It finally happened. After three years of long-distance logistics, endless "when are you moving to Charleston?" interrogation sessions, and a mountain of Sewing Down South pillows, the Bravo royal couple is no more. Paige DeSorbo revealed she and Craig Conover had broken up, sending the "Giggly Squad" and the "Southern Charm" fandom into a literal tailspin.
Honestly, if you’ve been watching Summer House or Southern Charm lately, you probably felt the shift. It wasn’t just the lack of Instagram tags. It was the vibe.
The Podcast Episode That Changed Everything
Paige didn't drop this news in a polished PR statement or a coordinated People magazine cover. Nope. She did it exactly how you’d expect: on her own turf. On the December 30, 2024, episode of her Giggly Squad podcast, Paige sat down with co-host Hannah Berner and just... said it.
"Craig and I have decided to no longer be together," she told listeners. She sounded emotional, which is rare for the girl who usually prides herself on being the "ice queen" of reality TV.
She was 29 when they started dating. Now she's 32. That's a huge chunk of your 30s to spend on a plane between New York and South Carolina. Paige basically admitted that your 30s are transformative for women, and they just grew in different directions. It wasn't some scandalous explosion. It was just... over.
Was anyone actually blindsided?
Well, if you ask Craig, yeah. He was.
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While Paige painted the picture of a mature, mutual realization, Craig’s side of the street looked a bit different. About a week after her podcast aired, Craig took to his Instagram Stories to tell his followers he was "very shocked" by the split. He mentioned it happened right before the holidays—which is basically the worst time to get dumped, let's be real.
The timeline is a bit messy:
- Late November (Post-Thanksgiving): The actual breakup happened.
- December 2024: Both stayed quiet while Southern Charm was airing.
- December 30, 2024: Paige goes public on Giggly Squad.
- January 7, 2025: Craig breaks his silence, looking pretty devastated.
The Rumors vs. The Reality
You've probably seen the TikTok theories. People love to invent drama where there isn't any, or maybe they just see the smoke before the fire.
One of the biggest rumors was that Paige "ruined" a proposal. There was this viral theory that Craig was about to pop the question and Paige shut it down by breaking up with him first. Paige eventually addressed this on Watch What Happens Live, basically saying, "Do I look like the kind of person who wants the phrase 'convention center' on her wedding invite?" She denied that a proposal was imminent, but Craig later admitted he did have a ring.
Then came the cheating allegations. People were trying to link Paige to various guys in NYC almost immediately. She was pretty savage about shutting that down, too. She stated for the record that she never physically or emotionally cheated on Craig in the three years they were together.
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The "Cease and Desist" Drama
Things got weirdly litigious for a second. During the Summer House Season 10 lead-up, rumors swirled that Craig actually sent a cease and desist to stop the cast from talking about the breakup. At the reunion, Paige famously said, "He will never hear me say his name again."
That is cold.
It’s a far cry from the "we're still best friends" narrative they tried to push in the first week.
Life After the Split: Where Are They Now?
It’s been over a year since the initial announcement, and the dust has finally settled. Or has it?
Craig hasn't exactly been hiding in his garden. By early 2025, he was already linked to Natalie Buffett (yes, Dak Prescott’s ex). It seems he really meant it when he said he wanted to be "husband and father material." He wasn't looking to stay single for long.
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Paige, on the other hand, has leaned entirely into her career. She exited Summer House after seven seasons to focus on other projects, including her book How to Giggle and her massive podcast tour. She’s been spotted dating here and there in New York, but nothing seems to be "Instagram official" yet. She seems to be enjoying her time being single, which, after three years of the Charleston-to-NYC commute, is probably a massive relief.
The ChatGPT Incident
We have to talk about the weirdest detail of 2026. On an episode of Watch What Happens Live in January 2026, it was revealed that Craig actually used ChatGPT to "process his feelings" about Paige.
Jenny McCarthy was on the show and called it a "huge red flag." Craig apparently told his co-star Whitney Sudler-Smith that he cried while talking to the AI about his ex-girlfriend. It’s a little bit Her, a little bit Black Mirror, and a lot of Craig Conover.
Actionable Takeaways from the Paige and Craig Breakup
If we can learn anything from this three-year Bravo experiment, it’s these three things:
- Don't ignore the "Life Vision" gap. You can love someone to death, but if one person wants a suburban house in South Carolina and the other wants a high-rise in Manhattan, the relationship has an expiration date.
- Long distance requires an end date. Paige and Craig did the "Venn diagram" life for years, but eventually, the circles have to overlap completely, or they drift apart.
- Trust your gut in your 30s. Paige mentioned how much she changed between 29 and 32. If you feel yourself outgrowing a situation, staying "for the fans" or "for the show" only makes the eventual break harder.
Check the latest episode of Giggly Squad for Paige's current "front row" updates, or tune into the new season of Southern Charm to see how Craig's new relationship is playing out on camera.