Thomas Ravenel is a South Carolina real estate developer, former state treasurer, and former Southern Charm cast member whose public life has moved through a federal cocaine conviction, reality television fame, an assault case brought by his children’s nanny, a long custody fight with Kathryn Dennis, and a five-day campaign for governor in 2025.
He was born into one of South Carolina’s best-known political families. His father, Arthur Ravenel Jr., served in the state legislature and represented the First Congressional District in the U.S. House from 1987 to 1995, and died in January 2023 at age 95.1South Carolina Legislature. Arthur Ravenel Jr. Legislative Resolution Thomas Ravenel graduated from The Citadel in 1985 and earned an MBA from the University of South Carolina in 1991. He founded Ravenel Development Corporation in 1992, a Charleston-based commercial real estate firm.2Ravenel Development Corporation. Thomas Ravenel Bio
Treasurer Election and Federal Cocaine Conviction
Ravenel was elected South Carolina State Treasurer as a Republican in November 2006, defeating longtime Democratic incumbent Grady Patterson.3SC Daily Gazette. Former Treasurer, Reality TV Show Star Announces Run for SC Governor His tenure lasted months. On June 19, 2007, a federal grand jury indicted him on one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine. Governor Mark Sanford suspended him from office that same day, citing the state constitution’s provision for removal upon indictment for a crime involving moral turpitude.4South Carolina Legislature. Executive Order 2007-09 Ravenel resigned the following month.
In September 2007, he pleaded guilty to a federal cocaine possession charge. In court he admitted buying cocaine from several people and using it roughly once a week, sharing the drug with friends rather than selling it.5Augusta Chronicle. Ravenel Pleads Guilty In March 2008, U.S. District Judge Joseph F. Anderson Jr. sentenced him to ten months in federal prison and ordered him to pay a $250,000 fine, with roughly $29,000 redirected to the state to cover costs from the special legislative session called to select a new treasurer.6WIS TV. Former SC Treasurer Sentenced to 10 Months
Ravenel served part of his sentence at a halfway house in North Charleston, was released on January 15, 2009, and remained under house arrest at home until March 27, 2009.7WIS TV. Thomas Ravenel Released From Halfway House The sentence also carried three years of probation.8Yahoo Entertainment. Thomas Ravenel Federal Prison
Southern Charm and the Firing
Ravenel joined Bravo’s reality series Southern Charm for its 2014 premiere. The show followed the social lives of affluent Charlestonians and made him a recognizable television figure.
His run on the series ended on September 25, 2018, when he was arrested in Charleston County on a charge of second-degree assault and battery. Bravo confirmed that day it had dropped him from the show.9The Hollywood Reporter. Southern Charm Star Thomas Ravenel Arrested, Fired by Bravo A month earlier, Ravenel had claimed publicly that he was leaving voluntarily, saying producers had “the right to fictionalize your story” and that he had “too much to lose.”10People. Southern Charm Cast Cut Off Thomas Ravenel Before He Quit
Nanny Assault Case
The 2018 charge arose from a 2015 incident involving Dawn Ledwell, who had worked as a nanny for Ravenel’s children. Ledwell alleged that Ravenel attacked her while she was cleaning his Charleston home, that he made sexual advances, and that during the encounter her clothing restricted her breathing.11The State. Ravenel Pleads Guilty to Assault She did not report the incident until 2018, and investigators said the elapsed time left insufficient evidence to pursue sexual assault charges.12ABC News 4. Thomas Ravenel Pleads Guilty to Nanny Dawn Assault
On September 11, 2019, Ravenel pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of third-degree assault and battery. He told the court: “Your honor, on the night of the incident, I did attempt to kiss Mrs. Ledwell, and grabbed her arm, and that was wrong.”12ABC News 4. Thomas Ravenel Pleads Guilty to Nanny Dawn Assault The judge waived a potential 30-day jail sentence and ordered him to pay a $500 fine.13Deadline. Former Southern Charm Star Thomas Ravenel Pleads Guilty
Ledwell filed a civil lawsuit against Ravenel in December 2018. That case was resolved in October 2019 with a $125,000 settlement; $45,000 covered Ledwell’s legal fees and $80,000 was donated to People Against Rape, a local nonprofit.14People. Thomas Ravenel Apologizes to Nanny in Sexual Assault Case Settlement Ledwell pursued a separate civil suit against Bravo, NBCUniversal, and the show’s production company, Haymaker.
