Does The 'Southern Charm' Apple Fall Far?

Whitney is one of the producers of Southern Charm, so even if he wasn't an entertaining member of the cast, we'd have to put up with him anyway, but his family has proven to be an even bigger source of entertainment than T-Rav's campaign ads. His mom, Patricia Altschul, is many things, each more fabulous than the last, but who is Whitney Sudler-Smith's father? Whitney's dad, Lon Hayes Smith, is just a normal retired guy who seems to be living in Florida. Not much to report on Lon — unlike some of Patricia's later husbands, he's stayed out of the public eye and doesn't seem to be interested in pursuing any reality TV fame with his son and ex-wife. Too bad — we could be missing out on a patriarch as eccentric as the rest of his immediate family. If Whitney ever brings up a Florida trip, know that it might finally be time for Papa Smith to make his big TV debut.

But Whitney's parents haven't been married for a while now. After Patricia Dey became Patricia Dey-Smith, she became Patricia Fleming in 1989. And following that marriage, she evolved into Patricia Altschul, wife of the wealthy, well-connected philanthropist and banker Arthur Altschul. After six years of marriage to Patricia, 81 year-old Arthur died in 2002, according to his New York Times obituary, leaving behind a great many assets and his fair share of descendants. Even though Arthur was a born and bred New Yorker, he certainly seems like he's left his influence on Whitney's sensibilities. The billionaire financed all his own projects, and was never afraid to stay close to his family's legacy. Hmm... that sounds a little familiar.

Altschul hails from a family famous for their money management; he's related to the original Lehman Brothers, of the investment company Lehman Brothers. Altschul was also a devoted philanthropist, and his charities are worth almost $200 million just on their own. And while I'm sure Patricia worked plenty in her day, I think it's safe to assume that those Altschul assets have helped pay for her groovy Charleston lifestyle.

But no matter how much or how little money or influence Whitney's father or stepfathers might have, the Sudler-Smith-Altschul family is all about Pat anyway. Patricia's ability to sip a martini at 9 am while already looking F*L*A*W*L*E*S*S, her truly Southern capabilities to throw shade while acting polite, and the fact that I've never seen her on Southern Charm without a blowout with some volume at the crown ensures that mama knows best.

Image: Brianna Stello/Bravo; Sidewindervx/Tumblr