Southern Charm's Thomas Ravenel and Kathryn Dennis Reach Custody Agreement for Their 2 Children
Thomas Ravenel and Kathryn Dennis have reached an agreement in their ongoing custody battle.
The Southern Charm exes, who share daughter Kensington Calhoun, 5, and son Saint, 3, reached a custody agreement last week, according to court documents obtained by All About the Tea.
“The parties now consider it to be in their best interests and in accord with the best interests and welfare of their children to settle between themselves all matters in issue and have reached a permanent and complete agreement and now wish to reduce their agreement to writing and desire that it shall constitute the total agreement between them,” the court documents read.
Ravenel, 57, and Dennis, 28, have agreed to share joint legal and physical custody of Kensington and Saint, with Ravenel “being the primary custodian,” according to the court documents.
“[Ravenel] shall have a duty to consult with [Dennis] on all major decisions involving the children, including, but not limited to, the children’s education, extra-curricular activities, religious training, non-emergency healthcare and general welfare. If after discussion the parties are unable to come to an agreement on an issue concerning the minor children, [Ravenel] has final decision-making authority,” the documents state.
“The caretaking parent shall have the right to make regular, day-to-day decisions regarding the children when the children are in that parent’s care,” the documents read.
Ravenel’s attorney confirmed the new custody agreement to PEOPLE.
“The parties’ custody agreement awarded Mr. Ravenel primary legal custody of the minor children,” said his lawyer. “The parties currently share physical custody of the children on a 36%/64% split, with Ms. Dennis having the children five out of fourteen overnights and Mr. Ravenel having the children nine out of fourteen overnights. This time-sharing arrangement is scheduled to change in the Summer of 2020, whereby the parties will then share physical custody of the children on a 50/50 week-on week-off basis. Ms. Dennis is required to employ a nanny during the majority of her time with the children and Mr. Ravenel has agreed to pay the nanny’s salary in lieu of child support.”
An attorney Dennis didn’t immediately return PEOPLE’s requests for comment.
Per the agreement, both Ravenel and Dennis have agreed to raise their children in the Christian faith. They “agree that they have the same basic philosophy with regard to their desire to have their children raised in the Christian faith, and they desire that the minor children be confirmed. The parents shall cooperate to ensure that the children will attend all classes necessary for confirmation.”
When it comes to splitting time with the children, Dennis and Ravenel have created a timesharing schedule through summer 2020 and have also created a holiday and special occasions agreement, including Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Spring/Easter break and Mother’s Day/Father’s Day.
Additionally, the exes have agreed to “not expose the minor children to age-inappropriate/violent conduct, language, TV, videos, movies, books, or materials of any kind,” and it “specifically prohibits either parent from granting the children permission to watch any episode or reunion show of Southern Charm. This restraint expires on each child’s 13 birthday,” the documents state.
Should Ravenel and Dennis have romantic partners in the future, they have agreed to not have “any person with whom they are romantically involved (excluding a spouse) stay overnight with them while the children are present,” the documents read.
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The pair has agreed to not discuss “with the children or permitting anyone else to discuss with the children the parties’ past and/or present custody litigation, criminal record, and/or financial contributions to the other parent on behalf of the children,” the documents state.
They have also agreed not to “make any disparaging remarks about the other parent to the minor children, in the presence of the minor children, or within earshot of the minor children, or allow or encourage others to do the same,” according to the documents, or “post any negative remarks about the other on social media.”
Both Ravenel and Dennis are also both “restrained from the use of illegal drugs and/or abuse of prescription drugs at all times and from consuming excess alcoholic beverages while the minor children are in his/her care,” the documents state.
Furthermore, the Bravo stars “are restrained from harming, harassing, molesting, threatening or intimidating the other, their family or their friends in any way whatsoever, whether in person, by telephone, e-mail, text messages, voicemails, social media or any other electronic means,” the documents read.
As part of the agreement, Charleston-based Ravenel and Dennis have agreed “it is in the children’s best interests to live close to both parents,” the documents state. But “should either parent decide to relocate outside of Charleston or Berkeley County, that parent shall provide notice of such intent to the other parent at least 90 days prior to the desired move date, along with the reason for the move and the desired new location of residence.”
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When the children are with the other parent, both Dennis and Ravenel “shall be allowed telephone, SKYPE, FaceTime, text, and email access to the minor children at reasonable times and for reasonable durations when the minor children are in the other parent’s care,” the documents state.
In the agreement, the parents have agreed to “attend co-parenting/parallel parenting sessions with Dr. Sandy Cassell for a minimum of 10 sessions, the cost of which shall be divided equally between the parties.”
