Austen Kroll Shares Rare Insight Into Romance With Girlfriend Audrey

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One of Charleston's most infamous bachelors might be ready to settle down.

That's because, after years of playboy behavior, Southern Charm's Austen Kroll has finally found himself in a long-term relationship with new girlfriend Audrey, who he introduced to the world on the latest season of the Bravo series.

"We are still together," Austen exclusively told E! News at the show's season 10 premiere party in NYC, "and things are going well." (Watch E! News tonight, Dec. 9, at 11 p.m. for more exclusive interviews with the cast.)

But after a year of dating, the reality star isn't rushing into an engagement.

"We're not putting pressure on something like that so soon," Austen explained. "In my opinion, far too early. But we're just having fun ad enjoying each other as much as possible."

However, the 37-year-old is proud of his evolution over the past decade and his new desire to settle down.

"I've been afraid of the big 'ole 'C' word for a long time—the 'C' word being commitment, of course," he reflected. "And I think that when you watch a show that you're on, you're certainly looking at yourself in the mirror or there's a big mirror held up in front of your face. And with long talks with my therapist, I realized commitment is exactly what I was ready for upon meeting the right person. And I met the right person and couldn't ignore it, to be honest."

Michelle Watt/Bravo

Another "big commitment" Austen recently made? Asking Audrey to appear on the new season of Southern Charm, despite keeping their relationship relatively private up until this point.

"It's a thing to bring somebody into that part of your world," the Pillows & Beer podcast cohost admitted. "It was something that we both spoke about prior to filming this season. I was like, 'Is this something that you wanna do? I mean, I totally understand if you're like this world is not for me.' And she was like, 'It's important to you, so I'd be willing to dip in my toes and do things with you.' I just wanted her to feel as comfortable as possible."

Watch E! News tonight, Dec. 9, at 11 p.m. for more exclusive interviews with the Austen and his costars. Southern Charm airs Thursdays at 9 p.m. on Bravo.

And keep reading to learn more about the season 10 drama.

Michelle Watt/Bravo

Madison LeCroy

After just one year of marriage, resident southern belle Madison grapples with the loss of her father and finds herself dealing with issues far from her days as the single party girl. While she focuses on her family, she finds out that JT is meddling in rumors that cross the line.

Michelle Watt/Bravo

Venita Aspen

After breaking up with boyfriend Manny last year, Venita realizes that she and JT have an undeniable attraction and connection that goes deeper than most. She starts to question her feelings toward him amidst preserving her own friendships with those he may not be on the best terms with.    

Michelle Watt/Bravo

Ryan Albert

Ryan is a true southern gentleman within Charleston’s elite social scene. Along with his husband, Dr. Eddie Irions, he’s among Patricia’s closest friends.   

Michelle Watt/Bravo

Austen Kroll

Surprising himself by defining the relationship, Austen is finally happy with a new long-distance girlfriend and focused on reviving his beer business. While his love life is on the up and up, his friendship with Craig is on the rocks as the former partners-in-crime find themselves at a crucial point of disagreement with no clear path forward.    

Michelle Watt/Bravo

Jarrett "JT" Thomas

JT continues to be an outspoken rabble-rouser, stirring up controversy wherever he goes. Despite his best intentions, his rapport with many in the group starts to go up in flames. However, Venita turns out to be his constant and offers a shoulder to lean on as he tries to mend friendships. 

Michelle Watt/Bravo

Shep Rose

After Shep’s declaration to change at the end of last season, he attended an ayahuasca retreat in Costa Rica and is now determined to make real growth. He has even fallen head-over-heels in love with the former Miss Bahamas, but the group questions if she feels the same way about him.   

Michelle Watt/Bravo

Craig Conover

Craig seems to be thriving both professionally and personally, steadfast in his belief that Paige is “The One.” But after taking time away from Shep last year, he finds his longstanding friendships are on shaky ground as both Austen and Shep question what happened to their former confidante.   

Michelle Watt/Bravo

Leva Bonaparte

Leva continues to be a sounding board for her friends and isn’t afraid to call out their bad behavior when they step out of line.

Michelle Watt/Bravo

Taylor Ann Green

Taylor has moved on from her relationship with Shep, last year’s drama with Austen and is unapologetically in love with her new boyfriend, a Charleston mainstay whom everyone has an opinion. She’s dedicated to setting boundaries – from friendships to past flames – so that nothing can threaten her newfound happiness.    

Michelle Watt/Bravo

Rodrigo Reyes

Rodrigo finds himself balancing a stable home life with his partner and dealing with the drama of his closest confidantes. He’s unapologetic about giving his opinion and ready to take sides if necessary.   

Michelle Watt/Bravo

Molly O'Connell

Molly is a quirky southern belle, friendly but unfiltered, who grew up in Charleston and left to model all over the world. She’s returned home to be closer to her family and friends, and her longtime entanglements with the men of the group lead her to wonder exactly how she fits in.   

Michelle Watt/Bravo

Salley Carson

Salley is the latest to grace Charleston’s vibrant social scene. She’s a bubbly party girl by night and a robotics technician for surgical procedures by day. The debutante is gorgeous, intelligent and independent, and she shares a curiously parallel romantic past with Taylor. 

(E! and Bravo are both part of the NBCUniversal family)

Watch E! News weeknights Monday through Thursday at 11 p.m., only on E!.

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