Reality television thrives off of viewers getting to know their favorite stars’ personal lives. Drama is another component the genre thrives off of. When you mix these two together, you get a major story that reality fans can’t get enough of.

This was the case when Southern Charm star Paige DeSorbo announced her breakup with fellow cast member Craig Conover. It was a shock to fans and even Craig himself, as he would later explain.

This ignited a bunch of rumors and conspiracy theories to float around social media. Among those were that Paige was unfaithful to Craig and left him for another man. Some wondered if this was Saturday Night Live‘s Marcello Hernandez. Paige was quick to shut these rumors down, however, in a humorous way.

Paige Jokes With Fans Regarding Rumors She Is Dating Marcello Hernandez

Paige DeSorbo recently set the record straight regarding rumors she is dating Marcello Hernandez after her breakup with Craig Conover. The rumors ignited when Deuxmoi posted a blind item which claimed that Paige was spotted with a mystery man on New Year’s Eve. This sparked several Bravo fan accounts to do detective work, all trying to figure out the identity of this mystery man. Then, the Snark Bait podcast claimed in an episode that it was “a New York City-based comedian.” This led some to think it was Marcello. He is best known for the viral “Domingo” skit from Saturday Night Live.

While some might stay quiet when rumors go around, Paige decided to weigh in. She left several comments on TikTok where she responded directly to the claims.Paige joked, “See you in court” under one post speculating about her alleged new man. This is a phrase she coined with her Giggly Squad cohost, Hannah Berner.

One of the fan videos got the attention of Page Six, who reported the theory which was presented. The outlet ran a story reporting that Paige “called it quits” with Craig after she learned that he was “about to propose.” The breakup understandably “caught him off guard” and “ruined the proposal.” Paige herself responded to these claims, writing, “I’m obsessed with all of this fan fiction.”

On December 30, Paige confirmed to her followers that she and Craig have “decided to no longer be together.”

“I love him, I think he loves me. I think we will remain friends. No one did anything. It wasn’t a bad thing,” she explained on an episode of The Giggly Squad podcast. “I think we both were just being really mature and saying what we want and what we didn’t want, and I think that’s extremely powerful to be able to voice how you’re feeling in real time and what you want for your future.”

She did let listeners know that she wanted to remain friends, adding, “I have so much love and respect for Craig… I will remain the biggest fan for him and want the best for him, and he truly will get the best, because he is the best. But, with that said, I think it is the right decision for both of us.”

Paige and Craig began dating in 2021 and spent much of their relationship long-distance. Craig lives in South Carolina, while Paige lives in New York City. Many have wondered how they were going to be able to make it work. Craig defended their long-distance romance when speaking to Us Weekly at the Hayu FanFest three years into their relationship.

“We spend as much time as we can together and we’re patient with each other,” Craig told the outlet. “We’re in a great place and, fortunately, New York and Charleston are two awesome places to spend time. We just got to put the work in.”

Many speculated that the split announcement was pre-planned by Bravo, especially since Craig previously denied the two were breaking up. This is also something Paige cleared up.

“It’s a very sad thing. And just to say this — not that I even have to — but in terms of people saying, ‘Oh, Paige was told to wait until Southern Charm came out or Summer House came out.’ No one can tell me what to do,” she said. “The network has power, but they don’t have that much power.”

Paige added, “That is not a real thing. Rumors of us breaking up months ago was also not a real thing. Our first rumor was that we were in a PR relationship. So we’ve been with these rumors our whole relationship and we didn’t really give it a second thought. But I didn’t want [my listeners] to think I was leaving them out of the loop or something. Not at all.”

Craig Said That He Was Not Expecting His Split From Paige

While Paige has denied the theories presented in the fan videos on TikTok, one of them has been proven true. Craig has since confirmed that the breakup came as a surprise to him. This revelation came as part of comments he made in a video posted to his Instagram story in January 2025. This marked the first time Craig publicly opened up about the breakup.

“I figured it’s finally time to check in with everyone,”
Craig told followers
. “Sorry about the delay, this has all been very, very unexpected to say the least… But I guess I gotta start living again, whatever that looks like. Whatever my new normal looks like — I have to start.”

According to Craig, he has been trying to take the advice he’s received from many people, saying, “‘Gratitude will get you through this, with time comes clarity’ – all of the advice, I’m trying to listen to.”

Craig then went into detail regarding how the split surprised him. “[It happened] right before the holidays,” he said. “I was very shocked. And it’s OK. It takes two people to be in a relationship and you can’t control other people, you can only control how you react to it. Remember to be kind to Paige and me and yourselves and all of that good stuff.”

At the end of the day, Craig explained that he is still processing the sudden turn of events. “I’m still processing everything, which is normal,” he said. “It’s a three-year relationship, it’s your best friend who you talk to all day everyday, and then they’re just gone. So, you know, one day I’ll be able to talk more on it.”

Craig went on to thank fans for their “kind message” and overall support during the breakup. He added, “It’s just life. I have to take my own advice… that no one is ever not better off after a breakup.” The message ended with a positive message from Craig, who said, “But I guess now I gotta practice what I preach and believe it and truly have faith in God that everything happens for a reason. But I love you all and I’ll see everyone on my travels this January. We got a lot coming up.”

When people began speculating about their relationship, Craig told E! News that he wasn’t letting the rumors get to him. “Remember back in high school when people would gossip?” he said. “Like, I got most dramatic in high school. I’m a huge gossiper, but just don’t take everything so seriously.”

He also explained there wouldn’t be an engagement between them anytime soon. “I’m having a lot of fun challenging myself in New York City now,” he revealed. “The company’s going really well in Charleston. I just don’t wanna cut off everything that we’re both doing. We’re on these parallel paths and it’s really exciting. I can’t wait to see what she accomplishes.”

Craig Revealed He Quit Drinking In Order To Take His Relationship With Paige To The Next Level

On the heels of Southern Charm‘s 10th season, Craig revealed to People that he quit drinking. “I pretty much stopped drinking,” Craig told the outlet. “Probably once every two months I’ll have a drink or two, but that is drastically better than drinking every night or every other night. I’m having fun finding that middle ground.”

When asked why he made the decision to cut alcohol from his life, Craig cited his relationship with Paige. According to Craig, he wanted to take their relationship to the next level and stopped drinking in order to better himself.

“I had made a decision months before the season started to become more of a husband and father material than just the fun boyfriend,” he explained. “I could see it in Paige’s eyes that she saw the person I could be. A lot of the energy I used to put into going out was now being put into my company, so my schedule has increased drastically. I just feel like a regular person now instead of someone that’s waiting to film again.”

There is also some family history which inspired Craig. Shortly after he was born, Craig’s father quit drinking. Craig spoke to his father about his predicament and explained how his dad encouraged him to quit for good.

“I talked to my dad and I was like, ‘Well, nothing bad’s happening.’ And he’s like, “Yeah, you’re right. You’re not blacking out. You’re not drinking in excess like that anymore, but nothing good’s happening either. You’re living a very stagnant life and it’s very repetitive.’ And that was a great point,” Craig said. “I always imagined myself doing that [like my dad]. I just didn’t realize that you needed to start somewhere.”

Craig said that he used the Reframe app to guide him on his goal of moderation. “I didn’t know any better. I was just filling my time. Every activity to me was a drinking activity, and I never knew the world outside of it,” he admitted. “That was always my priority, and I’ve found value in other things. It’s been a real blessing.”