The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills cast member Sutton Stracke is happy to be back on the East Coast. There, she met up with the youngest of her three kids, 18-year-old college freshman James Stracke.
The Bel Air-based diamond holder returned to Spartanburg in northwestern South Carolina, offering a rare look into James’s first year at Wofford College as part of Parents’ Weekend. She posted “Go Terriers!” in one Instagram Story, happy to be back in the town of her own alma mater, Converse University. In her own words, “loving being back at the haunt in Spartanburg for parents weekend with James,” sharing an awe-worthy snap of mother and son smiling outside. Another snap showed James with a group of his classmates and a few of their furry friends.
What’s more, the Georgia-raised Housewife gave a peek at the yellow trees of her old stomping grounds with the season in full swing. “Love fall in Spartanburg,” she captioned the recent post.
It was only this year that James — the son of Sutton and her ex-husband, Christian Stracke — headed to college for the first time, soon after he graduated from Loyola High School. Sutton was there to see him off for his first day. In an Aug. 24 Instagram reel, Sutton shared an inside look at the dorm room, wishing her youngest only the best as he joined the graduating class of 2029.
“Baby bird is free and out of the nest,” Sutton wrote. “Wishing you the best and most wonderful next four years full of friendship and love, courage and strength, knowledge and kindness, growth and wisdom. I love you, James.”
James is the third and final of Sutton’s three children to head to college. Porter Stracke, 23, who also majored in history, graduated from The College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, and is currently enrolled in Brooklyn Law School in New York City.
As Jennifer Tilly told her BFF Sutton in the RHOBH Season 14 premiere, once learning of Porter’s decision to go to law school. “You raised ’em right,” said the Bride of Chucky star. “I don’t think your kids are going to be partying it up, stealing your credit cards, buying drugs. They’re like kids from the 1950s.”
Meanwhile, Phillip Stracke, 21, continues his studies at The Citadel, a senior military college in Charleston, South Carolina.
In September, Sutton joined the middle child at Charleston’s By The Way restaurant, owned by fellow Bravolebs Craig Conover and Austen Kroll of Southern Charm. Shep Rose, Whitney Sudler-Smith, and his mom, Patricia Altschul, also joined them for the parents’ weekend reunion.
As Sutton explained in an Instagram reel during the visit, “I’m here in my favorite place in the world, Lowcountry of South Carolina, with this beautiful ocean behind me. It’s a very special weekend for my son at his college here. And my family is coming, and my very best friends are coming. I’m looking forward to spending the last few days of summer with all of them.”
Earlier this year, Todd Chrisley received a pardon from the President. However, Patricia Altschul is a tougher sell. Unlike POTUS, this Southern Charm star refuses to absolve Todd of his verbal crimes. Instead, this queen honey bee is standing ten wealthy toes down, adamant that Charleston is not a place for a “felon” like Todd.
Todd and Patricia are the reality feud I never saw coming. Their tiny tit for tat started after Todd’s release from prison. “During the [post-prison] press conference, I had stated that we are doing a hotel and it’s going to be near Charleston, South Carolina,” Todd explained. In response, Patricia said, “Well, there goes the neighborhood.”
Well, Todd did not like that. So, he made several jests about Patricia, which mainly focused on her older age and her finances. Overall, it was gross.
So, recently clapping back via Decider, Pat quipped, “He’s very irrelevant. I said four words—there goes the neighborhood — and he went on, and he did a whole program about me. It was just a comment in passing.” Nevertheless, Patricia stands by her original stance, saying, “We just don’t need any more felons in Charleston.”
Todd and his wife, Julie Chrisley, were indicted on charges of wire fraud, conspiracy to commit bank fraud, and conspiracy to defraud the United States back in 2019. They swore they were innocent. Yet, they were still found guilty. In all, The Chrisleys: Back to Reality stars received a combined 19 years in federal prison, but thanks to their pardons, they walked out of their prison cells for good in May of this year.
And now, Ms. Pat wants them to heed her words and not walk toward her in Charleston.
Southern Charm Season 11 premieres on November 19, 2025, at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Bravo. New episodes are available to stream the next day on Peacock, or Hayu in Canada, the UK, and Ireland.