What Happened to ‘Southern Charm’ Star Austen Kroll’s Sister?
Years before Austen Kroll was a Bravo star, he suffered a family tragedy that he’s spoken about publicly over the years. The subject recently came up again when Kroll appeared on Nick Viall and Natalie Joy’s The Viall Files podcast.
Natalie has come under fire for how she broached the subject of Austen’s loss, which has led to questions about exactly what happened to his older sister, Kyle Kroll. Scroll down for everything we know.
What happened to Austen Kroll’s sister?
Austen’s sister Kyle died on August 18, 1994, when she was just 9 years old. At the time, Austen was 7.
Kyle’s death took place in North Carolina, just four days after the Kroll family moved there from Michigan. Austen first talked about losing his younger sister during Season 4 of Southern Charm, his debut season on the show.
The reality star was admittedly “reluctant” to share that part of his life, but did so while he was “falling for” Chelsea Meissner. “I felt like a next step, when we’re talking about our lives and our families, was to open up to Chelsea about it,” Kroll told Bravo’s Daily Dish. “And I think the second that I opened up to her, and we left our date, I called my mom and I told her that I talked about Kyle on camera.”
How did Austen Kroll’s sister die?
Kyle died after falling off a cliff at Chimney Rock Park. Rutherford County coroner Shane Earley confirmed that the child was “killed instantly” after falling about 150 to 200 feet, per a local news outlet.
Earley investigated the incident and said the Krolls were hiking on one of the main trails at the park. Kyle “worked her way around the opposite side of a barricade” before anyone noticed she was missing. “The moment her aunt noticed this, the girl slipped and fell,” the coroner said.
During the Southern Charm Season 8 reunion, Austen explained that the trail his family was hiking on was slippery because it had been raining in the days leading up to Kyle’s accident.
Who is Austen Kroll’s younger sister?
Less than two years after Kyle died, the Krolls welcomed another daughter, Katie. “If my older sister Kyle were here still, then my younger sister Katie wouldn’t be here. It was literally a cause and effect,” Austen said on The Viall Files.
He said that the time period before Katie’s birth were the “dark ages” for his family, noting that it was a “very torturous period” for his parents. “And then my younger sister was born and that quite literally was like our whole family rebirth,” Austen added.
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Austen has an extremely close relationship with Katie, who is a manager for influencer marketing at Spanx, according to her LinkedIn. She previously worked in influencer marketing management at HelloFresh and Artisan Council.
Katie is a graduate of Elon University with a degree in public relationship, advertising, and applied communication.
What did Natalie Joy do to Austen Kroll?
During Austen’s Viall Files interview, Natalie abruptly switched topics from Southern Charm to Kyle’s death. “Quickly jumping out of Southern Charm, I’m sure we’re gonna jump right back into it, but going into your childhood, I didn’t know this about your sister passing at 9,” she said, prompting a shocked Austen to respond, “OK, we’re switching gears.”
hey so this is a crazy way to talk to someone who’s sibling has tragically passed… pic.twitter.com/9slmSLlTaX
— Samantha Bush (@stillonzoloft) January 8, 2026
Natalie probed more about Austen’s loss, even going as far as asking him about whether he was there when Kyle died. Austen seemed uncomfortable and was visibly shaking his leg throughout the conversation.
When Natalie asked about the cliff, Austen said, “To talk about the town, it just got wiped off the map by a hurricane, and there was no love lost with my family on that one, so I won’t even say the name of the town.” Fans were furious about the insensitive nature of Natalie’s questioning, and she has faced major backlash for how she broached the subject.
Southern Charm, Season 11, Wednesdays, 9/8c, Bravo
