A lot has changed for the Southern Charm stars, and that includes Patricia Altschul as well.
During the season premiere of the Bravo show, viewers noticed that Michael the Butler wasn’t part of Patricia’s scenes, even when she rang the famous bell.
She explained what happened to Michael and the sadness surrounding where he is now.
Michael the Butler suffered a medical emergency
During her confessional, Patricia Altschul explained what happened to Michael the Butler.
He suffered a spinal stroke in February 2021, which left him paralyzed from the chest down. When Southern Charm Season 8 began filming, it had only been a few months since the medical emergency occurred, and Patricia was still shaken and sad about what transpired.
According to Northwestern Medicine, a spinal cord stroke occurs when blood flow to the spine is blocked. It’s similar to a stroke in your brain, but it happens in your spinal cord instead. Due to the lack of oxygen and nutrients, cells in the spinal cord get damaged, and some may even die off.
There are varying degrees of spinal strokes, with some becoming paralyzed and others being able to rehab through it and gain their strength back. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case with Michael the Butler.
Where is Michael the Butler now?
Michael the Butler is currently living in an assisted living facility in Florida. He is close to his family and working on recovering from his spinal stroke. The Southern Charm personality is still in a motorized wheelchair but appears to get around by himself.
Patricia Altschul gave her followers an update on Michael earlier this year, writing, “Michael is now ensconced in his beautiful new assisted care facility.. with great food, great decor, great nurses and great services all around… but most important, he is in close proximity to his family … I know some of you would like to communicate with Michael, so here is his new address… he might even welcome a visit. Whitney and I are going to drive down this summer.”
She and her son, Whitney Sudler-Smith, have kept Southern Charm fans abreast of Michael the Butler’s condition throughout his journey. They have also visited him, as he was more than just hired help; he was a part of their family.
Michael the Butler may never recover fully from his spinal stroke and his days of service are over, but Southern Charm viewers still have love for him.