Phaedra Parks and her The Traitors costar Chris “CT” Tamburello shocked the reality TV world when they revealed their romance — but rest assured, their relationship is legit.
“It’s definitely the real deal, and they’re really smitten with each other,” a source exclusively shares with Us. “They became really close on The Traitors, but CT never thought he actually had a chance with Phaedra.”
Phaedra, 52, and CT, 46, met while filming season 2 of Peacock’s hit reality show in 2023. Although the pair grabbed the attention of viewers with their palpable chemistry, which featured Phaedra calling her costar “castle daddy,” their platonic relationship didn’t evolve until recently.
“He always had a bit of a crush on her and was interested, but he really valued their friendship and never wanted to cross that line,” the source shares. “After his marriage ended, he and Phaedra started talking a lot more, and their relationship naturally grew from there.”
CT and his estranged wife, Catalina White, got married in 2024. She filed for divorce in January but eventually asked to dismiss the motion. CT later filed his own petition in June, claiming the pair’s marriage “is irretrievably broken.”
As CT navigates his ongoing divorce, the source reveals that Phaedra has been “such a positive influence on him.”
“She has really inspired him to live a healthier lifestyle,” the source explains. “He wants to take care of himself and be healthy for her and for this next chapter.”
Although Phaedra — who shares Ayden, 16, and Dylan, 13, with ex-husband Apollo Nida — made her red carpet debut with CT at the 2026 Creative Arts Emmys on Saturday, September 5, not everything about the romance will be made public.
“They haven’t blended families yet and are keeping that private,” the source shares. “Most of their relationship has been long-distance so far, but they have made it work and travel to see each other. CT and his ex are set to meet in a few weeks for mediation, and he hopes to close that chapter soon.”
Us has reached out to reps for Phaedra and CT for comment.
For now, the pair’s friends and costars are excited to see Phaedra and CT continue to cultivate their budding romance.
“Phaedra had mentioned that she was hanging out with CT to me a month or two ago, and I was like, ‘Wow, I love this.’ So, I was really happy,” Andy Cohen shared on the Tuesday, September 8, episode of SiriusXM’s Andy Cohen Live. “I wanted to be very kind of, not only discreet, but I didn’t want to pry, and I just was like, ‘Well, I guess if this keeps going, I’ll hear about it,’ and then we all heard about it.”
