You probably remember exactly where you were when the news hit. It was late December 2024, right between the holiday leftovers and the New Year’s Eve prep. Paige DeSorbo hopped on her Giggly Squad podcast and dropped the bomb: she and Craig Conover were done. For three years, they were the crossover event that actually worked. A Southern Charm king and a Summer House queen. It felt like a Bravo fairy tale, but behind the scenes, the distance and the diverging dreams finally snapped the cord.
Now that we’re sitting in early 2026, the dust has settled, but people are still obsessed. Why? Because it wasn't a "scandal" breakup. There was no Tom Sandoval-level cheating. No plates were thrown—at least none that we know of. It was just two people who realized they were building two entirely different lives on opposite ends of the East Coast.
The Breakup Phone Call Heard 'Round Charleston
Honestly, the way it went down was almost more heartbreaking because of how "adult" it was. Craig recently opened up about the split during the Southern Charm Season 10 finale, which aired in March 2025. He described a phone call that happened right before Christmas 2024. He thought everything was fine. They had just spent Thanksgiving together with her family. But then, the call came.
Paige was calm. That’s what seemed to mess with him the most. She told him she needed to "find herself" and take control of her life again.
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Why the "Long Distance" Excuse Doesn't Tell the Whole Story
For years, fans screamed at their TV screens: "Just move to Charleston, Paige!" or "Craig, go to NYC!" But it was never that simple. Paige is a New Yorker down to her marrow. She built a literal empire in the city—Amazon Lives, a hit podcast with Hannah Berner, and her own clothing line, Daphne. Moving to Charleston wasn't just a change of scenery; it was a perceived surrender of the identity she worked so hard to build.
Craig, meanwhile, is the unofficial Mayor of Charleston. He has Sewing Down South on King Street. He has his law degree, his home renovations, and his boat. You can't just transplant a guy like that to a 10th-floor walk-up in Manhattan and expect him to be happy. He even joked about moving to New York to be with her, but everyone knew it would never stick.
The Ring That Wasn't (But Actually Was)
This is where things got messy. During the Summer House reunion in mid-2025, Paige made a comment that implied the engagement ring Craig claimed to have bought didn't even exist. Craig, being Craig, did not take that lying down. He went on Watch What Happens Live and told Andy Cohen he’d literally just returned the sparkler to the jeweler that morning.
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"I just don't need custody of it anymore," he told Andy. It was a mic-drop moment that confirmed he was ready to propose, but the timing was just... off.
Where Are They Now? (The 2026 Update)
It’s 2026, and both have moved on in very different ways. Paige has officially left Summer House after seven seasons. She’s leaning full-tilt into her brand, Daphne, and her podcast tour. And for the "Gigglers" wondering about her love life: she’s been quietly dating Joe D’Amelio since mid-2025. They’re keeping it low-key, which is a massive 180 from her highly televised relationship with Craig.
As for Craig? He’s still the face of Southern Charm. He’s been seen at BravoCon 2025 in Las Vegas, looking healthy and focusing on expanding his home décor collections with major retailers like Kroger. He even admitted to using ChatGPT to process his feelings after the breakup—which, honestly, is the most Craig Conover thing ever.
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The Real Lesson of Craig and Paige
They taught us that you can love someone and still not be "the one" for them. They had the chemistry. They had the fan support. They even had the shared Bravo paycheck. But they didn't have a shared vision of what a Tuesday night looks like five years from now.
If you're going through something similar, take a page out of their book. Don't force a "Charleston life" when you're a "New York soul."
Actionable Insights for the "Moving On" Phase:
- Audit your non-negotiables: If you want a backyard and your partner wants a penthouse, that’s not a "compromise" issue; it’s a compatibility issue.
- Protect your professional identity: Paige refused to let her relationship overshadow her career milestones. Never "hide" your success to make a partner feel more secure.
- Give yourself grace with "The Ring": Whether it's a physical ring or just a shared plan for the future, it’s okay to return the "plan" to the store when it no longer fits.
- Embrace the pivot: As Paige says, "Nothing is a failure." Every relationship is just data for the next one.
Stop checking their Instagram stories. Close the "What If" tab in your brain. Start focusing on your own version of Sewing Down South or Giggly Squad. The best version of your life doesn't require you to change your zip code for someone who isn't sure about you.