Austen Tries to Backpedal on Paige Drama, But Shep SHUTS HIM DOWN: “If It Walks Like a Duck…”

Austen Kroll and Shep Rose are now sharing their thoughts on the end of Craig Conover’s three-year relationship with Summer House’s Paige DeSorbo.

Craig shared at the Season 10 Southern Charm reunion that she first broke up with him soon after Thanksgiving 2024 in a phone call, then the two didn’t go public with the news until Paige shared the update in her Giggly Squad podcast at the end of the year. But there was talk after the breakup that Paige was moving on with another man — talk that Andy Cohen pointed out Austen “substantiated” during the Jan. 30, 2025 episode of Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen.

“I don’t think those are rumors. And I think that Craig knows as such,” Austen said at the time.

But does he still stand by that accusation? Andy pointed out at the reunion it was said with “pretty good certainty.”

“Yeah, I shouldn’t have, ‘cause I don’t know the girl’s day-to-day, but it looked like repetitive dates,” Austen replied. “So that’s why I thought, ‘This doesn’t seem like it’s a rumor.’”

Paige first got heat when she seemingly attended the Philadelphia Eagles football game on Jan. 12 with Joe D’Amelio, but she denied rumors that the two were dating. However, Shep shared at Part 2 of the Southern Charm reunion he believes the rumor is true.

“At what point does, like, three different outlets corroborating a story — it’s like, ‘If it walks like a duck, [and] it quacks like a duck —” he pointed out.

“That’s kind of what I was alluding to,” Austen added of his WWHL appearance.

During Part 1 of the reunion, Andy also asked Craig if Paige broke up with him for another man.

“I asked her, ‘Please just tell me if you’re with another guy. Like, put me out of my misery,’” Craig said. “And she said, ‘Craig, I’m not talking to or dating anyone.’”

Andy also read part of Paige’s response to the allegation during Part 2 of the reunion.

“She said, ‘The narrative took a turn really quickly that I had cheated. Let me say this here and now: I didn’t cheat on my ex-boyfriend,’” Andy said.

Andy asked Austen if Craig’s relationship with Paige caused him to “pull back” from their friendship. Austen admitted he and Craig grew apart some, as fans saw their friendship go through down moments this season.

“You know, you get into a relationship like Craig was in, and there’s no shame or anything to make that person your number one priority,” Austen said. “But when did things begin to go wrong? I can’t even tell you. So that just shows that he didn’t lean on any of his friends.”

Shep also believes Craig shouldn’t have isolated himself so much from his friends.

“I think his anchor was dug in so deep with her that maybe that wasn’t a healthy thing at the end for them,” he said.

“I really liked having someone home to go — I don’t know,” Craig replied.

Craig said throughout the reunion that he didn’t see any signs of the pending breakup.

“The funny thing is, is I was working on myself to not react to signs,” he shared. “So, like, she stopped visiting me in Charleston. But it was like, because she was ‘too busy.’ She never came to the [Sewing Down South] Nashville store, but it was she was ‘too busy.’ So, it was a confusing relationship to be in sometimes.”