Kathryn Dennis of Southern Charm sent horribly racist messages to radio host

This is just a reminder than some reality TV stars remain complete trash, although you surely knew that already. It’s also a reminder that outlets like People and US Magazine use the term “racially insensitive” when they should just be calling these bitches racist. (Although, to be fair to them, it’s possibly because stories with “racist” in the title may not get the same advertiser dollars. That’s a big consideration at this time.) We’ve reported on Kathryn Dennis exactly once, when she said she was drinking again after three years of sobriety. This time it’s because she’s a terrible racist who taunted a black radio host over Twitter.

Mika Gadsden is a Charleston, South Carolina-based radio host, podcaster and activist. She called out one of Kathryn’s buddies, a boutique owner named Katie Shields, for promoting a MAGA rally in her Instagram stories.

Then Kathryn came for Mika with a series of taunting, obnoxious DMS in which she used the monkey emoji.

I’m not going to recap all that, you can read it in the tweets. Kathryn got increasingly desperate and kept messaging Mika. It makes me sick to my stomach, and Kathryn calling Mika racist for using the term “white people” is so typical. “You’re racist to ME!” After this got a lot of attention, Kathryn sort-of apologized but she of course added the qualifier “to anyone and everyone I hurt.” I’m surprised she didn’t mention her black friends.

“I am not that person.” She literally taunted a woman for calling out white supremacy and she used a monkey emoji. Everyone knows that’s racist. She knew. She’s sorry she got exposed.

Trump has given these terrible people a platform. His supporters are putting countless lives at risk by spreading the virus and by harassing and attacking people of color. Let’s call them what they are. I also hope that Kathryn gets fired from Southern Charm, but I doubt that will happen.

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53 Responses to “Kathryn Dennis of Southern Charm sent horribly racist messages to radio host”

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  1. BayTampaBay says:

    Is that Kathryn’s real hair or is that a wig in the last picture?

    • Lauren says:

      Wiglet I’m sure!

    • Starkiller says:

      Those are extensions (and not very good ones either).

    • whatWHAT? says:

      gotta be a wig. see how it “sits on top” of her head? and there’s no part…

      and her face is so plastic looking.

      • BeanieBean says:

        Yeah, haven’t seen her in a while (I confess to watching their show). She looks like she went full-on plastic surgery. She was naturally pretty & different looking. And now…. She’s from one of those ‘old’ Charleston families, founders of the city & politics, old money built on slavery. I’m not at all surprised buy her tweets.

      • minx says:

        She’s cheap and ugly, inside and out.

    • osito says:

      I’m sorry, but does her wearing a wig make her more racist or less? What is the point of this discussion?

      • Lauren says:

        White women can wear wigs and there’s no problem or questioning their beauty. If a black woman does it then she must hate herself. There, I just made the discussion relevant.

      • BayTampaBay says:

        @osito – I made the post on the “wig” because it looks so awful. I am sure this racist b*t*h can afford the best so why is she wearing this trashy cheap wig. If it is her own hair then she needs to change hairdressers and have her picture taken on “Good Hair Days”.

        Joan Collins and Dolly Parton admittedly wear wigs all the time and they (especially their hair) always looks good.

      • osito says:

        @Bay — It just seems like a non-issue compared to the larger point of the article. She looks awful in that dress, too, but that doesn’t make me afraid for anybody’s life.

        @Lauren — I think the good hair= laid hair discussion is part of why this isn’t helpful. It’s a distraction from her sh—ty behavior, and no one was having the “why do whites women get to do this but black women don’t” conversation before you brought it up.

      • Joanna says:

        @osito, black women get called out for wearing wigs and weave, so why shouldn’t she be called out for it? I’m white btw. They are just pointing out the double standard

      • osito says:

        @Joana — I feel like a discussion of hair/looks isn’t useful used in this way. The original comment wasn’t posed as a discussion of the disparaging ways black women are treated for wearing their hair the way they want to, and it didn’t become that until Lauren sarcastically bent the conversation to make it “relevant”. When someone’s hand is around my neck, I don’t want the conversation to be about their hair, I want it to be about the fact that they’re choking me. But maybe that’s because I’m *not* white, so my priority here is different. I don’t know how Bay or Lauren or any other commenter ethnically identifies, but that doesn’t change my opinion that this particular line of discussion (especially as the very first comment that people took time to chime in on) doesn’t further a discussion about her behavior.

