Thomas Ravenel may not have attended the Southern Charm reunion, but the allegations of sexual assault levied against him were addressed on the show.
Part one of the Southern Charm reunion opened with host Andy Cohen reading a statement provided by Ravenel’s attorney.
“Along with Bravo, our client made the mutual decision not to attend today’s reunion taping as there is a pending investigation. Our client is fully cooperating with authorities on that investigation,” reads the statement. “He expects to be completely vindicated once the investigation is concluded. He sends his best regards to his fans and his fellow castmates.”
And while the rest of the cast agreed that Ravenel’s absence from the reunion was appropriate given the situation, his ex Kathryn Dennis declined to comment for the sake of their two children.
“I’m not going to comment until it’s resolved,” she said. “What I am going to focus on is just the children and staying out of it.”
The former couple shares Kensie, 4, and Saint, 2½.
“We’ve been trying to spend more time together in front of the children,” she said. “So things are moving in the right direction the best as they can.”
South Carolina police are investigating allegations of sexual assault brought against Ravenel by “nanny Dawn,” who was featured on the show caring for their kids.
Additionally, real estate agent Ashley Perkins has alleged that Ravenel assaulted her mom Debbie Holloway Perkins after meeting him on Tinder in October 2015 and going on a last-minute first date.
Ravenel has denied the accusations. A source close to the network previously told PEOPLE that “no decision has been made yet” about firing him from the reality show.
While the allegations were only addressed during the beginning of the show, Dennis looked noticeably uncomfortable as her castmates discussed Ravenel.
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“I think it’s the right decision for him not to be here,” said Cameron Eubanks.
And Shep Rose noted that Ravenel has a “volatile” side to his personality.
“I will say this, 90 percent of the time Thomas is funny, eccentric, jovial and then we’ve seen there’s a side of him that’s not really him,” he said. “There’s a big part of him that I really love and a little part that I don’t.”
Ravenel’s girlfriend Ashley Jacobs will appear on part two of the reunion. In a preview for next week’s episode, Jacobs said she expects Ravenel to be cleared of all accusations.
“Of course, yes,” she said. “He has not be charged with anything. These are just allegations.”