Amanda Batula Was 'Not Shocked' by Paige DeSorbo and Craig Conover's Split as Kyle Cooke Recalls Past 'Red Flags'

Mar. 15, 2025

(L-R) Craig Conover, Paige DeSorbo, Kyle Cooke, Amanda Batula at Caesars Forum in Las Vegas, NV on Sunday, November 5, 2023.Photo:Todd Williamson/Bravo via Getty

Todd Williamson/Bravo via Getty

Amanda BatulaandKyle Cookeare revealing their reaction toPaige DeSorboandCraig Conover’s breakup.

In an interview withE! News,the married reality stars opened up about whether they saw the split coming while filmingSummer Housewith DeSorbo in the months prior. Explaining that there had been signs, Batula said she had mixed feelings about the news.

“I would say surprised, but not shocked,” she told the outlet. “You want your friends to be happy and you want their relationships to go in the direction of marriage and for everything to work out. So, it was sad. But Paige makes decisions that are only for the best with both parties.”

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Cooke, however, did not see it coming. In fact, when he saw the trailer for the new season ofSummer Housejust weeks before learning of the split, Cooke said he didn’t think scenes showing DeSorbo contemplating ending things with Conover were serious.

“When I saw that trailer — this is like mid-December — I was like, ‘Come on, she’s just being dramatic,'” he said. “So, there’s definitely some surprise, but there were some red flags over the summer when you look back.”

“I don’t know how much we’ll see, but I think it takes a lot for Paige to air concerns. She keeps things bottled up until it’s finally at that point where it bubbles over,” he added. “There was one moment that she and I had where she was talking about some of the challenges that they were facing. Literally in the three years they were dating, this is the first time I’ve ever heard of a speedbump, which is interesting.”

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DeSorboannounced that she and Conover were parting waysduring an episode of herGiggly Squadpodcast, on Dec. 30. Telling co-hostHannah Bernerthat she and theSouthern Charmstar “decided to no longer be together,” she also noted that she “wasn’t expecting this” to happen.

“I have so much love and respect for Craig. I think he is one of the best people I have ever met in my entire life,” DeSorbo explained. “I will remain the biggest fan of 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 was just the right decision for both of us moving forward in our lives and the direction in our lives that we didn’t force.”

She went on to call Conover “the best boyfriend I’ve ever had.”

“He was a great boyfriend, and he did everything correct, and he never made me feel insecure or anything like that, so it almost is harder when no one’s done anything to be mad about, and that’s hard,” she said.

The pair first met while DeSorbo was filmingSummer Housein the Hamptons in 2019 when members of theSouthern Charmcast attended Cook’s birthday party. At the time, Conover was dating histhen-girlfriend Natalie Hegnauer, but he and DeSorbo developed a friendship.

They later filmedWinter Housetogether, where they realized their feelings for one another. Although they continued to see other people in the months that followed, they made things official in October 2021.

source: people.com