobbs (Shep's younger cousin) join the group as newcomers.

There's one more person on the cast who isn't a newcomer but isn't a returner from last season: Naomie Olindo. In season three of Southern Charm, she made her debut as Craig's girlfriend. In season 6, we last saw her on the Bravo show. If you've been following the French online fashion label's progress, you'll know that she and her then-boyfriend, Metul Shah, relocated to New York City in 2021. She's now back in Charleston with her old (and new) co-stars.

Southern Charm season 8 plot 

This season, expect a web of connections to cross paths. Craig and Naomie have reconnected, which would be wonderful if he wasn't involved with Paige DeSorbo from Bravo's Summer House. Paige pays a visit to her boyfriend and expresses her displeasure with "hanging out one-on-one with an ex while dating someone." Craig acknowledges in the teaser that he and Naomie aren't just exes and that they hooked up "recently," so Paige may have reason to be concerned.

Shep and Taylor are still together, and we get a glimpse of some tears from Taylor's end, so the honeymoon phase may be ended. Austen has a new girl, Olivia, in his life, and he could be in for some drama with his ex, Madison, who recently got engaged. We'll probably get a look at Kathryn and Chleb's relationship, as well as the disputes that may have contributed to their breakup.

Austen is dealing with a lot of friendship problems. Shep exclaims "Austen, you're a ****ing joke" and "I can't believe I'm sharing oxygen with you!" in a trailer clip, and he and Craig engage in a physical argument in another. We have a sneaking feeling that the Shep vs. Austen conflict stems from Austen privately discussing "just the way he talks to you sometimes" with Taylor. Without a few dinner parties in Patricia Altschul's house, what would Southern Charm be? Unfortunately, we won't get to see Michael the Butler make her famous martini this season due to a spinal cord stroke he suffered earlier in 2021. Whitney Sudler-Smith, her son, will, however, appear on the show.