Earlier Allegation and Settlement
In May 2018, Ashley Perkins publicly alleged that Ravenel had sexually assaulted her mother, Debbie Holloway Perkins, on Christmas Day 2015 after the two met through the dating app Tinder. According to the allegation, Ravenel brought Debbie Perkins to his home and physically forced himself on her.15People. Thomas Ravenel Accused of Sexual Assault No criminal charges were filed. In June 2016, the parties reached a $200,000 settlement that included a non-disclosure agreement signed by Debbie Perkins. Ravenel denied all sexual assault allegations through his attorneys.
Custody Battle With Kathryn Dennis
Ravenel’s relationship with Kathryn Dennis, a fellow Southern Charm cast member, produced two children: daughter Kensington, born in March 2014, and son Saint Julien, born in November 2015. The custody dispute has stretched across nearly a decade.
In 2016, Dennis lost custody after testing positive for marijuana and entering rehabilitation, and Ravenel was granted full custody. Dennis regained 50/50 joint custody in 2017 after completing a treatment program.16Yahoo Entertainment. Southern Charm Alum Kathryn Dennis Custody After Ravenel’s 2018 arrest, Dennis sought sole custody, alleging he displayed “uncontrollable bouts of anger” and relied heavily on nannies.17Page Six. Kathryn Dennis, Thomas Ravenel Relationship History
In November 2019, the two reached a joint custody agreement. Ravenel kept primary legal custody, with physical custody split roughly 64/36 in his favor and a planned transition to 50/50 by summer 2020. The agreement required Dennis to employ a nanny, whose salary Ravenel paid in lieu of child support. In February 2021, a temporary court order returned primary custody to Ravenel and restricted Dennis to supervised weekend visitation, and the court sealed related documents citing the “sensitive nature of the issues involved.”18People. Kathryn Dennis Temporarily Loses Custody Ravenel has maintained primary custody since; in November 2023, he stated on social media that Dennis could not see the children without a paid supervisor present.17Page Six. Kathryn Dennis, Thomas Ravenel Relationship History
Ravenel has a third child, a son named Jonathan Jackson Ravenel, born on June 29, 2020, to Heather Mascoe, whom Ravenel described at the time as a “really good friend.”19People. Thomas Ravenel Welcomes Son Jonathan Jackson
Return to Politics
In 2014, Ravenel mounted an independent bid for Lindsey Graham’s U.S. Senate seat. He gathered 16,500 petition signatures to make the ballot and spent roughly $300,000 of his own money, emphasizing limited government and criticizing Graham on military intervention and NSA surveillance.20The Post and Courier. Thomas Ravenel Runs Hard for Lindsey Graham’s Senate Seat He received 47,588 votes on Election Day, or 3.84% of the total.21SC Election History. Thomas Ravenel 2014 Election Results
On February 6, 2025, Ravenel announced on social media that he was running for governor of South Carolina in 2026, declaring himself the first official candidate in the race. He positioned himself as an outsider against “career politicians,” advocated eliminating state income taxes and the U.S. Department of Education, and supported broad school voucher programs.3SC Daily Gazette. Former Treasurer, Reality TV Show Star Announces Run for SC Governor The campaign lasted five days. On February 11, 2025, he withdrew, citing his responsibilities as a single father of three young children. “At this juncture of my life, it is much more important to raise my young family than to run for political office,” he said.22Spectrum Local News. Thomas Ravenel Withdraws Bid for South Carolina Governor The candidacy was legally possible because the South Carolina constitution bars felons from holding state office only for 15 years after their sentence is completed, a threshold Ravenel cleared by the early 2020s.23WIS TV. Former SC Treasurer, Southern Charm Star Announces Bid for Governor
Ravenel has described himself as a “fiscally conservative and socially moderate libertarian.”24On the Issues. Thomas Ravenel on the Issues He has called for ending the war on drugs, which he has called “federal overreach” that is both racist and unsuccessful.25Politico. Thomas Ravenel, Drugs, and 2014 He supports cutting income, corporate, and estate taxes, opposes protectionist tariffs, favors privatizing Social Security through voluntary personal accounts, says government should “stay out of marriage” but should treat gay couples equally if involved, and opposes foreign military intervention.