Austen Kroll is known for having flings with the Southern Charm women, and other stars in the Bravo universe, and his latest romance is with new cast member, Olivia Flowers, with whom he shares an interesting timeline. While Austen may not have a great dating track record in Charleston and elsewhere, he and Olivia seem like a great match. However, this doesn't mean that the duo's relationship has been smooth sailing. As time passed, Olivia's desire to move to the next step, and Austen's fear of commitment, drove them away from each other.
On Southern Charm season 8, viewers saw the ups and downs of Austen and Olivia's relationship. Austen's involvement in a love triangle between Summer House stars Lindsay Hubbard and Ciara Miller, and his tumultuous past relationship with Madison LeCroy, didn't sit well with fans. Bravo viewers, and Austen's friends, wondered if he was ready to jump into a new romance with Olivia after all. She currently has 100k Instagram followers, and loves posting glam pics, from the recent show reunion, and her travels. Here is a breakdown of Austen and Olivia's complicated relationship timeline.
Austen & Olivia Attend Kathryn's Party Together (Aug. 2021)
Even though Austen and Olivia started talking before Southern Charm season 8 aired, they went to Kathryn Dennis' 30th birthday party together, as dates. Austen picked Olivia up at her house before the event, and had a chance to meet her parents for the first time. According to Olivia, it was Austen who made the first move by sliding into her DMs on social media. While the relationship was up in the air at the time, Olivia and Austen were always excited to see each other.
Austen 'Takes Things Slow' With Olivia (Fall 2021)
Southern Charm viewers saw Austen and Olivia go through difficult times on the show, and their relationship progressed slowly. The pair went on several group dates (including one with former couple Shep Rose and Taylor Ann Green), before officially going out one-on-one. When Patricia Altschul hosted a dog wedding at her house, Olivia brought another date, since she and Austen weren't serious. Austen was upset, and reconnected with his ex Ciara later that night, hoping to make Olivia jealous.
Were The Southern Charm Stars Together When Filming, Or After?
At the end of the Southern Charm season, Austen and Olivia were in a better place. The two became closer on the cast trip to St. Simons Island in Georgia, and arrived at Craig Conover's holiday party as a couple. When filming wrapped, Austen and Olivia got to know each other off-camera, and spent time traveling. “We are in a good place. We had an incredible summer together and traveled, and we’re still good," Olivia told US Weekly in August, referring to her relationship with Austen.
Austen & Olivia Clarify Status At The Reunion (Sept. 2022)
During part 1 of the Southern Charm season 8 reunion, Olivia shared that she and Austen weren't an item anymore. Olivia wanted to be exclusive with Austen, but he wasn't ready to go all in. Bravo fans weren't surprised to see the same patterns from Austen, who ruined relationships with multiple other women because of commitment issues. Despite Olivia giving Austen time to figure things out, the two ultimately decided that they were better off as friends.
Viewers are hoping to see more of Austen and Olivia's relationship play out when Southern Charm returns for season 9. Although fans were rooting for the couple while watching season 8, the pair didn't seem to be on the same page. It is unlikely that the two will make their way back to each other if Austen keeps dragging his feet. If the reality stars decide to permanently part ways, they will finally be able to move forward with their dating lives.
Sources: US Weekly, Olivia Flowers/Instagram