Nelson Lewis Reveals What He Learned from That Headline-Grabbing Incident In D.C.

As we've learned this season of Southern Charm Savannah, the South is full of secrets. Nelson Lewis confronted his headline-grabbing past at the beginning of the season when the group learned that he once wore a Congressional pin and said that he was the Minister Plenipotentiary for Artistic Endeavors for the Embassy of the Bahamas. 

So when Southern Charm Savannah premiered last month, Nelson had to get ready to face his past once again. "I just felt like, given my background in media, that I’ve — having gone through all that — grown thick skin and that hopefully, the world could see that through all of that, I grew tremendously and became who I am today, stronger in my faith, and that helped create the person I am," Nelson said about getting back in the public eye following the events of 2010 where finding out all about one's past is just a Google search away. "Obviously, it was a concern, but anyone who knows me knows that these were just a bunch of silly pranks and — albeit stupid and dumbass — really kind of coming-of-age, youthful indiscretions. They really were just performance art and complete silliness."

Nelson added, "But there was a great lesson learned from it, that I don’t do well with idle time, and I need to use it for productive purposes, not performance art social silliness." 

Of course, putting your life out there for the whole world to see on a series like Southern Charm Savannah also puts your loved ones under the microscope. Since Nelson comes from such a prominent and historical family, we wondered what they think of the show and how they're dealing with their newfound time in the spotlight. "I think they’re happy I’ve found a creative outlet for my comedic voice on television yet again [Nelson was part of the booking team at Fox News and has made other TV appearances in the past]. Of course, this is a different genre. But they’re excited to see where this takes me. I was very thankful for my mom going on there. It took Heaven and Earth being moved to get her to do it. They don’t like much publicity," he said. "But given that I’ve always had a knack for television and wrote Peter Jennings at this young age and said, 'Would you save your job for me?' and love TV, they get it, that I love this medium, and so they’ve been good sports." 

Find out more about the Savannah Charmers' fascinating family history, below.

Explore the Savannah Charmers' Family History