      • NextToMe says:

        It shows she has bad taste all around.

    • Jana says:

      Her natural hair is very thin, stringy and more orange than red. She has been wearing wigs, weaves and pieces for years now.

  2. ME says:

    Typical.

  3. BlueSky says:

    Good for Mika for saying apology not accepted. For too long black people are always expected to “perform” by accepting apologies for racist behavior. We are not obligated to make people feel better about their behavior. This idiot will learn nothing from this and I’m glad Mika basically told her to GFY.

    • osito says:

      I’m deep in my thoughts concerning this concept of accepting apologies. Before I begin: I completely agree with you. Mika does not have to accept this or any other apology for this behavior. She was brave for what she said, and spot on for how she said it. Also, this apology is complete BS. Rings so many alarms, is completely inadequate, and is representative of the trash that issued it. But even if it was a gold star apology, Mika is in no way obligated to accept it, nor is anyone else.

      That said, this is a part of the same conversation we’re having on the Alison Roman thread. I *do* appreciate it when racists acknowledge that their racism is wrong, but the apology has to be sincere and it has to be accompanied by long-term, course corrective action that appropriately addresses the harm done. I’m not reaching out to give anybody a hug for an apology, but I feel like that kind of constructive apology allows space for healing and allows the opportunity for people to visibly and loudly do better, which is beneficial in the long term. This is generally my baseline, even though for the last four years or so, I have my moments where I want to burn everything to the ground. But I still struggle with whether or not I *should* accept those kinds of apologies — as a consumer of media and personally when they happen. Is it always just meeting that expectation that we will grovel for the crumbs of assimilation? And how do we get to more positive spaces that are beneficial for people of color *without* taking those apologies and utilizing them to open doors and begin discussions? I don’t expect anyone to feel the way I do — I’m just struggling to process the increasingly overt racism I’m seeing on a daily basis.

      • Mara says:

        Well thought out insight on what must be a really difficult situation

      • Em says:

        I think apologies have become so standard – an endless cycle of offend – apologize – cry crocodile tears – offend again. It almost makes no sense to accept them.

        An apology can be earmarked for later acceptance if the person breaks the cycle. Otherwise it’s all just words.

    • Original Jenns says:

      Agree with your and Ositos and everyone’s thoughts on apologies, it’s a difficult path. I think so many times people of color have been conditioned to accept the “apology”, sincere or not, and be grateful for it, that not accepting it becomes worse that what the apology was needed for. It’s something I consider whenever these items come up – sometimes I accept, and sometimes I just can’t (even if it;s not directed at me, but at the public in general). I think i take into consideration whether I believe it would actually matter to the person if I accept their apology or not.

      Going back to this topic, this was a lazy, save my butt PR attempt to not get fired. I’m sure she’s just mad she won’t be able to attend her friend’s little yacht party because her bosses want to keep her from looking even more racist.

  4. Valerie says:

    What the fuck ever, whomever she is.

  5. Valiantly Varnished says:

    Im shocked. Not.

    • Christina says:

      Common behavior by random white women. And not just in the South. Everywhere. I see allies everywhere and women like this everywhere.

  6. K says:

    Ew. Disgusting!

  7. FHMom says:

    “When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time.” Maya Angelou

    This goes for all those twitter “apologies”.

    • shanaynay says:

      I agree!!!!!!!!! She showed her true self by posting it! She showed her true self by posting it!

  8. Emily Gilmore says:

    Incomparable, but she also got her lips done while under a stay at home advisement. She’s a mess. It’s Thomas’s fault, her parents fault, braces fault – whatever. At some point we have to stop excusing her.

  9. sherry says:

    Another example of Trump’s win enabling these kinds of people to crawl out from under their rocks, and to feel safe doing it.

    • Züri says:

      Absolutely. When racist, xenophobic, violent, and insensitive viewpoints are normalized, especially from government officials, people tend to jump on the bandwagon because they feel protected. The thing that scares me is that there are so many instances of people who you think you know making similarly problematic comments.

      This isn’t the first time Kathryn Dennis has made racist comments and been called out for it. She never learns and her apologizes are as hollow as can be.

      • BayTampaBay says:

        “Absolutely. When racist, xenophobic, violent, and insensitive viewpoints are normalized, especially from government officials, people tend to jump on the bandwagon because they feel protected. ”

        This is exactly what happen to Meghan Sussex and it could have been nipped in the bud.

