Southern Charm: Craig Doesn’t Care If People Judge Him Over Addiction
In the wake of his book release, Southern Charm star Craig Conover isn't worried if people judge him for his struggle with addiction. Craig's been a part of the show since its inception back in 2014. Throughout the years, cast members have come and gone, but Craig's always remained a driving force on the show. In the earlier seasons, fans got to watch in real time as the 33-year-old reality star fell deeper in love with co-star Naomie Olindo. Though the pair officially broke up in Southern Charm season 5, the relationship proved to be a significant event for both parties. Throughout the show, Craig was studying for and ultimately became a lawyer.
Despite the exciting career move, the star had other passions. Craig always had a love of sewing, though he was open about how he'd been mocked for such interests. Ignoring the comments, in 2018 Craig began his lifestyle sewing brand Sewing Down South, which specializes in pillows and clothing. A year later, during a Southern Charm reunion episode, Craig acknowledged for the first time ever his long-time addiction to Adderall. Though he didn't go into too much detail, in his newly released book Pillow Talk: What's Wrong with My Sewing? Craig opened up even more about his addiction, going into when it started and how it affected the show.
Since the announcement of his book, Craig's been honest about how it feels to know the public is going to find out more about his addiction. In an interview with E! News, Craig stated, "It's gonna be crazy hearing how everyone else takes to it. But I think it's me telling the truth about everything and I'm comfortable with being vulnerable because I feel like I'd rather have people judge me for the whole story [rather] than a partial story." Fans might be surprised to find out that the "whole story" goes all the way back to 2014 when Southern Charm first began. In his new book, Craig is candid about the fact that he didn't think he could film without taking Adderall so he became dependent on the drug. Once addicted, the thought of filming and being "on" without the pill was impossible.
Southern Charm's Craig even went on to explain why he opened up about his addiction during the reunion episode, saying, "It was maybe the season 6 reunion, [but] I had never talked about it. And finally, I was just sitting there on stage and I was like, all of the questions that were being asked and all the issues that were being brought up, the answer was Adderall." After he spoke on it, the response he received from other celebrities as well as fans who'd dealt with addiction was incredible. Despite the heavy topic, Craig said that chapter wasn't even the most difficult he'd had to write; it was the one about his and Naomie's relationship. Criag ended up interviewing Naomie a lot for the chapter, explaining, "I wasn't comfortable telling our story without her being a part of it."
Reality TV star Craig's candid approach when broaching such topics is commendable. For anyone in the public eye, it can be incredibly difficult for someone to show their true self. Outside of filming, fans only really know an edited version of them and at times can be married to the persona they have in their heads. For fans who spent eight years watching Craig's Southern Charm journey, his book seems like an amazing way to get a deeper understanding on who he is and a behind the scenes look at the show they love.
Source: E! News