K. Cooper Ray Reveals the Moment He Became Close with Kathryn C. Dennis

Kathryn C. Dennis' interactions with her Southern Charm castmates have been icy so far this season, but she definitely has a friend in K. Cooper Ray, who has been there to help her through her drama with Thomas Ravenel, Patricia Altschul, and Jennifer Snowden.

Though Cooper admits he wasn't really close with Kathryn during Season 2 of Southern Charm, the two have since become fast friends. "I know her cousin very well, and I got to know her in the off-season," Cooper told The Daily Dish of his relationship with Kathryn. "We actually watched the show a lot together last season." 

Cooper said he and Kathryn really became close after she visited his house in late August. "She was so upset, and she was crying. She and Thomas were battling in text," he said. "What can I do to bring any peace in here? I said, 'First of all, can I pray over your baby?' And we did, and we prayed. And she was grateful. I just wanted to calm her down. The baby was kicking, and she was a mess."

That moment convinced Cooper that he was going to stand by Kathryn, no matter what anyone else thinks. "It was heartbreaking," he said. "I decided right then and there that I was gonna do what was right and not what was acceptable by someone else's standards."

Kathryn may look and act tough, but on the inside, she's a lot more sensitive than she lets on, according to Cooper. "Her armor is hair, makeup, clothes, six-inch heels, gloves, bags, eyelashes, and a temper. But she is vulnerable, and she is self-conscious, and she is unsure, and she is trying so hard to find her way in this new world that she's been thrust into on every level," he said. "And it's all happening on a television screen. It's not easy." 

In fact, Cooper said he wishes he had taken Kathryn under his wing sooner. "To this day, I regret it, and I've told her so. I said, 'I made a mistake. If I had done that, I think we'd be in a different place now,'" Cooper said. "I feel like it's my duty now to make it up to her."

What also hasn't been easy for Cooper is remaining friends with both Kathryn and Thomas, but he said he's able to do so and stays out of the drama between them. And now that Kathryn and Thomas are officially no longer together, does Cooper think their split will last? "I do. I think Kathryn finally grew up," he said. "If she decided to go back, Thomas is a teddy bear. Thomas would go in a minute. And I think she woke up, finally."

He also thinks breaking things off with Thomas is "absolutely" what's best for Kathryn. However, Cooper said he still sees a tough road ahead for Kathryn. "I don't think anybody understands how fragile she is because they only see the tough that she is. She's hurt and real and vulnerable and thirsty for knowledge. She wants to learn. She wants to be. She wants to do," he explained. "I said, 'Girl, you have two children. That road does not get any easier." 

Relive all the drama from Cooper's Founders' Ball last season of Southern Charm, below.