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Olivia Flowers from Southern Charm doesn’t think Austen Kroll deserves the amount of hate and anger he’s been getting on social media and believes he’s an easy target to be the villain.

Fans dragged him after his Summer House love triangle mess. Plus, the recent cryptic drama coming from Rachel Hargrove from Below Deck re-ignited the backlash flame against Kroll. Flowers, who is dating Kroll, acknowledged that Kroll has made a few “bonehead” moves. But she doesn’t understand the extreme reaction people have had to him.

Olivia from ‘Southern Charm’ says Austen is sensitive and misunderstood

Flowers told Showbiz Cheat Sheet that she wasn’t going to sweep some of Kroll’s missteps under the rug. She agreed that he’s made mistakes. But at the same time, most of the fans’ anger seemed to be pretty displaced.

Olivia Flowers and Austen Kroll 'Southern Charm' cast photo
Olivia Flowers and Austen Kroll | Stephanie Diani/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images

“Austen is a very sensitive guy,” she said. “I don’t know if that comes across to a lot of people, but I just think he is misunderstood. He’s made some bonehead moves, but for the most part, I don’t think he at all deserves the backlash he’s getting from people. I think people go really, really hard on him.”

Austen Kroll is easy to make into the ‘Southern Charm’ villain

Every reality show needs a villain and many Southern Charm cast members have filled that role in the past. Apparently, it’s Kroll’s turn.

“I think he’s easy for people to make him the villain,” Flowers said. “Because he’s the guy who can come across as like the party boy. And so I just didn’t understand everyone’s frustration with him. It does make me sad because I don’t see him the way other people do. And anyone who really knows him doesn’t think the same things that people are saying.”

Flowers also defended Kroll during a recent appearance on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen. When host Andy Cohen asked her reaction to Summer House‘s Alex Wach calling Kroll the “Honda Civic of male attractiveness” Flowers said Wach was wrong. “Austen is the Range Rover,” she said. “He’s no Honda.” But, during the same appearance, she wouldn’t defend some of his previous “bonehead” moves like sleeping with two women while still dating Madison LeCroy.

Southern Charm’s Olivia and Austen are dating – not engaged

Flowers also cleared up a rumor about a ring she wore on her WWHL appearance. Some fans wondered if she and Kroll got engaged. “No!” she exclaimed when asked if she was engaged. “I wore these beautiful jewels for the show and I put them on both [hands] and now I’m like … oh, sorry. But no, no engagement. Not any time soon.”

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‘Southern Charm’: Craig Recalls Austen Kroll’s ‘Path of Destruction’ This Season – ‘I Was Angry About It’

She added that she and Kroll are dating but are going slow with their relationship. “You’ll see us both try to figure out what we’re doing and that we hit some speed bumps along the way,” she said. Flowers shared on WWHL that LeCroy continues to text Kroll and still tries to “control him.”

Aside from LeCroy, “I mean, for the most part, it’s fun, you know, there’s nothing detrimental to it,” Flowers said. “But I’m excited for people to see that and to see that side of him. He really is great and he is charming and he is very, very sweet and considerate. And I’m excited for people to see that about him.”

Southern Charm is on Thursday at 9 ET on Bravo.

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