There are often many questions about whether Southern Charm is real or fake, but fans know that star Shep Rose does live a chill lifestyle. Based on what he shares in interviews and on his Instagram account, he really does life a great life in Charleston and he's always the life of the party.
While there is a lot of talk about Madison LeCroy's controversies, Shep Rose's background might be a bit less well known. Let's take a look at who Shep Rose was before Southern Charm.
Real Estate And Restaurants
While fans are curious about Madison LeCroy's job, fans of Southern Charm know that Shep Rose comes from a wealthy background, but what did he do before the show?
Shep Rose has worked in real estate and he is paid $25,000 for each Southern Charm episode, according to Cheat Sheet.
Shep lived in Dubai before he joined the cast of Southern Charm. According to Bravotv.com, he appeared on Watch What Happens Live in 2017 and someone phoned in and asked why he was so mean about co-star Craig Conover's career when he didn't appear to be working currently. Shep explained that he worked in the real estate industry in Dubai and he said, "Listen, I live my life and I'm fortunate enough to kind of have fun and do my thing. And can it last forever? No, it can't."
Shep continued, "I've worked in Dubai. I've sold real [estate]. I lived in Dubai and sold real estate. It was crazy." He also said that he was enjoying this time in his life.
Shep also shared on Instagram that he went back to the University of Georgia where he attended college and talked about his backstory.
Shep said, "Great visiting my old stomping grounds last week in Athens and the University of Georgia! Thank you to the UGA Entrepreneurship Program program for having me speak in class. I basically did 30 min[utes] of bad stand up that is sadly my life story. I did thoroughly enjoy fielding their questions and talking about my time working in South Florida, Dubai and failed attempt in Hong Kong in 2010 (funny story). The students and faculty were great. It’s awesome to see how UGA has grown and I’m proud to call it my alma mater!"
Shep also is involved with three restaurants in Charleston: according to Bravotv.com, he is the co-owner of The Commodore and has a stake in The Palace Hotel and The Alley.
Shep's Book
Shep Rose also wrote a book called Average Expectations: Lessons In Lowering The Bar where he shared a lot of his past. This definitely allowed fans to get to know him better.
In an interview with Decider.com, Shep talked more about his family, sharing that his dad and grandpa were lawyers and his grandpa was a federal judge, and he felt that his dad would have been thrilled if he had gone down that career path as well.
Shep said, "I think my dad wanted me to be an international businessman, like his dad, and like he was to a certain degree. Even though he’s a lawyer, he used to work in Saudi Arabia and all these cool places, and he grew up in Europe. So it was important for him for his children to see the world. I’m so glad that he did. It’s so enriching in so many ways and eye-opening, and it makes you appreciate everything more that you have and that and that Americans have, frankly, and just I’m so glad that he nudged us that way. I think they wanted me to be happy first and foremost, and that’s the most important thing."
Shep's Life Now
According to Heavy.com, Shep now makes some money through Instagram partnerships, such as a CBD brand called Natures Highway and a beer company named Natural Light.
Shep also has a company that makes hats, dog collars, face masks, and t-shirts called ShepGear.
Fans are also hoping that Southern Charm comes back for season 8, and according to Cheat Sheet, Shep shared that he met Whitney Sudler-Smith when he was looking to open a restaurant. Whitney invited him to a party and told him "You're who we've been looking for" to join the show. The show would feel so different if Shep hadn't joined.
While fans feel like they know Shep really well from his time on Southern Charm, as they have watched him hang out with his friends, get into arguments, and fall for his girlfriend Taylor, it's definitely nice to see Shep discover his passion for writing and start exploring some career opportunities.