Craig Conover could have splurged with the money he got back from Paige DeSorbo’s engagement ring.
Conover, 37, got candid about the cash he received after selling the diamond he planned to give to his now ex-girlfriend DeSorbo, 33, during a Thursday, September 17, episode of Teddi Mellencamp and Tamra Judge’s “Two Ts in a Pod” podcast.
“My jeweler, I gave it back,” the Southern Charm star said. “I bought a stone and then had it made in New York. So I gave it back to him and I did get a surprise text like a month ago. He’s like, ‘I have a buyer for the stone. You’re gonna eat some, [but] is this number OK?’”
After agreeing on the price, Conover shared that he nearly used the amount he got back to invest in a rental property.
“For me, it’s kind of a bonus because I had forgotten about it, but of course, I bought a very popular cut at the time, and now demand for that cut is down,” he said. “I was gonna buy a rental property with it … it was enough for a rental property.”
While Conover insists that he bought the jewelry, DeSorbo shared that she was never convinced he actually purchased a ring. During the Summer House season 9 reunion, which aired in May 2025, she told host Andy Cohen, “That ring does not exist.”
Cohen, 58, then told the reality star that Conover claimed that last March he “just returned” the diamond during his New York City visit.
“Him and his new girlfriend went and returned my ring? I don’t think so, Andy. That’s insane,” she quipped of Conover’s flame at the time, Natalie Buffett. She also pointed out that “no one” would let “you return” a “custom” ring “a year later.”
Conover and DeSorbo met in 2019 during a Summer House party. Two years later, they started dating and made their relationship Instagram official in December 2021.
After three years of dating, DeSorbo announced that the duo broke up during a December 2024 episode of her “Giggly Squad” podcast. “Craig and I have decided to no longer be together,” she said at the time. “I love him; I think he loves me. I think we will remain friends. No one did anything. It wasn’t a bad thing. 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 added, “I think it is the right decision for both of us.”
Conover later broke his silence on their split the following month, saying via Instagram, “[It happened] right before the holidays. 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.”
DeSorbo, for her part, has since found love with Joe D’Amelio, while Conover is currently single. He told Mellencamp, 45, and Judge, 59, that he’s dating “with intent.”
“If I meet someone who I have chemistry with, I’ll explore it,” he said. “I haven’t had someone to message or text in a long time.”
The Bravo star also shared that he’s on Raya, but hasn’t gone on a date with anyone from the app.
