If you came here looking for the post titled “Why did Patricia Block Thomas on Social Media?” I removed it at the behest of Patricia Altschul herself after she messaged me (on Instagram) saying there’s more to the story of the estrangement — in light of the sexual assault allegations against Thomas Ravenel. She said she’d be happy to address things with me once the network gag order has been lifted.

I really hate to remove posts, but I needed to respect this type of request which is entirely valid and reasonable. For now, Bravo has asked cast mates not to speak out about Thomas amidst the allegations. I’m not certain that Patricia and I will be able to connect at a later juncture, but suffice it to say, there is a LOT that transpired to cause her estrangement from Thomas and his girlfriend Ashley Jacobs.

Speaking of those allegations and the “investigation” into them, Tamara Tattles reported that Thomas will not be returning next season http://tamaratattles.com/2018/06/01/this-will-be-thomas-ravenels-last-season-on-southern-charm/#comment-492346 and that the official announcement will be made around the time of the reunion.

I believe that’s when People Magazine and other publications will have the official word from the network. Bear in mind that Thomas’s contract actually expires after the upcoming reunion, so he needn’t be “fired” necessarily. It’s more likely his contract “will not be renewed.” Semantics!

In my opinion, the optics haven’t been great for Bravo here:

During a time when other networks are rushing to make announcements about their controversial stars and nip things in the bud immediately, Bravo has remained mostly mum. If Tamara Tattles proves to be correct (and she asserts that she has a rock solid source), let it serve as peace of mind for those irked by what has appeared to be #InactionByBravo.

Due to Thomas’s reported rifts from many of his cast mates, I personally did not see how he could return to Southern Charm or even desire to do so. Remember, Whitney Sudler-Smith is also an Executive Producer of the franchise.

It will be interesting to see how Bravo positions things to viewers. Expect any official announcement that follows to come around June 12th-14th. I was told the reunion is being filmed between those dates.

(Photo Source: Bravo. Interestingly, this is a cast picture without Thomas Ravenel which is fitting for the projected future of the franchise.)