Kathryn Dennis Breaks Her Silence on Thomas Ravenel Rape Claims

Thomas Ravenel

Charles Sykes/Bravo

Months after her ex-boyfriend Thomas Ravenel was accused of sexual assault by two women, Kathryn Dennis has addressed the scandal.

On Thursday night, the first part of the Southern Charm reunion aired, for which Ravenel was not present.

“There’s one person missing obviously as we look around the room,” host Andy Cohen said early into the taping before reading a statement provided by Ravenel’s attorney.

“Along with Bravo, our client made the mutual decision not to attend today’s reunion taping as there is a pending investigation,” the statement read. “Our client is fully cooperating with authorities on that investigation. He expects to be completely vindicated once the investigation is concluded. He sends his best regards to his fans and his fellow castmates.”

After castmate Cameran Eubanks said she thought it was the right decision for him not to be present, Shep Rose also weighed in on their co-star.

“Ninety percent of the time, Thomas is funny, eccentric, jovial and then we’ve seen there’s a side of him that is not really him. There’s a big part of him that I really, really love and a little part that I don’t,” Rose said.

Cohen then turned to Dennis, who shares two children, 4-year-old daughter Kensington and 2-year-old son St. Julien, with Ravenel, from whom she split in 2016. The host noticed that she has been posting photos with him and the kids on social media recently.

“We’ve been trying to spend more time together in front of the children, so things are moving in the right direction as best as they can,” she explained.

When asked what her feeling is about the investigation, Dennis opted to say as little as possible.

“I’m not going to comment until I guess it’s resolved I think,” she said. “What I am going to focus on is just the children and staying out of it.”

In a preview of the second part of the reunion, Ravenel’s girlfriend Ashley Jacobs was asked if she expects him to be cleared in the investigation.

“Of course, yes,” she responded. “He has not been charged with anything. These are just allegations.”

In May, Ashley Perkins publicly claimed that her motherDebbie Hollaway Perkins, met Ravenel via Tinder and went on a date with him on Dec. 25, when he allegedly held her down by her wrists, pulled his penis out and “shoved” his fingers into her private parts. Perkins, who said she did not witness the alleged incident, detailed the claims on her website and to Fox News.

Ravenel’s attorney, Richard P. Terbrusch, in a statement, “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.”

Perkins also said that her mother told her about the alleged incident immediately after it took place and took photos of her wrists. Ashley claimed Gloria Allred (who had no comment when reached by Fox News) took on her mother’s case in June 2016 and met for mediation with Ravenel’s legal team, for which Ashley claimed she was present. Ashley alleged that Ravenel settled with her mother for $200,000 and that her mother signed a non-disclosure agreement.

At the time, Bravo said, “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.”

After hearing Perkins’ story of her mother, Ravenel’s former nanny for his two children, Dawn Ledwell, also came forward with allegations against the reality star stemming from an incident in 2015 and filed a report with the Charleston Police Department. She told People that he is being investigated for “first-degree forcible rape.” Ravenel did not comment on her claims at the time.

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