Update: May 8, 2018 at 5:00 p.m.
A second woman has accused Thomas Ravenel of sexual assault. Us Weekly reports that he is under investigation after the woman reported him to South Carolina police for an incident that occurred in January of 2015.
Update: May 5, 2018 at 10:54 a.m. Haymaker, the production company behind Southern Charm, is investigating the sexual assault claim against Thomas Ravenel. Variety reports that Bravo issued a statement on the investigation:
"Haymaker, the production company for Southern Charm, and Bravo take allegations like these very seriously. Haymaker is conducting an investigation, and once all the information is gathered and carefully reviewed, appropriate action will be taken."
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Original story follows.
Thomas Ravenel, a reality show personality from the show Southern Charm, has been accused of sexual assault. Ashley Perkins, the daughter of Ravenel's accuser, detailed the allegations in a post on her personal blog published April 22. The assault allegedly took place in December of 2015. Perkins' mother, Debbie Perkins, sought legal help following the assault with plans to take legal action. Perkins shared details of the assault, she said, in an effort to get Bravo to remove Ravenel from the show Southern Charm.
"If Bravo insists on keeping this man who continually degrades, humiliates, insults, and verbally assaults women online, then I will continue my efforts at having him removed from Southern Charm," Perkins wrote.
On December 25, 2015, Ravenel allegedly attempted to rape Debbie Perkins at his home in Charleston, South Carolina. Ravenel's lawyer Richard P. Terbrusch told E! Online that the accusations are "dubious."
The statement reads in full: "My client enjoys a certain degree of fame and unfortunately has become—unfairly—a target for an individual who has, in my opinion, dubious motivations."
Speaking to People, Perkins said that Ravenel's behavior on Southern Charm reflects the way he treated her mother. "The way Thomas treats women on the show Southern Charm is totally disrespectful to women everywhere and promotes an antiquated attitude of the ‘good ole boys’ network and ‘boys will be boys' which is too commonly accepted," she said.
She added, "I hope by coming forward that I will give strength and hope to other women who may feel that because they are in an inferior position with a man — such as a man with money or power — that they are not powerful."
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Bravo released a statement following the accusations to Kate Arthur at Buzzfeed.
"Haymaker, the production company for Southern Charm, and Bravo take these accusations very seriously. Haymaker is conducting an investigation, and once all the information is gathered and carefully reviewed, appropriate action will be taken."
So regarding this sexual assault settlement claim reported in People and other places about @Thomasravenel from Bravo's #SouthernCharm, here's what Bravo says: pic.twitter.com/JFRGh9PF2v
— Kate Aurthur (@KateAurthur) May 4, 2018
Refinery29 has reached out to Ravenel for comment.
If you have experienced sexual violence and are in need of crisis support, please call the RAINN Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).