On July 20, several media outlets confirmed the breakup of Shep Rose and Taylor Ann Green. The Southern Charm stars began their romance at the start of COVID-19, and they later quarantined together.
The end of their two-year relationship came as a surprise to some viewers while others were less than shocked. During the season seven reunion, Shep confessed to kissing another woman, and the season eight trailer teases trouble in paradise.
Although Shep and Taylor have not commented on the breakup, he recently spoke to E! News, giving some insight into the relationship in the weeks leading up to their split.
The 42-year-old first addressed the outside factors. “We felt like everyone was chirping all around us—which happens—but it can really put undue stress on a relationship,” said Shep in the June 21 interview. “And then I didn’t really help the situation a couple of times, but I just felt really stressed at certain times during the season about trying to make sure that Taylor’s ok, that we’re ok, and that I’m ok. It’s a lot of balls to juggle in the air.”
Castmate Craig Conover, who was present in the interview, added, “Filming can tear you apart. And if you survive it, which you did…”
“Not by much,” Shep finished the thought.
He then explained, “[Taylor and I] are gonna have our bad moments [in the current season].”
During one scene, the couple was “in a competitive situation… Taylor and I were playing on the opposite teams, and she did something that got my goat, so to speak, and I wasn’t all that nice about it, and I regret it.”
At that time, however, their relationship had “never been better,” according to Shep.
“We’ve got a busy summer planned, all these fun trips,” he expressed. “So, it’s really good. I’m in a really good headspace and we’ll see what happens.”
In fact, both men revealed their interest in possible proposals. Craig, who’s currently in a relationship, explained, “I think we’re both in happy places where we both do want to get married, which is an awesome position to be in.”
Shep explained, “Yeah, it’s the first time I’ve ever been there.”
On the latest episode of the show, however, Craig had a different tune — and he suggested that Shep cheated on Taylor multiple times.
On a trip out of town, Shep told Craig that Taylor is “always worried” during his trips.
“Taylor’s anxious when you leave town because you keep cheating on her when you leave town,” claimed Craig during a confessional interview, via Page Six. “I mean, how is she supposed to be — just like, sleep peacefully at night?”
In an earlier scene, Shep and Taylor fought on FaceTime regarding her “anxiety” over his trips.
During a hot-mic moment, Shep told his girlfriend, “I’ve said it over and over again: I am not gonna stop going to places and doing things.” Taylor then promised that she wouldn’t be “left because of a wandering eye.”
Shep shared in a confessional, “I’m not gonna sit here and defend myself for the rest of my life because that’s a surefire way for things to end with me at least.”
Throughout the evening, Taylor sent him a stream of messages, paragraphs long. A frustrated Shep then chatted with another woman at a bar, eventually buying her a drink.
“[Taylor]’s texting him being like, ‘Are you gonna cheat on me tonight?’ She’s just super f–king insecure about everything,” Austen Kroll revealed to Craig.
“What’s happening is that Taylor thinks it’s only a campfire,” responded Craig. “What Shep’s freaking out about is there are landmines and accelerant and gasoline, and he goes, ‘If you keep stoking this campfire, it’s going to explode.’
Craig added, “You know s–t, I know s–t, everyone knows s–t, except Taylor.”
Southern Charm season eight airs Thursdays at 9/8c on Bravo.