I Think Leva Bonaparte’s Exit From ‘Southern Charm’ Was the Right Move

You may not have even noticed it, but Leva Bonaparte has been making appearances on Southern Charm since it premiered on Bravo in 2014. Her initial connection to the group was being roommates with ex-cast member Cameran Eubanks. She joined the show as a full-time cast member for Season 7, where she introduced us to her chaotic life as a restaurateur, mom, and social justice advocate.

However, in a shocking twist of events, Leva took to Instagram to share the news that she will no longer be on Southern Charm just a day before the Season 10 reunion. The post wrote, "Hi guys! Wanted to let you know that although this year was so fun – I'll be stepping away from Southern Charm this year on good terms." She added that she wants to step away to focus on her "boys and joys" and that she's working on some cool stuff that she will share soon. As sad as the news is, I think her exit is coming at the right time. She never had a storyline that fit with the narrative of Southern Charm. Her life is far more suited to a different show. Also, I think her initial role as a social justice advocate amidst all the controversy surrounding Kathryn Dennis has fizzled out, which has left her without a real purpose on the show.

Leva Bonaparte Never Had a Juicy Storyline on 'Southern Charm'

As a longtime viewer of Southern Charm, I loved watching Leva. However, she never had the spotlight. She came onto the show married with kids and a stable career – a life that isn't in line with the rest of the Southern Charm cast. While Craig Conover, Austin Kroll, and Shep Rose were trying to navigate relationship woes and launch their careers (maybe not Shep), Leva was thriving. Leva is also in a very different place than the women in the cast. Apart from Madison LeCroy, none of the other ladies are married or have kids. Leva has a very mature energy about her that the rest of the cast has never shown. She watched from the sidelines instead of being part of the drama, which, to be completely honest, got boring.

Leva's role on Southern Charm has always been the "advice giver." Instead of having her own storyline, she guides the narratives of others. This season, more than ever, you can see Leva's intricate part in JT Thomas' relationship with the cast. The entire cast has written him off after his beef with almost everyone. When Ryan Albert revealed that JT had told his barber Venita Aspen was just "some black girl" trying to break up his relationship, Leva heard him out. She gave him the benefit of the doubt and got to the bottom of what was actually said.

Leva has also guided Venita through her feelings for JT. The two had a bit of a feud following Season 8 (which was mostly directed at Madison, but Venita was merely guilty by association), but they have since patched things up. We have seen Venita open up to Leva about JT in several conversations. Most notably, Leva supported Venita when she confronted Ryan about what JT said at the barber. Leva has been monumental in supporting her fellow castmates, yet she has never had a storyline of her own, which, at some point, gets old.

Leva Bonaparte Is Much More Suited For Other Bravo Shows

Southern Charm is not Leva's show. Although at one point it morphed into navigating motherhood, marriage, and careers, it has quickly shifted back into young, on and off again single party animals in the south. Leva is a mom, owns a business, and, quite frankly, has her life together. The other cast members – not so much. Although there isn't an age gap, there's definitely a maturity gap. Producers are clearly trying to move Southern Charm towards more of a Vanderpump Rules vibe, casting young, dramatic singles like Molly O'Connell and Salley Carson. As every season goes on, it becomes more obvious that Leva has outgrown the show, which is exactly why it's time for her to leave.

Rumors have been swirling around about the potential for The Real Housewives of Charleston. While Southern Charm would focus on the boys and younger cast members, Real Housewives of Charleston would focus on the strong women in Charleston. Now that Madison is married and has a baby on the way, many fans agree that she would be a great fit on Real Housewives. I think Leva would be perfect alongside Madison. They are both in places in their lives where they're not partying or hooking up. They are navigating marriage, motherhood, and building sustainable careers, which is an ideal fit for Real Housewives. Leva needs to say goodbye to Southern Charm but not Bravo altogether.

In her exit announcement, Leva also clarified that she would still make appearances on Southern Hospitality. The spinoff follows staff that work at her club, Republic. The show very much mimics Vanderpump Rules in the sense that the staff members get entangled in messy drama, and Leva, who acts as a Lisa Vanderpump-type figure, keeps the staff in line. Leva's exit from Southern Charm gives her more time to concentrate on her employees at Republic and maintain the success of Southern Hospitality as the executive producer.

Leva Bonaparte Was Cast to Help Change The Narrative of 'Southern Charm'

During her casting in Season 7, Bravo knew they had to add a bit of diversity to Southern Charm. Leva was the first castmate of color during a time when there was a lot of political unrest following the killing of George Floyd. In her premiere season, Leva openly supported the effort to remove the monument of Vice President John C. Calhoun, an ancestor of ex-castmate Kathryn. According to a Clemson University biography, the former vice president was pro-slavery and, as a senator, declared in the 1830s that slavery was not an "evil" but rather a "positive good." Throughout the season, Leva expressed that the removal of the statue was a step forward for the community.

When controversy swirled around Kathryn after she was accused of being racist for using a monkey emoji towards a Black radio host, Leva stood up for what she believed in and stood against the men on the cast "coddling" her. Leva told Austen, "The fact that you are coddling her right now, and yelling at me and calling me a bully, either you don't know what happened, you're uninformed — I don't know people who do that. I won't stand for it." Leva acted as a social justice advocate and represented diversity in the series during a time when it was crucial. Now that Kathryn is off the show and the political focus has shifted, her purpose on the show has fizzled out.Don't get me wrong, Leva had a monumental role in Southern Charm. However, her departure is coming at the right time. Southern Charm is morphing into something she's not. Unlike the rest of the cast, she doesn't have juicy relationship drama or petty beef with the other ladies. As her life focuses on motherhood, her marriage, and her hospitality empire, she would be far more suited to staying on Southern Hospitality or joining The Real Housewives of Charleston. Her initial purpose on Southern Charm, to give the perspective of a woman of color in the South, has fizzled out now that the show has shifted away from political unrest and Kathryn has made her exit.