How old is Whitney Sudler-Smith from Southern Charm? Details explored

Southern Charm is finally back with a new season that premiered on Wednesday, November 19, 2025, at 9:00 pm ET on Bravo, with an interesting group of Charleston singles getting ready to mingle.

The returning cast members of season 11 include Venita Aspen, Salley Carson, Craig Conover, Austen Kroll, Madison LeCroy, Molly O’Connell, Rodrigo Reyes, and Shep Rose, along with newcomers Charley Manley and Whitner Slagsvol.

Longtime friends of the show, Matriarch Patricia Altschul is back to host the most lavish parties and give candid advice along with her son, Southern Charm creator Whitney Sudler-Smith, who acts as the owner and caretaker of their Charleston mansion.

Whitney Sudler-Smith is a 57-year-old American filmmaker, television director, and classically trained guitarist who was born on June 2, 1968. 

His mother, Patricia, revealed a surprising fact about her son on Instagram in June 2022 that he was born on the same day and year as Real Housewives producer Andy Cohen.

Apart from being the executive producer of Bravo's Southern Charm, Whitney Sudler-Smith also served as executive producer of the show’s spin-offs, Southern Charm Savannah and Southern Charm New Orleans

Bravo’s official recap of the season reads,

“After a season that seemed to usher the group into a new “grown-up” era, many of the Charmers find themselves single or on the brink of breakup. Though businesses are thriving, life after love presents inevitable fractures in friendships and new romances.”

Southern Charm executive producer Whitney Sudler-Smith's other details explored

Born on June 2, 1968, in Washington, D.C., and raised in Virginia, Whitney Sudler-Smith comes from a family rooted in both society and finance.

His mother, Patricia Altschul (then Pat Dey-Smith), is a well-known socialite who later married Arthur Goodhart Altschul Sr., the prominent New York art collector and philanthropist who was a longtime general partner at Goldman Sachs.

Whitney’s father, Lon Hayes Smith, was an investment banker with Morgan Stanley and lived on the Eastern Shore of Maryland before his death after a short battle with leukemia.

The 57-year-old spoke about losing his father in the July 2022 episode of Southern Charm:

"It’s been a sh-tty year. Michael’s not here since the stroke. And then my father… unexpectedly losing Dad was a real horror show. It was a terrible summer."

Patricia added her own thoughts on an interview in the episode about her ex-husband, saying that they divorced because he wanted a corporate wife who did parties for clients, while she was selling paintings to museums and traveling, further adding:

"Whitney’s father and I were married for 15 years… But we were always friendly. I adored him. He was a great father to Whitney. He was a fabulous man. He was so attractive in every way."

Reflecting on how the Whitney started Southern Charm, he once admitted to telling The Daily Dish in 2018,

"It was kind of a weird pipe dream, and it’s kind of ballooned into this monster… But I think we’re all pleased. It’s really a great show."

His mother later summed up, revealing about her son at BravoCon in 2022:

"He’s very private. He likes to come on and make snarky comments and then leave. He likes to kind of stir the pot and then stand back."

Whitney has spent decades working in film, music, and writing. A classically trained guitarist, he describes guitar as both his hobby and addiction.

His filmography includes Going for Baroque, Afternoon Delight, Bubba and Ike, which premiered at the Austin Film Festival, Torture TV, and his highest profile project, Ultrasuede: In Search of Halston.

Whitney has described Ultrasuede as his “crowning achievement,” and the film ultimately received theatrical distribution worldwide before landing on Showtime.

Whitney’s name occasionally appears in Southern Charm gossip, though he tends to remain silent on the matters.

Early in the series, it was revealed that he had a romantic involvement with Kathryn Dennis.

Years later, in season 8 of Southern Charm, his unexpected connection with Naomie Olindo became a topic of discussion after she revealed they had hooked up following a dog wedding.

Whitney later described her as a “naked shoulder to cry on,” a line that became instantly iconic within the fandom.

At BravoCon 2025, Whitney, when asked whether he was going to settle down, admitted that he is in “an on-and-off thing with a girl in Europe,” adding,

“At some point, [we] might tie the knot. Or maybe not, I don’t know. We’ll see how it goes.”

Describing the whole situation as “a work in progress,” he found himself being nudged along by Austen Kroll, who added, “I think Whitney’s closer than we think.” But then Patricia joked, “I’ll believe it when I see it.” 

Stay tuned for more updates.