For months, I have been on a mission to find out what's really going on between our queen Paige DeSorbo and Craig Conover. Months. And finally, on Monday, we got a break in the case, all courtesy of one Naomie Olindo.
Lemme back up: We know that Summer House started filming in July, 2021 and likely wrapped at the Kyle Cooke/Amanda Batula wedding in September. In October, we got official confirmation that Paige (Summer House) and Craig (Southern Charm) were dating, and, after following their every move on Instagram Stories, reading tips from @deuxmoi and gossip sites – are Paige and Craig real? a showmance? do they breakup on Southern Charm? Is this all so that Winter House Season 2 is a ratings hit full of drama? – I wasn't coming up with any firm answers, and the confirmation they shared in October helped my mental health a lot.
Until, in the middle of the slow reveal of Paige and Craig's relationship timeline, we got the break up that no one saw coming... Naomie Olindo (Craig's ex from Southern Charm, for the uninitiated) and her boyfriend Metul Shah. They announced their split in July, 2021.
From the looks of it, Naomie and Metul were happy; they were always posting pictures together, going on vacation, and were in the midst of planning their move to New York. And then it ended. Naomie opened up about what happened on Instagram and said that she caught him cheating with his ex-girlfriend via his laptop and iMessages the day before she was supposed to finalize the move to New York with him. Honestly, she dodged a fucking bullet.
Almost immediately, everyone wondered, "Will Naomie come back to Southern Charm?" (We know now that the answer is yes.) Which then led us all to think, wait, what about Craig?
Naomie and Craig dated for three years and broke up in 2017. It always seemed like Craig was kind of pining for her, especially in Season 6 following their breakup, and everyone thought Naomie was Craig's "one that got away." Yes, their breakup and all the lies and drama and condescending-to on both sides was ugly, but their dislike for one another proved one thing: they, at the very least, deeply cared about each other.
Southern Charm Season 8 began filming in September, 2021. Now, as I mentioned, we know that Craig and Paige didn't become "official" until October, 2021.
We also know from Summer House that Craig and Paige were not exclusive in July of 2021: Craig was supposedly sleeping with Kristin Cavallari (something she denies, which is just so rich) and Paige was possibly boning Andrea Denver. Point is, they had "permission" to see other people while also dating each other.
So, in September of 2021, with Craig and Naomie both technically single over the summer, with plans to reunite as cast members for Season 8... would this be the time they get back together? And, if so, what about our Paigey?
We are in unprecedented territory when it comes to the romance between Craig and Paige: We've never had a Bravo crossover event like this before! Watching two people from two different shows come together... and we get to see it play out on camera? How lucky are we?!
Not only did we get to see how Paige and Craig's relationship began in Winter House and progressed during this season of Summer House, but we'll also get to see how all three of them – Naomi, Craig, and Paige – interact on Southern Charm.
Because... Paige flew down to Charleston in September, 2021 and filmed for the new season of Southern Charm. Reminder: Paige and Craig didn't announce they were official until October 4, when a source confirmed to Page Six that they were exclusively dating.
And something tells me that in that short window (mid July, 2021 to early October, 2021) when Craig, Naomie, and Paige were all technically single ... something happened. Here's what we know.
Deux Moi Saw Craig and Naomie Together
Around August 4, 2021, the infamous Instagram account @deuxmoi got a tip that they saw Naomie and Craig in a Las Vegas casino together. And from what I gathered, I didn't see anybody from Southern Charm filming there, so it does seem like the two were there with each other, separate from any filming obligations.
We also know that around this time, Craig and Paige were in a "situationship" of sorts. And following the reports that Craig and Naomie were in Vegas together, Craig said on his podcast Pillows And Beer, "What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas." Which is to say, he didn't want to confirm or deny anything.
And we know around this time, thanks to Summer House, that Paige really liked Craig and yes, they weren't exclusive, but she was upset that he was hooking up with Kristin Cavallari in July, 2021. Seeing that he was in Vegas with his ex, two or three weeks after getting the Kristin news, couldn't have felt great.
Paige Doesn't Follow Naomie
It is 2022: If you don't follow someone, there is probably a reason, especially when you are in the same circle of friends, or at least filming a show together. So when I went and looked to see if Paige and Naomie follow one another, and discovered Paige doesn't follow Naomie back, I started to wonder why.
Paige follows other Southern Charm cast members – Shep Rose, his girlfriend Taylor Green, Kathryn Dennis and Craig's former arch nemesis Madison LeCroy – so why not Naomie?! 👀
Did Paige confront Naomie and Craig about their Vegas trip when she saw the two of them in Charleston, in September, while they were all filming? It would make great TV if she did! Especially if they were in flapper costumes! And Paige is a smart girl!
Naomie Hints Something Happened With Craig
In a recent interview on The Skinny Confidential Him & Her Podcast, Naomie opened up about her split from Metul and the journey she took to getting over that breakup, and of course, she was asked about ex-boyfriend Craig. And she quickly said, "Oh, my God, yeah. He's dating someone who I really like. Paige is great."
She was on the podcast with her close friend Helen Hall, and while talking about their exes and coming back to Southern Charm, Helen asked Naomie: "Seeing him after your break up, was the chemistry back at all?" And there was slight pause, and Naomie said, "I mean, I don't know how to answer this. You'll just have to watch the show, I guess. I aired it all out on there."
I love the mess.