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‘Southern Charm’ Alum Thomas Ravenel Pays $125K to Settle Nanny Sexual Assault Case

Thomas Ravenel has settled the sexual assault lawsuit filed against him by his children’s former nanny, Dawn Ledwell.

Related: Hollywood’s Sexual Misconduct Scandals

According to the court documents obtained by Radar Online on Tuesday, October 8, the former Southern Charm star, 57, agreed to pay Ledwell $125,000 after he pleaded guilty to charges of third degree assault and battery. Per the docs, Ravenel will pay Ledwell’s $45,000 lawyer’s fees and donate $80,000 to the nonprofit People Against Rape in her name.

Thomas Ravenel Settles Sexual Assault Case
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Ravenel was arrested in September 2018 after he was accused of sexual assault by Ledwell, who cared for his daughter Kensie, now 5, and son Saint, now 3, at the time. (Ravenel shares his two children with his ex and former costar, Kathryn Dennis.) The alleged incident took place in January 2015.

While Ledwell claimed in court docs that the former politician removed her clothes and tried to force her to have sex with him, Ravenel shared his side of the story in the settlement documents.

Related: Southern Charm’s Biggest Scandals and Controversies

“My friends and I had dinner and drinks. I do not recall exactly how much alcohol I drank that night, but by my recollection, I was intoxicated upon my return home,” he claimed. “When I returned home, I made an unwelcome advance toward Dawn, which she rebuffed. Instead, she helped me upstairs to my room, offered me a back rub, and then left.”

Ravenel claimed in the paperwork that he didn’t know Ledwell ”perceived [his] unwelcome advance as an assault” until after she left his employment at the end of 2015.

“I reiterate that I have never intentionally sexually assaulted anyone, I also acknowledge that by making an unwelcome advance to Dawn in my home, while she was babysitting my daughter, I behaved improperly and caused her immediate and lasting emotional distress,” he stated. “I unqualifiedly apologize for having done so. She has asked that rather than pay any money to her and settlement of her claims, I make a donation in her name to the charity of her choice, and I have gladly done so.”

Related: Inside Kathryn Dennis and Thomas Ravenel’s Custody Battle

Ravenel starred on the first five seasons of Bravo’s Southern Charm. The network cut ties with him ahead of season 6 in light of the sexual assault allegations against him. (A second woman accused the reality TV personality of assault in 2018, which Ravenel denied.)

Dennis, 28, for her part, broke down over Ravenel’s arrest during the season 6 premiere, which aired in May.

“He didn’t even call me,” she said during the episode. “You would think [he would say], ‘Just want to let you know I was arrested this morning, but the kids are fine.’”

The exes settled their nasty custody battle in August, agreeing to joint custody of their two kids.

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