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As for the children’s nannies, neither Ravenel or Dennis “shall permit employees and/or nannies of the minor children to post about the other party or the minor children on social media” and neither “shall permit employees and/or nannies of the minor children to sell stories about the other party or the minor children to tabloids, magazine publications, or any third-parties or publications.”
Ravenel will also “be responsible for payment of a nanny who shall assist [Dennis] during [her] time with the children,” the documents state, though “a nanny’s presence is not required to be with [Dennis] during the time that the children are in school, visiting the children’s friends, visiting family members, attending summer camps or extracurricular activities, or transporting the children to school or appointments if [Dennis] is able to transport the children in a timely fashion. [Dennis] shall not be required to have a nanny assist her on Saturdays and Sundays of her custodial periods.”
While “[Ravenel] shall have the right to meet and interview any prospective nanny [Dennis] considers employing,” according to the documents, “[Dennis] shall have final decision-making over whom to employ as a nanny subject to [Ravenel]’s approval, which shall not be unreasonably withheld.”
“As soon as a nanny is employed by [Dennis], [Ravenel] shall be responsible for paying the nanny once a week for her hourly services in an amount up to one-thousand dollars ($1,000) a week,” the documents state.
And while “anyone performing nanny functions will be required to sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement (herein “NDA”),” according to the documents, “the NDA shall not be effective against a Court’s subpoena power nor shall the NDA prohibit or be effective in any way to restrict or prohibit a ‘nanny’ from testifying at a subsequent deposition or in a subsequent proceeding in the Family Court or other judicial proceeding.”
Their agreement comes three years after Dennis lost full custody of her children in 2016 and entered rehab after testing positive for marijuana. Ravenel, who no longer stars on Southern Charm, was awarded full custody at the time.
In October 2018, she filed documents in Charleston seeking to obtain primary custody of the two children after Ravenel was arrested and charged with assault and battery in the second degree.
This past August, Dennis and Ravenel were awarded joint temporary custody of their two children. The judge’s temporary ruling designated Ravenel as the children’s primary legal custodian, Ravenel’s attorney, Kelley Andrews-Edwards, told PEOPLE.
The child custody agreement also comes more than a month after Ravenel pleaded guilty in September to third-degree assault and battery after his children’s former nanny accused him of rape. He received a 30-day sentence that was suspended to a $500 fine and probation in lieu of jail time.
Ravenel and Nanny Dawn, 44 — who asked that she be publicly identified by her first name and occupation for her own privacy — reached a $125,000 settlement in October, with Ravenel agreeing to pay $45,000 in her personal legal fees and an additional $80,000 to a local nonprofit aiding adult survivors of sexual assault.
According to the plea documents obtained by PEOPLE, FITSNews and ABC-4, Ravenel — after previously denying all allegations through his lawyer — now admits to making an “unwelcome advance” on her.
He said in the new affidavit that he was intoxicated after a night out drinking and clumsily tried to kiss Dawn, FITSNews reported. When she rebuffed, he said she “helped me upstairs” to his room and offered him a back rub before leaving.
Dawn had claimed in her initial affidavit, issued by the Charleston Police Department and obtained by PEOPLE, that Ravenel had attempted to kiss her while she worked in his kitchen in 2015. After refuting his advances, she claimed he then “corralled” her into his master bedroom, where he dropped his pants, exposed himself, blocked the door and “proceeded to rip [her] clothes off.” She said she escaped, but not before Ravenel proceeded to sexually assault her (which she described in the affidavit in graphic detail).
All of this allegedly happened when Ravenel’s daughter Kensington Calhoun was sleeping nearby, Dawn alleged.
But in the plea deal, Dawn said that her view of the encounter has “shifted over time.”
“I have read and understand his account of what happened that night and realize his recollection differs from mine,” Dawn said in the new affidavit. “While his memory differs in critical ways from my own regarding the incident, I accept Thomas’ apology for his unwarranted physical contact that evening and I believe him when he says he never intended to sexually assault me.”
Said Ravenel, per ABC-4: “While I reiterate that I have never intentionally sexually assaulted anyone, I also acknowledge that by making an unwelcome advance to Dawn in my home, while she was babysitting my daughter, I behaved improperly and caused her immediate and lasting emotional distress. I unqualifiedly apologize for having done so.”
Elsewhere in the new agreement, Dawn claimed that Dennis was among those who urged her to come forward with her case against Ravenel.
In her initial affidavit, Dawn said she “immediately” documented the alleged assault and went to the police.
A rep for Dennis did not respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment on Dawn’s new claim, though Dennis has denied that she pushed Dawn to file charges against Ravenel in documents obtained by PEOPLE regarding their ongoing custody battle.
Requests for comment from Ravenel and Dawn by PEOPLE were not answered.
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