‘Southern Hospitality’ Newbies Lake Rucker & Michols Peña Break Down That Birthday Party Meltdown

Amanda Bell January 23, 2025, 10:00 pm

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The Republic crew’s group trip to the lake continued on Thursday’s (January 23) new episode of Southern Hospitality, and, despite the party ostensibly being all about newcomer Lake Rucker, things took a very dramatic turn when everyone’s attention turned to Emmy Sharrett again.

After a surprise drop-in by Lake’s father and little brother, who wanted to wish her a happy day and make sure they weren’t destroying his ex-wife’s lake house, the group settled down to the dinner table for a few dangerously undercooked chicken wings and some tough talk.

Michols, who is friends with Emmy outside of the bar, seemed to spearhead the conversation with her to break down what people had been hearing about her boyfriend Will Kulp and the unkind things he said about her. Emmy was defensive right away, arguing that it shouldn’t be discussed in a group setting or when Will isn’t around to defend himself, and it didn’t take her long to remove herself from the situation in dramatic fashion, tearfully calling Will and getting a ride home.

So why did Michols pick that moment to talk to Emmy? And how does Lake feel about her birthday party turning into a drama-fest? TV Insider caught up with both of them to find out.

How did you come to be a part of this show, and how long have your relationships with the other cast members been going on?

Lake Rucker: I was friends with Michols before. We met through mutual friends, and I went to College of Charleston — he’s still at College of Charleston — and we became close very, very quick. And then I was introduced to the group, started working at Republic, and then we all just kind of clicked very off the bat.

Michols Peña: For me, working in nightlife, you kind of know everybody that works at the other clubs. So I was already working at different venues for maybe three years and kind of just looking for change. I ended up landing a spot at Republic and then shortly later they approached me with the show. And I became — I mean, I was already really good friends with everybody before I was working there, but our friendships only got stronger right after.

Michols, Emmy credited you with being the one that brought her back together with Maddi because you were their mutual friend. Can you talk about how all that happened?

Michols: So when I first came to Republic, Maddi was getting out of her relationship with Trevor. They’d just wrapped filming of Season 2. Emmy and Maddi were feuding a little bit, so I was just trying to find my way to learn how to be the peacemaker between all the drama, and I don’t know. I was really good friends with Maddi. I was really good friends with Emmy, and any opportunity I had to bring them together, I kind of forced them to be in the same room. Anytime we had a photo shoot for Republic or was doing something work-related or maybe if it was outside of work with Brad and TJ and Joe, I just always kind of forced them to be near each other, and then one day it just kind of ended up crashing down and they just became friends again.

At the start of the season, both of you had kind of built-in romantic connections. Can you talk about what we’re going to see next from you with Bradley and TJ, respectively?

Lake: I mean, you’ll expect a lot of fun from both sides, honestly. Brad is a good person. I’m a good person, and we’re both equally good people.

Michols: I would probably say where TJ and I left things at the nail salon is kind of the farthest things go. I feel like as the season goes on, you just get to see our friendship just build up and just become stronger. But yeah, we’re definitely in a way better place.

Bryan Steffy / Bravo

Michols, you’re now a part of this show and Southern Charm‘s representation of the LGBTQ community in Charleston. How does it feel to be a part of that?

'Southern Hospitality' Interview: Emmy Sharrett Reveals All About Those Will Kulp Rumors

Michols: For me, I don’t know because I’m so new to everything. My biggest thing is just trying to stay authentic to myself. Just, it’s a wild ride. I’m just trying to educate myself, learn new things every day, just being able to talk to people from GLAAD or I spoke to someone from Parade the other day. It’s just been nice to have conversations with other members of the LGBTQ+ community and get good feedback from those who watch the show and that resonate with my story. But yeah, I think that my biggest thing is I’m just trying to learn how to stay grounded and be authentically me and tell my story and hope that it helps people.

Lake, in Episode 4, we get a good glimpse of your blended family… What was it like for you to have your dad and even your mom and your little brother on the show?

Lake: For my mom, I feel like it was definitely a learning experience. Both of my parents are very supportive of everything I do for the most part, and they just want me to be happy.

And it was definitely like some trial and error, some questions being asked. My dad was like, “Why are you doing a TV show?” He’s very loud as you could see. He’s a very loud, strict man. And I feel like, he is a part of who I am now, and they want to be supportive of who I am. And so they’re just taking it step by step just like how I am. It’s kind of like them seeing their baby on TV, they’re like, “Oh my gosh.” I enjoyed watching King on TV, too. He’s super cute, and he just was eating his cookie in the background, so that’s what I was paying attention to.

