With little transition, the podcast hosts went from asking Kroll about Southern Appeal to his youthful sister’s tragic demise when he was simply 7 — questioning, “Had been you there when she fell? What was this cliff?”
Followers and different Bravo stars are rallying behind Austen Kroll following what they deemed an “insensitive” line of questioning by Nick Viall and spouse Natalie Pleasure throughout an look on The Viall Information podcast.
The Southern Appeal star was a visitor on the podcast this week, with one section of the hour-plus interview going viral for all of the unsuitable causes.
About 10 minutes into the dialog, after speaking about Kroll’s time on the Bravo actuality present, Pleasure abruptly modified subjects. “Shortly leaping out of Southern Appeal … however going into your childhood, I did not know this about your sister passing at 9,” she mentioned, referring to Kroll’s older sister Kyle’s demise in 1994 after falling off a cliff whereas on a household hike.
“Okay, we’re switching gears,” mentioned Kroll, as Pleasure continued her line of questioning.
“Sorry and also you clearly do not should reply … my query is … how did your loved ones, since you’re clearly so near your loved ones, your dad and mom and Katie. How did you household preserve y’all collectively throughout that point?” she continued, as followers famous Kroll’s leg started to shake.
He defined it was the beginning of his youthful sister Katie that was “the largest blessing that the Kroll household might have gotten” after the “darkish ages” that adopted Kyle’s demise. “That fairly actually was like our complete household rebirth … life might start once more,” he shared overtly.
After Viall famous he even has a tough time watching TV exhibits the place unhealthy stuff occurs to youngsters as a brand new dad himself — including he has “a lot admiration” for a way Kroll’s household navigated the tragedy — Pleasure requested what many thought was a totally wild and insensitive query.
“Had been you there when she fell?” she requested, as he confirmed he was. She then requested, “What was this cliff?”
Deciding to not even title the city it occurred in, Kroll sidestepped the query, saying the realm “obtained wiped off the map purchase a hurricane and there is no love misplaced with my household on that one.”

The podcasters ended this line of questioning with Viall questioning in regards to the longterm repercussions from his sister’s demise and if he is felt it “creep up and have an effect on you all through your life.” Kroll famous his therapist positive thought so, citing it as a potential purpose behind his dedication phobia.
Considered one of Kroll’s Southern Appeal costars, Rodrigo Reyes, was among the many many who slammed Viall and Pleasure — particularly Pleasure — for broaching the topic. Within the feedback of a put up by influencer Besties by Caitlin recapping the episode and criticizing the road of questioning, he wrote, “She’s a POS.”
Kristen Doute additionally preferred the identical Instagram put up, wherein an influencer wrote, “When Austen Kroll was on The Viall Information, I needed to query if empathy and easy analysis have been within the room.”
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On one other Instagram put up slamming the interview, The Valley’s Janet Caperna additionally wrote, “This was so f–ked…even for them.”
The feedback on The Viall Information YouTube web page for the interview was additionally flooded with detrimental posts.
“‘What is that this cliff?’ What sort of query is that,” wrote one viewer, whereas one other added, “Nick ought to be completely embarrassed by Natalie… wth.”
“‘What is that this cliff’?! The best way I gasped… Completely inappropriate,” learn one other remark, earlier than another person wrote, “Natalie, that was probably the most unprofessional and impolite segway right into a query about his sister I’ve ever seen. Extraordinarily insensitive. That is the issue with any influencer having a podcast, possibly get some coaching on learn how to do your job professionally and with class.”
“Kinda wild the way you simply randomly dive into his sister, that could be a painful subject, with no empathetic transition into it, clearly he doesn’t have an issue speaking to you guys about it, however you possibly can inform he was shocked at the way you introduced it up,” commented one other viewer, whereas others introduced up that Kroll has talked about his sister on the present a number of instances, one thing they felt the hosts ought to have recognized extra about earlier than broaching the topic.
Neither Kroll or Viall and Pleasure have mentioned something in regards to the criticism.
