Nick Viall Apologizes to Austen Kroll Over Insensitive Sister Interview Questions

Nick Viall and his wife, Natalie Joy, have privately apologized to Austen Kroll following an interview on their podcast, “The Viall Files,” that was widely criticized as insensitive. The apology was revealed by “Southern Charm” star Salley Carson, who shared that both Viall and Joy personally reached out to Kroll.

“They both called him and apologized,” Carson said Tuesday on Page Six Radio. While acknowledging the private apology, Carson expressed her belief that a public apology was warranted, stating, “I do think there should be a public apology for sure. I think that it needed to be a lot bigger. I’m kind of like, are y’all not wanting to apologize because you don’t really want to admit that it was wrong?”

The controversy stems from a January episode of “The Viall Files” during which Viall and Joy questioned Kroll about the traumatic death of his older sister, Kyle. Kyle died at the age of nine after falling off a cliff during a family hiking trip. Carson, who witnessed the interview, described being deeply affected by the exchange. “It honestly kind of broke my heart for him,” she said. “I called him to see if he was OK because I’m like, ‘I am so sorry that must have been so hard.’”

Carson noted that the line of questioning appeared abrupt and insensitive. “I could tell he was uncomfortable because his leg was shaking,” she recounted. “I’ve been friends with him for a while and I haven’t asked [about Kyle]. That’s something that I feel like he should bring up when he feels comfortable.”

During the podcast interview, Joy initiated the discussion about Kroll’s sister, asking, “Quickly jumping out of ‘Southern Charm,’ I didn’t know this about your sister passing at 9.” Kroll responded, “Okay we are switching gears.” Joy then continued to press for details, including Kroll’s age at the time of his sister’s death and whether he was present when the accident occurred. Kroll appeared visibly uncomfortable throughout the exchange.

The interview sparked immediate backlash on social media, with fans and fellow Bravo personalities criticizing Viall and Joy for their handling of the sensitive topic. Rodrigo Reyes, Kroll’s “Southern Charm” co-star, publicly condemned Joy’s questioning. Janet Caperna of “The Valley” also criticized the interview, calling it “so f–ked…even for them.”

This is not the first time Viall and Joy have faced criticism for their commentary on “The Viall Files.” In December, they received backlash for comments perceived as mom-shaming directed towards Whitney Leavitt of “Secret Lives of Mormon Wives,” regarding her Broadway debut in “Chicago.”

Representatives for Viall, Joy and Kroll were not immediately available for comment, according to Page Six.