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Arthur Ravenel Jr. (a.k.a. “Cousin Arthur”) will be remembered for many things: Becoming one of the first Democrats to switch to the Republican party, securing funding for the iconic bridge over the Cooper River that bears his name and his lifelong fondness for the Confederate States of America.
He will also be remembered for siring Thomas Ravenel – a once-promising GOP statewide elected official who has seen his career as a politician (and as a reality television star) implode spectacularly.
This week, Ravenel put his own spin on his father’s legacy – recalling one of their final conversations prior to the latter’s passing on January 16, 2023 at the ripe old age of 95.
The focus of this particular father-and-son chat? The younger Ravenel’s former girlfriend and reality television co-star, Kathryn Dennis.
According to the 61-year-old real estate developer, he recited to his dying dad “a litany of problems Kathryn had created for me.”
“I remember he listened very patiently and when I was finished he took a deep breath and then began to speak and I was expecting something very profound,” Ravenel recalled. “He said, ‘well Thomas, was the pussy worth it?’ Later, I realized that was an extremely profound statement.”
Take a look …
(Click to View)
Ravenel removed the tweet on Friday, replacing it with one announcing the passing of his brother – William Ravenel.
Elected treasurer of South Carolina in 2006, Ravenel was forced to resign the following year after being arrested on federal drug charges. He eventually pleaded guilty in connection with that case and served ten months in a federal prison. The Ravenel investigation also ensnared Pierre Manigault, the owner of The (Charleston, S.C.) Post and Courier. However, Manigault was never charged.
Prior to being elected treasurer, Ravenel ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. Senate in 2004 as a Republican – finishing third in a GOP primary election. In 2014 he attempted a comeback as a petition candidate for the U.S. Senate, finishing a distant third place in that year’s general election.
Along the way, he spent five years as the male lead on the Bravo TV reality show, Southern Charm.
“Prior to his 2007 arrest, Ravenel was viewed as one of the rising stars of the South Carolina Republican party – a telegenic, intelligent advocate for limited government,” I noted last December.
Since then? The 61-year-old has become a cautionary tale on par with former Palmetto State governor Mark Sanford.
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In September 2018, Ravenel was arrested and charged with second degree assault and battery in connection with an alleged sexual assault against the former nanny of his two young children. A year later he pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor assault charge and was given a thirty-day suspended sentence (meaning he did not have to serve any jail time).
Approving this controversial sentence? Notorious S.C. circuit court judge Bentley Price … who has a long history of accommodating individuals accused of violent crimes against women.
Documents published in the aftermath of the agreement raised even more questions about the circumstances surrounding Ravenel’s plea deal.
Three years ago, Ravenel moved to Aiken from his plantation on Edisto Island. He purchased the 10,000-square foot home on a six-acre lot off of Whiskey Road in 2020. The former politician recently won a contentious battle for sole custody of the two children he shares with Dennis.
While Ravenel was able to avoid any serious adverse legal consequences in connection with the sexual assault allegations filed against him, he has continued to vehemently dispute them – challenging the version of events laid out by his former nanny, Dawn Ledwell.
Just this week, Ravenel wrote that this reporter was “constantly texting” his victim – whom he claimed “lied about me raping her.”
In addition to disparaging his victim, Ravenel slammed this author.
“Will has zero journalistic integrity and is a flat out loser and a liar,” Ravenel wrote.
(Click to View)
Ravenel pinned this message to his account on X, but – like the message recalling his conversation with his late father – he deleted it upon announcing the death of his brother on Friday morning.
Ravenel has steadfastly denied sexually assaulting Ledwell, but in a July 2019 affidavit (.pdf) he admitted to making “an unwelcome advance” toward her “while she was babysitting my daughter.”
According to Ravenel, Ledwell “perceived my unwelcome advance as an assault.”
“While I did not intentionally assault her, I did apologize to her,” Ravenel said. “I behaved improperly and caused her immediate and lasting emotional distress.”
