“He’s Not Coming Back:” Venita Aspen Says About Ended Relationship With Manny
Venita Aspen had an emotional moment during the January 9 episode of Southern Charm, where she opened up about her breakup with Manny Houston. While attending a party at Craig Conover’s house, Venita revealed that Manny had moved to New York City for Broadway, and their relationship had ended.
“Manny moved to New York for Broadway,” Venita shared with Ryan Albert, Molly O’Connell, and Rodrigo Reyes in Craig’s backyard. “Oh baby, he’s not coming back.”
This news surprised Ryan, who said, “I knew he got the Broadway gig, I didn’t know that he’s not coming back though. How do you feel about that?” Venita’s response was simple yet poignant: “I’m here.” She added that she’s taking life “one day at a time” to navigate this new chapter.
Reflecting on her family’s reaction, Venita shared, “My mom’s disappointed. And this is the only boy she’s ever liked. And I’ve dated quite a few men!”
In a flashback, viewers saw Venita and Manny discussing his big move. “You are moving to New York for the next four months, minimum,” Venita told him, to which Manny replied, “It’s probably going to be longer than that.”
Speaking with PEOPLE after filming, Venita opened up further about her feelings. “I’m not the happiest about how things unfolded,” she admitted, adding, “But life moves in funny ways and life moves the way that you don’t want it to sometimes.”
With time and distance, she has begun to understand the breakup better. “Now it makes sense. And I think I’ll do that a lot of times this season, actually. I’ll look back and be like, ‘I understand why that happened that way,’ or, ‘Okay, this tracks,’” she said.
Amid the heartbreak, Venita has found solace in her dog, Charles, who has become a beloved part of her life on Southern Charm. “Charles is like, ‘Yes, I love being on TV,’” she said.
“I know the audience loves him because I always get the cutest little DMs. They’re like, ‘Oh, my little puppy loves when Charles comes on TV!’ And I’ll get the photos of them watching the show,” she continued.
Venita has also formed a close friendship with castmate Jarrett “JT” Thomas, which she described as a bright spot during her summer. “[JT and I got] close over the summer, and it’s been quite the journey getting to know the real JT,” she shared.
Though Jarrett has since left Southern Charm, Venita reflected on his time on the show, saying that he “gets in his own way a lot of the time.”
Now in her fourth season on Southern Charm, the TV personality feels she has grown both personally and professionally. “I’ve become a veteran,” she said confidently. “I don’t care about what people say anymore.”
She admitted that negative comments from viewers used to affect her deeply, sending her into a “downward spiral.” However, she has since learned to let go. “I’ve now learned that those comments are a strong reflection of them, not me,” Venita explained.
Looking ahead, Venita is embracing the opportunity to share her real-life struggles with viewers. According to her, “it’s nice to be able to have that mindset now and be more open with the audience when it comes to sharing things.”
