Dawn Ledwell is the former nanny to Thomas Ravenel’s children who accused the “Southern Charm” star of sexually assaulting her at his Charleston home in January 2015. The Dawn Ledwell and Thomas Ravenel case ended in September 2019 when Ravenel pleaded guilty to third-degree assault and battery, received a suspended 30-day jail sentence and a $500 fine, and, as part of a broader settlement, donated $80,000 to a Charleston sexual assault charity in Ledwell’s name. A related civil lawsuit she filed against Bravo and the show’s producers was later dismissed and sent to private arbitration.
What Ledwell Said Happened
Ledwell, who appeared on “Southern Charm” as “Nanny Dawn,” alleged that a “seemingly drunken” Ravenel returned home late one night in January 2015 and cornered her in his master bedroom, forcibly removing her clothing while his young daughter slept nearby. She said she was left “scratched and bruised.”1People. Southern Charm Thomas Ravenel Accused of Sexually Assaulting Former Nanny
Ravenel later gave a narrower account. In court, he admitted trying to kiss Ledwell and grabbing her arm, but denied intending a sexual assault.2Deadline. Former Southern Charm Star Thomas Ravenel Pleads Guilty to Assault and Battery
Why She Waited Until 2018 to Report
Ledwell did not go to the police in 2015. She filed a report with the Charleston Police Department in May 2018, more than three years after the incident.3ABC News 4. Thomas Ravenel Pleads Guilty to Nanny Dawn Assault but No Jail for Southern Charm Star In a sworn affidavit signed in July 2019, she said she only came to recognize the encounter as sexual assault in spring 2018, after news reports surfaced about Ravenel and other women, and after Kathryn Dennis and friends urged her to speak up.4People. Thomas Ravenel Apologizes to Nanny in Sexual Assault Case Settlement
Ravenel disputed that timeline. He said Ledwell had already viewed the encounter as an assault by late 2015, when she stopped working for him, and that he had offered her a severance package with a non-disparagement agreement, which she refused to sign.5ABC News 4. Southern Charm Thomas Ravenel $80 Thousand Settlement Plea Deal
One of the news stories that preceded her report came in April 2018, when Ashley Perkins publicly alleged Ravenel had assaulted her mother, Debbie Holloway Perkins, on Christmas Day 2015 after the two met on Tinder. That matter had been resolved in a June 2016 mediation in which Ravenel reportedly paid $200,000 under a non-disclosure agreement.6People. Southern Charm Thomas Ravenel Accused of Sexual Assault
The Criminal Case
Investigators concluded there was not enough evidence to pursue sexual assault charges given the years that had passed between the 2015 incident and Ledwell’s 2018 report. Ravenel was instead arrested on September 25, 2018, and charged with second-degree assault and battery. Bravo confirmed it had fired him from “Southern Charm” following the arrest.7The Hollywood Reporter. Southern Charm Star Thomas Ravenel Arrested, Fired by Bravo
On September 11, 2019, Ravenel pleaded guilty in a Charleston County courtroom to a reduced charge of third-degree assault and battery. The judge sentenced him to 30 days in jail, then suspended the jail time and ordered a $500 fine and probation.8People. Southern Charm Thomas Ravenel Pleads Guilty to Assault In court, Ravenel said: “Your honor, on the night of the incident I did attempt to kiss Mrs. Ledwell, and grabbed her arm, and that was wrong, and I am much appreciative of the opportunity to apologize to her in court today.”2Deadline. Former Southern Charm Star Thomas Ravenel Pleads Guilty to Assault and Battery
Ledwell did not attend the hearing. Prosecutors said her attorney had asked for a resolution to spare her family the publicity and stress of a trial.3ABC News 4. Thomas Ravenel Pleads Guilty to Nanny Dawn Assault but No Jail for Southern Charm Star
The Settlement and the $80,000 Donation
The guilty plea was one piece of a broader settlement negotiated in July 2019. Under its terms, Ravenel agreed to donate $80,000 to People Against Rape, a Charleston nonprofit that supports sexual assault survivors, in Ledwell’s name; pay $45,000 in her attorney fees; deliver a formal apology in court; and cooperate in her ongoing civil litigation against the remaining defendants.
The donation figure was Ledwell’s own request. In her affidavit, she wrote that she preferred the money go to the charity rather than to her personally, and said she had never pursued the case for notoriety or to exploit Ravenel’s fame.9FITSNews. The Thomas Ravenel Plea: Documents Related to Case Offer Revealing Insights People Against Rape confirmed receiving the funds and said it was “grateful that it can use these funds to help further service our community.”5ABC News 4. Southern Charm Thomas Ravenel $80 Thousand Settlement Plea Deal
Ledwell’s affidavit accepted Ravenel’s apology for “unwarranted physical contact” and stated, “I believe him when he says he never intended to sexually assault me.” She also wrote that the incident should not “be ignored within the legal system” and recommended prosecutors resolve it with the third-degree assault plea.9FITSNews. The Thomas Ravenel Plea: Documents Related to Case Offer Revealing Insights
The Civil Lawsuit Against Bravo
In December 2018, Ledwell filed a civil suit in Charleston County against Ravenel, Bravo Media Productions, Haymaker Content, NBCUniversal, and Comcast. The complaint alleged negligence, intentional infliction of emotional distress, defamation, and civil conspiracy, claiming the corporate defendants “knew or should have known” about Ravenel’s “propensities to assault” women and failed to act.10Greenville Online. Southern Charm Bravo Thomas Ravenel Charleston Sexual Assault Lawsuit
After Ledwell dropped Ravenel from the case as part of the July 2019 settlement, the remaining defendants removed the lawsuit to the U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina. On January 17, 2020, Judge Richard Gergel dismissed the case without prejudice, ruling that Ledwell’s claims were barred by mandatory arbitration clauses in the appearance releases she had signed when she appeared on “Southern Charm.” Governed by New York law, those clauses required disputes arising from the show’s production to be resolved in arbitration.11FITSNews. Federal Judge Dismisses Civil Case Filed by Thomas Ravenel’s Former Nanny
Ledwell argued the arbitration provisions were unenforceable because the only thing she received in return was the “opportunity for publicity,” which she called worthless, and because the corporate defendants kept the right to sue in court while she was pushed into arbitration. The court rejected both arguments, finding that New York law does not require mutuality of remedy in arbitration contracts and that parties may bargain even where consideration is “grossly unequal or of dubious value.”12GovInfo. Ledwell v. Ravenel LLC, No. 20-1344
On February 4, 2021, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit affirmed the dismissal, ending Ledwell’s civil claims against the network and production companies in federal court and sending any remaining disputes to private arbitration.13FindLaw. Ledwell v. Ravenel LLC, No. 20-1344