If breaking up is hard to do, breaking up on national television has to be even harder. Such is the case with J.D. Madison and his estranged wife, Elizabeth, on Southern Charm. These two were the couple that sat back and watched all of the drama that happened with their friends, and now, they’re in the thick of it. Are J.D. and Elizabeth still together after Southern Charm? It may be the end of the road for this steadfast couple.
The first two episodes of Season 5 of Southern Charm haven’t exactly shown the couple in a great light. All of the women on the show — especially Naomie, Chelsea, and Kathryn — defend Elizabeth to the end, claiming that they’ve had to pick Elizabeth out of bed because of the ways her husband has allegedly wronged her. It’s very intense, but because these women are BFF with Elizabeth, it’s hard to know where the truth lies. We haven’t really heard J.D.’s side of the story yet, but one thing is for sure — Elizabeth and J.D. are definitely separated as of April 5, 2018, and J.D. definitely (he says so on the show) lives in a different home from Elizabeth and their four children. But why?
During the Season 5 premiere, J.D. told Thomas, "Technically, we've been separated for a couple months now. I don't like to talk about it much until I know what we're doing, but being in a situation where a large amount of stress hit our family, a lot of the differences that we had became very apparent, and I didn't feel the support that I should have."
What large amount of stress is he talking about? Well, things haven't exactly gone J.D.'s way in the business world of late — and that can certainly add strain to a marriage. In September 2017, J.D.’s restaurant, The Gentry Bar & Room closed and is in the process of relocating after some issues with the previous rental space, per the Charleston City Paper. It doesn't appear to have re-opened anywhere new though, as the website still lists the old address.
Real estate issues notwithstanding, things are certainly rocky in his marriage on the show — and many cast members are going after him about it. During the April 12 episode of Southern Charm — at Shep’s birthday party — Naomie told J.D. not to “pretend you are some great husband” because he was allegedly “out every night f*cking 20-year-olds.” J.D. took blame for some issues in his relationship situation, but he denied cheating on his wife. Still, Naomie went all in on J.D. to defend her friend’s honor. But, Elizabeth may not need or want that.
Previews for the next episode show J.D. and Elizabeth arriving at a party together, arm in arm, and Naomie freaking out on them. That’s the hard part about defending a friend — you can only go so far, because if they get back with that ex, you’re going to look like the bad guy. It’s a fine line.
And, though they are living apart on the show, J.D. said on Twitter that they’re not headed for divorce, Elizabeth asked for privacy during this difficult time, and both said they remain dedicated to their children.
Perhaps they’re working things out, or maybe they’re just not divorcing yet — if they want privacy to sort that out, that's something they deserve. Just because you're on a show doens't mean you owe the world an explanation about everything. But one thing is for sure — J.D. and Elizabeth have joined the ranks of Southern Charm couples on the skids, and it’s a sad addendum to the ever-growing list.