Obviously later in the episode, things get a bit chaotic when you guys turn the subject to Emmy. I wanted to know how it came about because you seemed like you were a little frustrated that that was even happening at your birthday dinner.

Lake: Well, yes, I was kind of frustrated. I think we were just all drinking — well, I was drinking all day. It was a lot going on at once, and it was my birthday. And so I was hoping that it would be about me and not about a crash out. But things happen and I deal with it.

Were you glad that she left?

Lake: Honestly, I wasn’t mad. I was a little bit like, “Okay, that’s disrespectful. I invite you to my home, and you would expect some hospitality coming from people that have a show named Hospitality after them”… but there was no hospitality to be shown at my house. I was annoyed. I’m not even gonna lie, I was annoyed because it was just disrespectful, but that’s just me.

Michols, were you the one who brought it up? Because I know you were the one she trusted most of the group. And if so, why did you think you wanted to do it then?

Michols: So for me, as you can see, Emmy and I are best friends as the summer goes on, and it’s already hard enough to manage somebody that you’re best friends with and also be their best friend at work outside of work. It kind of puts you in a tricky situation. So I knew this conversation was never going to be anything easy, but I never thought the day would come where I would have to have it. Just because it did happen when cameras weren’t around. Maddi was also there, Siobhan was also there, so they heard it with their own ears, and then later on other people and rumblings around town… Everybody in the group was starting to learn about the conversation that was had and the things that were said, and I’m the kind of person that’s just like, “You know what? If it was happening to me, I would want somebody to come and tell me.” I don’t know, yeah, that’s the kind of person I am. If my partner’s going behind my back and talking poorly about me, I would want to know. And also Emmy being my best friend, it was a secret that I held on to for so long because I never like to put myself in other people’s business or their relationships, especially just because this group is notorious for getting in other people’s relationships. And so it just kind of put me in a sticky situation, and it was almost kind of… throughout the time, it was a little unbearable to be around her for me because I felt so uncomfortable.

And then finally getting to the lake when I knew, okay, we’re not in Charleston, we’re also not at work. I can sit down with her and have this conversation because if I don’t do it now, it’s gonna blow up in her face and she’s gonna be blindsided. And I know that if it were happening to me, the last thing I would want is that, and the only thing I would have wanted is for my friends to sit me down and have a one-on-one conversation.

Do you think like the reason that it was the right time — other than what you just said — is also because other people were talking about it?

Michols: One thousand percent. Yeah, everybody already knew.

When I talked to her, she seemed disappointed that people chose to bring it up when the cameras were around, but it sounds like you were afraid people would blindside her?

Michols: Yeah, I mean, that conversation was kind of like when push comes to shove. That was definitely one of those scenarios. It kind of sucks because of the way that it played out, but I feel better now that the conversation was had. I think that I would have felt worse if everybody would have just ambushed her or attacked her at dinner. And then you are as transparent as you could be in a situation like that. You’re handed this information about one of your closest friends. What else can you do?

I think it was just a little worse for me, too, just because I don’t have that close of a relationship with Will, and this is somebody that I’m best friends with. So it’s just like already very tricky and it’s like one of those, “I’m not trying to put you in a weird position where you have to choose your boyfriend over your friend. I’m telling you this because I would want to know if it were me, but also because I respect you enough to tell you.”

So this was the first group trip of the season, but I hear that we’re going to Vegas next. Can you preview a little bit of that? I understand Will will be there. Is that gonna be awkward for you guys?

Lake: I would expect a lot of drinks, a lot of fights, a lot of drama, but also a lot of fun. We bonded as a group, but we also had our moments where the bond broke.

Bryan Steffy / Bravo

Lake, your personality is you’re very bubbly and positive and, well, a little bougie. You remind me of Grace Lilly in that way. Are you guys going to have any time together this season?

Lake: Yes, I mean, I knew Grace before, whenever she was working at Republic, and we worked together for a little bit. And Grace is also a lot of fun. We’re fun.

Going beyond that trip and everything like that we’ve talked about, is there anything else fans should know about the season ahead?

Lake: It’s the unexpected, and take some things with a grain of salt and then let the salt do the seasoning.

Southern Hospitality, Thursdays, 9/8c, Bravo