Shep Rose Admits Guilt Over His Relationship With Taylor Ann Green for the First Time: “I Was a Bad Guy”

Shep Rose has offered his most candid reflections yet on his highly publicized relationship with Taylor Ann Green in his memoir Nothing in Moderation: A Psychedelic Reckoning With Excess. The Southern Charm star does not shy away from acknowledging his mistakes, admitting that he still carries deep guilt over the way he treated his former girlfriend throughout their relationship.

In the book, Shep writes, “I do have a lot of guilt associated with Taylor and our relationship. I cheated. I was partying a lot, sending her home in Ubers and staying out with fellow nightlife folks. She was right: I thought I was some sort of rock star.”

The reality television star also admits that his reckless lifestyle ultimately cost him what mattered most. He recalls having one-night stands after parties and public events while simply hoping that no one would post photos of him online. “I didn’t want to, or know how to, say no to anything that was offered, be it girls, drugs, liquor. I hate admitting it, but I was sort of a bad guy, piss-poor morally.”

Shep and Taylor Ann Green dated for approximately two years before ending their relationship in 2022. Although their romance has long since ended, Shep says they have managed to maintain some level of connection. Speaking in a recent radio interview, he said, “She loved me so much and she cared about me so much and I took it for granted. I care about her and her family very much. Thankfully, that relationship stayed somewhat connected.”

One of the most striking chapters in the memoir focuses on Shep’s week-long trip to Costa Rica, where he participated in an ayahuasca ceremony—a traditional spiritual ritual involving a psychoactive brew used in parts of South America. During the experience, he found himself reflecting deeply on Taylor and everything he had lost.

“I thought about my ex-girlfriend Taylor, about how much she loved me. I could just see it in her eyes every day. And in her arms and kisses. She would crawl all over me when I would be trying to watch a documentary, trying to cuddle, and I would get mad because I wanted her to pay attention to the film.”

Looking back, Shep admits he failed to appreciate those simple moments at the time. “And I know I took it for granted. But it was special. I wasn’t scared to lose her, though. Which maybe I need?”

Following his return from Costa Rica, Shep recalls meeting Taylor’s mother, Leslie Green, and her sister, Catie King, for lunch. According to him, Leslie has continued to check in on him from time to time despite his breakup with Taylor.

Shep believes Taylor’s mother sees certain similarities between him and her late son, Worth Green, who passed away in 2023 at the age of 36. He writes, “I was thinking of him because, like me, he was a big personality, a bull in a china shop. But his true colors were amazing. Funny, generous of spirit, thoughtful with boundless energy. There was also a reckless, excess-driven, and dangerous side to both of us.”

Reflecting on the early days of their relationship, Shep says he was initially drawn to Taylor because of her warmth and authenticity. “She lit up a room and made everyone feel happy around her. Kind and always laughing and supporting others. Every one of my friends was crazy about her and us.”

One of Shep’s greatest regrets is introducing Taylor to the world of reality television. He believes that appearing on Southern Charm exposed her to criticism she never deserved.

He writes that Taylor was “vilified for different actions and reactions,” adding, “It’s just tough to think that bringing her into the TV world is all on me. To me, everything felt normal, but in reality, it wasn’t.”

Shep believes that once their relationship became part of a reality television series, viewers were constantly waiting for signs that it would fall apart. “Everyone was watching and waiting for cracks in our relationship. My only hope is that Taylor is able to look back at this crazy but exciting time in her life, when we got to go and do things, see places, and make fun of each other, and have it produce a smile.”

Born in South Carolina in 1980, Shep Rose rose to prominence as one of the original cast members of Bravo’s Southern Charm, which premiered in 2014. The reality series follows the lives of Charleston’s affluent social circle, and Shep quickly became known for his carefree personality, sharp sense of humor, and occasionally controversial behavior.

Coming from a well-established family, Shep attended the University of Georgia before earning an MBA from Vanderbilt University. Before finding fame on television, he pursued various business ventures, including real estate, investments, and hospitality-related projects. However, it was Southern Charm that ultimately turned him into a recognizable television personality.

Throughout his years on the show, Shep cultivated the image of Charleston’s charismatic bachelor. He frequently spoke about having no desire to marry and preferred living life on his own terms. That outlook eventually became one of the major sources of conflict in his relationship with Taylor, whose long-term goals differed significantly from his own.

During their relationship, Taylor openly expressed her desire to build a family, while Shep admitted he was not ready for marriage. After their breakup, Taylor remained on Southern Charm for several more seasons before leaving the series in 2025. Her relationships with other cast members also generated considerable online discussion and became a major storyline in subsequent seasons.

Meanwhile, Shep has faced repeated criticism over the years for his party-heavy lifestyle, controversial remarks, and excessive drinking. Rather than denying those issues, he now acknowledges that years of excess damaged some of the most meaningful relationships in his life. His memoir marks the first time he has publicly confronted his past with such honesty, accepting responsibility instead of shifting blame.

Although he cannot change what happened, Shep says his greatest hope is that Taylor will eventually remember the happy moments they shared rather than the pain they endured. Through Nothing in Moderation: A Psychedelic Reckoning With Excess, the reality star presents a different side of himself—one less focused on luxury and late-night parties, and more willing to examine the choices that ultimately hurt both himself and the people who cared about him.