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What Does Whitney Sudler-Smith's Dad Think of Southern Charm?
The Charleston friend opens up about his family life and his dad, Lon Smith.
There is no shortage of amusing moments we've watched unfold over the years on Southern Charm, specifically between Whitney Sudler-Smith and his mom, Patricia Altschul (for example, press play above). However, if you think it's easy putting all that out there for the world to see, Whitney is quick to note, well, it's not.
"I mean it's a bit of a nightmare in that a lot like having anyone's parents [on TV], they show baby pictures or talk about your love life or something; you're always like, 'Mom!'" Whitney recently told The Daily Dish. "I feel like I'm the parent in the relationship and I'm constantly kind of monitoring what she says or does. But my mom, she just doesn't give a sh--, much to my horror and anxiety." He later added that having to deal with a parent "on and off camera, it's always challenging."
One parent of Whitney's who we don't get to see on the show is his dad, Lon Smith, Patricia's first husband. And while Patricia is more than comfortable in front of the cameras, Lon sounds like a different kind of Smith. "My dad and my step mom are bemused by the show and all the hijinks," he said, describing the pair as "intellectuals." "They just don't take it seriously; it's pop culture."
Per her 2017 memoir, The Art of Southern Charm, Patricia and Lon were married after they were introduced to each other while she was living in Washington, D.C. while attending George Washington University. At the time, he was the head of Dun & Bradstreet. The couple worked on their careers during their marriage and welcomed Whitney in 1968. They went their separate ways after 14 years of marriage.
However, Whitney notes that his pop does have "a great sense of humor" and that, in that way, he does take after his father. "I was kind of weaned on Monty Python and more kind of surreal humor, I guess, and very kind of British humor," he shared about his youth. "And then I'd always memorize these comedy albums from the '70s, like Richard Pryor and Steve Martin, and then later, Eddie Murphy. They're all huge influences on the way I think."
Check out more Whitney and Patricia, below.
