Why Southern Charm's Craig Says He Wouldn't Date Some of His Exes Today
Craig Conover’s mission to find his forever love hasn’t changed — but now he’s looking at relationships through a different lens.
“I’ve had so many fun chapters and so many opportunities to level up that now I feel like, where I always come back to is, the longer I go without meeting my person, the more evolved I am as a person,” Craig, 37, exclusively told Us on Monday, October 19, noting that he still wants to settle down and have kids following his split from Paige DeSorbo in fall 2024, but he is no longer fixated on a timeline.
The Southern Charm star, who is promoting his partnership with State Farm for an immersive activation at Bravo Fan Fest in Charleston this weekend, explained that his evolution as a single man has given him a new perspective on his past romances.
“People I’ve dated in the past, I don’t even think we’d be friends today,” Craig confessed. “But just because our lives are so different, like, we would probably get along, but we would have never ended up dating.”
Craig Conover. Pamela Littky/Bravo
The Sewing Down South founder admitted, “Life changes,” so his prior connections would no longer suit who he is and what he is looking for in a partner.
“It’s kind of neat to think about instead of having to outgrow a relationship, you can, I don’t know, there’s some benefits in meeting people later on,” Craig added.
Craig’s love life has been a topic of discussion since he made his Bravo debut on season 1 of Southern Charm in 2013.
‘Southern Charm’ Star Craig Conover’s Dating History: Paige DeSorbo and More
His most high-profile relationships included a two-year romance with costar Naomie Olindo, whom he met in college. The pair parted ways in 2017, but later hooked up in summer 2021 when he was casually seeing Paige, 33.
Craig and Paige, meanwhile, went public with their relationship in September 2021 and dated for three years before she broke up with him after Thanksgiving in 2024.
Us confirmed in March 2025 that Craig was dating Natalie Buffett, but three months later, the Bravo personality confirmed he was single again.
Craig Conover on ‘Southern Charm.’ Nila Guiss/Bravo
Most recently, Craig sparked a flirtation with castmate Charley Manley during season 11 of the Charleston-based series. Their spark fizzled out before the season ended.
While Craig told Us he’s not on anyone else’s timeline when it comes to finding love, he admitted that “those thoughts creep up on you because your life doesn’t look like how you imagined it.”
That being said, the Pillow Talk author is trying to shift his mindset, reminding himself that his life looks “insanely different” than he could have ever imagined it.
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Some of the things that surprise Craig about his life now are his “bucket list adventures,” which include an upcoming trip to Antarctica and filming scripted projects.
