Southern Charm Custody Records Heading to South Carolina Supreme Court, Legal Battle Unfolds

The South Carolina Supreme Court will hear oral arguments next week in the ongoing legal dispute between former Southern Charm stars Thomas Ravenel and Kathryn Dennis regarding whether their bitter custody records should remain sealed. Scheduled for Tuesday, September 15, 2026, at Clemson University's Brooks Center for the Performing Arts, the upcoming proceeding will address public access to court files rather than parental custody rights.

The core legal question centers on whether a Charleston County family court judge erred by refusing to open the records from the couple's most recent custody battle. Ravenel argues that judicial records are presumptively public and that Dennis has repeatedly made public statements accusing him and the court system of misconduct. Dennis counters that unsealing the files would unnecessarily expose private details concerning their two children.

"I just want the truth to be out there for my own reputational purposes," said Ravenel in court transcripts cited within appellate briefs filed ahead of the proceedings.

Legal representatives for Ravenel maintain that the family court failed to properly weigh constitutional provisions requiring public courts against generalized privacy concerns. Conversely, attorneys for Dennis emphasize that judicial discretion is necessary to protect minor children from the fallout of public scrutiny.

The Supreme Court's upcoming decision will establish critical legal precedent regarding the balance between public transparency in high-profile litigation and the protection of minor privacy rights in family court.