    • BeanieBean says:

      She didn’t need Trump’s win to embolden her. She’s been firmly comfortable in her privilege since she was born.

    • missskitttin says:

      Organizing a Trump parade of boats where they dress as poor and tacky rally going Trumpers? Is that pc? Elitist? 1000 yards of incorrect…

  10. The Recluse says:

    So glad that I have no idea who that racist troll is.

  11. Chimney says:

    Racist, barely literate, terrible terrible wig. How do these people end up in the public eye?? Her apology is total BS and good on Ms Gadsen for not accepting

  12. Tashiro says:

    Never heard of her or this show.

    • BayTampaBay says:

      She has quite a history. Her ex-husband or baby daddy is an ex-Repube US Congressman who got got buying and doing cocaine IIRC.

      Watched the show years go for a good laugh at expensive trash but quit after the second season.

  13. Sam the Pink says:

    The boutique is named Mylk? Really? That just makes it even better.

  14. Bucky says:

    She is an advocate for Trump and grew up on an antebellum plantation (that appears to be in some sort of swamp) untouched by time. I think Bravo would have made it part of a season’s plot (breaking the stereotypes kind of thing) if she weren’t racist. I would have guessed that she was more of a subtle innuendo racist than a -send someone a monkey emoji- style of racist. Glad she got caught in a public manner.

  15. Jessica says:

    This show was so problematic from the get go. From the man who raped women and got away with it because of his family name, etc etc, and now this.

    • BayTampaBay says:

      The original cast in the first season was interesting because you had 2 or 3 people in Charleston, South Carolina who were not from “The South” associating with all these inbred antebellum idiots.

  16. quarantine_mom says:

    time to cancel southern charm – they are a group racist, misogynist, alcoholic, sexist, rapist proud and shameless plantation owners that don’t see how this is problematic. instead, putting themselves on reality show pedestals as if they are something to aspire to.

    not interesting. not alluring. not cute.

    reprehensible actually.

  17. Elizabeth says:

    That was such a vile, performative non-apology. I truly hope no one actually takes it seriously. Bravo SHOULD fire her, who knows if they will. I heard Thomas Ravenal is coming back to that show (?), so clearly they have zero standards.

    • BayTampaBay says:

      Thomas Ravenal = Coke head Repube ex-US House Representative.

      He is probably coming back to Southern Charm because he is broke.

    • Bucky says:

      Agree. My first thought was “Why do so many people find it difficult to properly apologize?” but then I wondered if there is a way to graciously apologize for racial epithets? Maybe her best approach would have been to admit that she is a racist who typically controls that side of herself around strangers. Apologize exclusively for what she did. Something along the lines of: “I apologize for using derogatory slurs toward you in our conversation last night. I’m deeply ashamed of myself as a person, a mother, and as a Gwynn’s spokesmodel” Promptly delete all social media, change your name, get a new wig, and go live in the swamp place forevermore. The non-apology approach she took is insulting.

  18. shanaynay says:

    Fire her a**. She doesn’t deserve to be on SC since she’s racist AF!!!!!! She showed her true self by posting it!

  19. JaneDoesWerk says:

    Damn, bravolebrities are really showing their asses during COVID aren’t they? I wonder if this has anything to do with Cameron Eubanks, Kathryn’s costar, posting on social media that she would not be returning to the show? Probably not, sounds like that decision was already made since they had already begun filming.

    • Yati says:

      Cameron was checked out the last two seasons. She’s just the voice of reason but brings nothing to the table except bro down with shep and he’s just as problematic and exhausting to watch as the other douche. They need to refresh the show or call it a day.

  20. Thea says:

    Sure Jan. I have no clue who this chick is. But let me ask this, if she says the monkey emoji wasn’t use in a racist context, then what context was she using it? Cause there’s only one way to read what that emoji meant.

  21. Alex says:

    I am secretly creeped out by this type of southern lady.

  22. HK9 says:

    Karening at its best. With her track record she would know to keep her mouth shut but she still thinks she’s better than everyone else. SMH

  23. JRenee says:

    She knew. How pathetic that people swear that didn’t know and use the weakest faux apologies, she’s trash!

  24. Grant says:

    Disgusting f*cking pig. I’m so sick of white people, and I’m white.