Southern Charm stars Shep Rose and Craig Conover have always bickered like brothers, but fans think Shep has not been a good friend to the Sewing Down South owner over the years. Shep and Craig have starred in Southern Charm since season 1 and, along with Whitney Sudler-Smith, are the only original male cast members on the show. Although they were close friends and ran in the same circles, Shep and Craig's lifestyles were completely different, which contributed to their disagreements. Shep came from a wealthy, prominent family who had lived in Charleston, South Carolina, for a long time. While he had some investment businesses, Shep doesn't have to work and spends his days leisurely.
Craig is originally from Delaware, and his parents came from more humble backgrounds. During Southern Charm season 1, Craig struggled with working at a law firm while balancing his partying lifestyle. The aspiring lawyer was also studying for the bar exam, and Shep lent him his support as he watched Craig fill out his application. After Craig kept dragging his feet, his castmates questioned if he had graduated from law school. Craig showed his friends a picture of himself at graduation, which got them off his back for a while. However, during season 3, Craig admitted that he wasn’t allowed to take the bar as he never finished his thesis paper and hadn’t officially graduated from law school.
Shep was, understandably, hurt that Craig lied to him about the bar exam, but he did not let his Southern Charm castmate off the hook easily. Many times Shep has made jabs at Craig and then would tell him he was joking. When Craig turned his focus on sewing, Shep made fun of his hobby relentlessly. Reddit user u/Helmethater wrote, “Shep was a complete jerk to Craig back then. If he really was struggling so badly with his finances, lying about not finishing school, and addy addiction giving his version of ‘tough love’ was def not helpful.” Some Southern Charm fans believe that Shep is jealous of Craig’s ambition, with one Reddit user saying, “Shep COULD have been great in whatever he wanted to do, like his father (accomplished attorney) but he pissed away his talents to be a bum and tells himself everything is okay.”
During a recent Southern Charm episode, Shep blasted Craig for being too “sensitive” and dismissed his feelings. Craig was visibly hurt, but Shep chalked up his mean behavior to “brotherly love.” One Reddit user wrote, “Shep has always enjoyed diminishing Craig in order to make himself feel better.” Another pointed out that Shep naming his dog “Little Craig” represented how he really felt about his Southern Charm castmate. While Shep has maintained that it was a term of endearment, many fans believed it was a dig at Craig.
After Craig’s low points on Southern Charm, he finished his thesis and was able to graduate from law school. He passed the bar exam but found out his true passion was his sewing. His business slowly grew from making pillows at home to now having a brick-and-mortar store in Charleston. During Southern Charm season 8, Craig admitted to distancing himself from Shep because of his negative energy. However, instead of understanding where Craig was coming from, Shep belittled his feelings yet again. Despite their ups and downs, the two friends have always found their way back together, and their relationship seems unbreakable.
Southern Charm airs Thursdays at 9 p.m. EST on Bravo.
Source: u/Helmethater/ Reddit