Credit: Charles Sykes/Bravo
Winter House stars, Ciara Miller and Amanda Batula, are spilling the details on the franchise’s current relationships and where everyone stands while promoting season 3 of the Summer House spin-off.
Austen Kroll first made an impression on Ciara at the beginning of season 1 of Winter House during a steamy make-out session in a hot tub, and things were going well with the two until the dynamics began to shift after Austen also made out with Lindsay Hubbard during Summer House season 6 even though Ciara was under the impression they were still an item.
Cut to the present day, and Ciara is revealing that she is saying “hi and bye” to Austen.
“The distance is still there. I am very much still ‘hi and bye,’ and I think that that’s the extent of our relationship,” Ciara told Us Weekly of her and Austen’s current status. “I don’t really feel like we’ll probably ever really have a relationship. Personally for me, I don’t trust him.”
Ciara believes any kind of potential relationship with the Southern Charm star, be it romantic or platonic, is out of the question, saying that “bridge has burned.”
“I do think he’s a good guy, and he’s great for someone, and, like, I truly do wish him the best. I just … I don’t need it in my life,” she said.
Costar and friend Amanda agreed with Ciara’s assessment of Austen and commends her “confidence and ability to communicate” her feelings toward her former flame.
“The way she did and really just lay it out there and set those boundaries,” Amanda explained. “I think she was right in everything that she said. Austen just needs to grow up. He’s capable, but just not right now.”
Ciara added that she doesn’t “hate” Austen and can be in company, but she’s not holding her breath as she claims Austen has a “flip side” and she’s not “sticking around for it.”
“We had the Winter House premiere party [before] BravoCon [and then I] saw him a couple of weeks ago in the city [at], like, a restaurant opening, and we can be around each other,” Ciara told Us. “I personally don’t need to do a catch-up [at events], but that’s kind of [when we interact]. And I think that that’s OK. It’s evolved in that way, and I don’t hate him. I don’t have [a] distaste for him. I, you know, I like myself a lot more.”
Ciara and Amanda also took time to gush over BFF and costar, Paige DeSorbo’s, relationship with another Southern Charm man, Craig Conover.
“I feel like they know each other so much better, and they are more adjusted to kind of, like, what makes each other tick,” Ciara said.
Amanda chimed in, saying that Craig is more mature than when he and Paige first met during Winter House, and the pair have only grown “closer and stronger.”
“He didn’t need to wait to see things air and play out to realize what he did wrong or how he acted might have been inappropriate. Like, in the moment, right before he even watched himself back, he was able to check himself,” Amanda told Us. “I think that’s huge and the two of them have only grown since then.”
As the couple’s relationship has grown more serious, there have been rumblings about Paige moving down south to Charleston, SC to be with Craig. A move that Ciara and Amanda aren’t over the moon about but would support for their friend’s happiness.
“I don’t wanna support that move,” Amanda joked. “I think that, you know, she would do