Craig Conover revealed what he did with the engagement ring he bought for Paige DeSorbo prior to their breakup on Thursday night’s Watch What Happens Live.
While also taking aim at the Summer House cast and their “made up” stories, denying Paige’s suggestion that he was unsupportive of her career, and confirming he’s now dating, the 36-year-old Southern Charm star clapped back at Venita Aspen‘s recent shade, shared his reaction to Jarrett “JT” Thomas, 39, attending the reunion, and more.
“I just returned it this morning,” Craig revealed of the engagement ring on the March 27 episode of WWHL. “Diamonds are down right now, so he was like, ‘Do you care if I hold it?’ I was like, ‘I just don’t need custody of it anymore.’”
Although Paige, 32, has been saying for weeks that Craig wasn’t supportive of her career, and claimed that his feelings were hurt when she was shining, he suggested the narrative was something painted for her show.
“It’s interesting to see kind of the hatred that a couple of those cast members on Summer House have gone back and redone some stuff,” he noted. “When Paige did her first breakup podcast, she said I was the best boyfriend she ever had, and I truly believe we had a wonderful relationship. I think I was one of the most supportive people in her life, but I can’t control what they say about it.”
Craig then hinted that Paige and her Summer House co-stars made certain claims against him in an effort to fight back against the backlash she received amid her rumored romance with Joe D’Amelio, whom she was first spotted with just weeks after announcing their split.
“I’ve seen that they made up a couple stories, so it seems like after the breakup didn’t go how someone … Her side of things, I think, convinced her the breakup was going to go a certain way, and through choices that she made after the breakup, things turned on her,” he explained. “I haven’t done anything except try to move on with my life, and I’m really happy in the chapter I’m in, but it seems like her and her band of friends have just decided that they, who were all friends of mine, I mean, I was a great friend to all of them, [Ciara Miller], [Amanda Batula], [Kyle Cooke], and now, they just, I mean, the vitriol is nasty.”
“I want to encourage America never to act like that because I think it’s disgusting. I mean, the negativity,” he added.
After describing himself as “surprised” and “delusional” when it came to the end of their three-year relationship, Andy Cohen, 56, encouraged him to “watch Summer House.” But Craig wasn’t on board.
“It would just hurt because I heard what people were saying. It’s not just about her. I was really good friends … Ciara and I spent Thanksgiving week together this year,” he revealed.
“Whatever my ex and her friends said about me before she broke up with me is kind of in the past,” he added.
Then, after Austen Kroll, 37, admitted that Craig had chosen Ciara, 29, over him “a few times,” Craig confirmed, “Yeah, I chose Ciara, but whatever. Life happens. At least I got these guys.”
Not only did Craig deny being unsupportive of Paige, but he also hinted that scenes from Summer House and his ex’s claims against him have been “misconstrued.”
“She did [feel supported]. She felt that way, and she’s, again, a lot of the stuff that y’all are seeing is misconstrued and it’s not accurate, and that’s okay,” he stated. “She might have been over the relationship, but she never not felt supported by me.”
Because Paige’s hesitancy to move forward with her romance with Craig has appeared so apparent in recent episodes, many have wondered how Craig could’ve been “blindsided” by the breakup, as he’s claimed.
“But what you didn’t see, on Southern Charm, what I saw before the reunion, [was] her in my pool saying she wanted to get married and have kids,” he argued. “It has been a very frustrating couple months for me because of decisions that were made outside of my control.”
According to Craig, he’s done “a lot of work to just move forward” and is now dating someone new.
“I’m really happy. It’s not [Salley Carson] … I’ve been seeing someone, and it’s been, I’ve been reminded that the universe works in crazy ways, but everything happens for a reason,” he gushed.
Moving on to Venita, 31, and her claim of being on Team Paige, Craig said he’s no longer friends with his castmate.
“I won’t be associated with her because, any of my friends, as I grow older, my circle gets tighter and tighter, and it wasn’t about being on Paige’s side. You can be Paige’s friend or whatever, it was what she said about me,” he stated. “I didn’t think was true, and I think she was just regurgitating gossip from the internet … No one’s entitled to my friendship, and she definitely isn’t anymore.”
During another segment of the show, Craig was asked to rank his makeout with a certain Laguna Beach alum, seemingly Kristin Cavallari, 38, although she wasn’t called out by name.
“8.5,” he replied.
While it has been suggested that everyone is “scared” of Craig, he said he had “no idea” why before agreeing with Austen that he likes “having control.”
Also on the live broadcast, after being asked who he missed more out of Paige and Naomie Olindo, 32, Craig replied, “As I close chapters in my life, they stay closed.”
Later, on the WWHL: After Show, Craig was asked if he was surprised to see JT at the reunion.
“It was an attention grab. No one quits our shows. They don’t.. except for [Cameran Eubanks],” he replied.
Part two of the Southern Charm season 10 reunion airs next Thursday, April 3, at 8/7c on Bravo.
