Southern hospitality? Ashley Jacobs is just as surprised as some Southern Charm fans after news of a possible reunion — and rekindled romance — between her ex-boyfriend Thomas Ravenel and his former flame Kathryn Dennis broke on Sunday, January 12.
After seeing the news that Ravenel, 57, and Dennis, 28 — who share two kids, daughter Kensie, 5, and son Saint, 4 — enjoyed a night out after their lengthy and volatile custody battle on Sunday, the registered nurse weighed in on the topic.
Jacobs told Us Weekly exclusively on Tuesday, January 14, that she reached out to the former politician to “kind of poke fun” at the news story.
“I took a screenshot of [the news] and I sent it to him,” Jacobs, 35, told Us. “I said, ‘Congratulations.’ And he has not responded.”
Jacobs and Ravenel dated from May 2017 to August 2018. During her time on the Bravo series, she stirred the pot and made a lot of enemies — one being Dennis.
Despite their past issues, the two women spoke on season 6 of the series, and Jacobs later issued an Instagram apology to Dennis and Southern Charm fans. When it comes to her current feelings about her ex and his kids’ mom, she wishes them well.
“My only thought is, if it’s for the children, then great, you know,” the California native admitted.
If they’re back together romantically, however, Jacobs isn’t quite sure it’ll work out.
“I will never understand,” she said. “I think, you know, you never realize how toxic something is until you walk away from it — or meet someone who’s emotionally stable — and I’m all about healthy relationships from here on out.”
She added: “I guess toxic attracts toxic.”
Jacobs, who became Instagram official with her new man, Mike Appel, in December, feels like Ravenel and Dennis have a “lot of baggage.”
“I think that they’re the only ones that are ever going to be able to see … I think that’s the best they’re ever going to get,” the former reality star explained. “I hate to say that because I think everyone deserves happiness, but you know, if that makes them happy, again, to each their own, but that is not a way to live.”
After stepping out for dinner with Dennis on Sunday, Ravenel was quick to shut down rumors of a rekindled relationship with his ex. “No, we’re doing some things together because it makes the kids very happy to see us getting along,” he wrote via Twitter on Monday, January 13. “And in this matter, our interests are perfectly aligned.”
Dennis and Ravenel split in 2016 after dating on and off for three years and welcoming their two children. After their split, Dennis briefly lost custody of their kids amid a battle with substance abuse.
She was granted 50/50 custody during summer of 2018. Following Ravenel’s arrest and charges relating to an alleged sexual assault in September 2018, which he denied, Dennis filed to modify custody.
In August 2019, a judge ruled that the twosome would continue to have joint custody of their children.