“I unqualifiedly apologize for having done so,” Ravenel added.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR …
Will Folks is the founding editor of the news outlet you are currently reading. Prior to founding FITSNews, he served as press secretary to the governor of South Carolina and before that he was a bass guitarist and dive bar bouncer. He lives in the Midlands region of the state with his wife and seven (soon to be eight) children.
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8 comments
Well was it?
Oh, look!
It’s the original “Hunter Biden” fail-son!
If there’s one thing Republicans love, it’s a coked up fail-son!
LMAO, Squishy123 :-)))))
On the other hand – I find it almost UNbelievable that he has full custody of the 2 children!! As most folks are aware, that is very unusual…doesn’t speak well of Ms. Dennis, obviously. Altho’ I haven’t read re the ultimate outcome – wasn’t she implicated in a “hit ‘n’run” incident near Whitesville Elementary school not long ago???
What a class act T-rav is. I’m sure his dad is proud.
Where do you think he learned it?
Some folks…you can take them out of the trailer park but you can’t take the trailer park out of them, no matter how many generations pass and how much money they build up and pass down.
Arthur Ravenel Jr. will be remembered for many things:
(1) Becoming one of the first Democrats to switch to the Republican party because they are seen racist sob’s? They switched parties cuz Cuz saw that the state democrat party is full of ‘coloreds’ and they ain’t gonna be seen as helping the black man no way, no how. Disgusting politics if ever was. We are fn Americans FIRST! There were no Republicans in this state until I moved here in 1989. Campbell became a Republican the night by happenstance we shared a show at The Chapin Theater. Just being in the same room with me invokes deep Republican spiritual values that rubs off on people. By the time I moved to South Carolina it was too far gone to be saved. Sanford and Haley killed off any respect for SC’s Republican Party as if they understood anything in the first place for which the GOP stands for. SCGOP McKissick put in the final nail in their coffins. They are fn Democrats, all of em, retreaded, to take over the SC GOP!
Securing funding for the iconic bridge over the Cooper River? That fn bridge was a waste of time and treasure. It took them 20 years to build the Mark Clark Expressway to a bridge that was to low to handle the big ships. We spent millions dredging mud off the bottom of the harbor to make it fit. Anyone that kept their name on it is a symbol of how not to build a bridge. Anyone that has a fondness for the Confederate States of America is a sick fk who should stand in a room filled with the blood shed during the War of the States to free us all from the democrat slave mentality.
Which brings me to the State of the State. These fn democrats dressed up as republicans messed up when they went all in on nuclear reactors some 40 miles from the State Capital. What, A. Joke. No one did any prison time and the consumer is stuck with the bills. Now, after they took federal grant money to shut down coal plants, there is no reliable sources of energy unless we feed off of nuclear reactors in the northern states. Yall should be tarred and feathered for that one. Lets not fk it up this time around. LNG? Yea right. Too late to that dance. It is strongly suggested you ‘rats in the State House look up, Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) which are advanced nuclear reactors that have a power capacity of up to 300 MW(e) per unit, which is about one-third of the generating capacity of traditional nuclear power reactors. SMRs, which can produce a large amount of low-carbon electricity. Strategically placed around the states population areas these SMR’s will supply cheap electricity for decades to come.
Sports: The AD brought in his buddy Shawn Elliot to soak up any knowledge he could from that hire from Georgia. That plan worked until the GA hire quit. Good on him. If you are going to offer state jobs with all the benefits to friends and family, I say open up the State insurance coverages to all South Carolinians with the state paying 80% of health care costs. Coach Paris is fantastic, but he owes Auburn a big can of whoopazz next year. Coach Staley is the real deal. I am so proud of her achievements and accomplishments. First Class! She rates to be a Republican if she can look past the stench of current ‘republicans’ running our state now. Beat the crap out of Iowa this year just as your team beat the crap out of LSU! LMAO
Please, son… Please stop being such a loser…