"I'm an alcoholic" — Southern Charm star Craig opens up about addiction

In Southern Charm season 10 episode 13, titled Sea's Just Not That Into You, which aired on March 6, 2025, Craig Conover addressed his struggles with alcohol. During a conversation with Austen Kroll, Conover explained the depth of his decision to change his lifestyle. He noted that Kroll initially misunderstood his reasons for making changes, stating:

"He thought I was just doing it to look better. And once I realized that, I opened up to him because I finally understood it, and I was like, 'No, I'm an alcoholic.'"

He acknowledged that he was still trying to understand the term "alcoholic" and admitted that he found it difficult to say out loud. However, he recognized that his drinking habits had become excessive.

Trigger warning: This article contains mentions of addiction and alcoholism. Reader discretion is advised.

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Southern Charm's Craig Conover discusses his drinking habits

Conover shared additional details about his experience with alcohol during the Southern Charm After Show. He emphasized that his drinking patterns were difficult to control. He indicated that his decision to address his drinking was influenced by various aspects of his life, stating:

"For the sake of my relationship and my life and my business, I made a decision to try to get better and try to change my relationship with alcohol."

The Southern Charm star added that this shift in perspective led him to reflect on how little he had shared about his struggles in the past.

"I didn't realize that I've never told you my story. And maybe that's on me, but also it's a deeply personal [one]."

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Craig Conover's conversation with Austen Kroll

During a discussion with Kroll in the Bahamas, Conover explained how his efforts to manage his drinking affected their friendship. Kroll had expressed concerns that he had changed, but Craig provided clarification, stating,

"Yeah, but I can't because I don't have any leash on myself. That's any addict."

He continued to explain the difficulties of balancing his sobriety with friendships. He pointed out that his attempts to stay away from alcohol affected his relationship with Kroll, as he was intent on changing his life.

He considered the challenge of this change, mentioning that while he was struggling with personal issues, Austen viewed his absence in a different light.

Craig explained that he had been isolating himself to stay on track, which led to misunderstandings in their friendship. Kroll acknowledged that Conover had never used the term "addict" with him before, prompting Craig to respond,

"I know. I've never said it out loud. ... I'm really lucky, dude. I'm lucky I got out of it."

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Craig Conover and Austen Kroll's current friendship

Following their conversation, Craig and Austen have worked toward rebuilding their friendship. Conover described the progress they have made, stating:

"We're definitely on the up and up instead of on the down. Like, we try to text, call — he texted me after the Paige thing."

The Southern Charm star also pointed out that trust is still an issue in their relationship, adding that he could not trust Kroll enough after what happened between him and Paige, though he wanted to call him.

He admitted that Kroll was among the few he was ready to call but defended himself by saying that he was not yet ready to do that.

Regarding the evolution of their friendship, Conover highlighted the adjustments they have made, stating:

"We did used to have a relationship around partying, and now we're building [something else]."

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Southern Charm airs Thursdays at 9 pm ET on Bravo, with episodes available to stream the next day on Peacock.