Paige DeSorbo aired her and Craig Conover’s dirty laundry during the Summer House season 9 reunion — and she wasn’t the only one in the hot seat.
During part 1 of the reunion, which aired Wednesday, May 28, Paige, 32, looked back on her breakup with Craig, 36, after parting ways in late 2024. She told host Andy Cohen that she’s not convinced Craig actually purchased an engagement ring, even if he told everyone he did.
“That ring does not exist,” Paige claimed, revealing that the Southern Charm star did not ask her father for her hand in marriage, which added to her certainty that his ring claim was made up.
Andy, 56, pointed out that Craig claimed on a March episode of Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen that he had “just returned” the ring during the New York City visit. Paige, however, wasn’t buying it.
She called it “convenient” that the day he stopped by WWHL he also found time to take back the bauble. “Him and his new girlfriend went and returned my ring? I don’t think so, Andy. That’s insane,” Paige quipped, referring to Craig’s new flame, Natalie Buffett.
Paige also raised an eyebrow over Craig’s alleged ability to take back a so-called “custom ring.” She said, “No one’s letting you return it a year later.”
Paige and Craig’s relationship wasn’t the only dynamic the Summer House cast talked about during the reunion. Lexi Wood and Jesse Solomon touched upon their summer fling, while Ciara Miller and West Wilson relived their 2023 split.
Scroll down for the biggest part 1 revelations:
Paige Details Craig Breakup Timeline
“Craig and I have had this conversation for a year. It’s not like one day I woke up and was like, ‘I think I’ll be single for today,’” Paige recounted. “We broke up last February [2024] for like a full weekend. Then we talked, got back together.”
The “Giggly Squad” podcast cohost noted, “It’s not like it was smooth sailing and one day I was like, ‘See ya.’ We’ve had these conversations over and over and over.”
Paige also insisted that she tried “everything in my power to not have a breakup where it was Team Me or Team Him,” claiming Craig “wasn’t going to let me go easy.”
Ciara Recalls Family Drama During West Split
Ciara, 29, and West, 30, sparked a romance during summer 2023, which played out on season 8 of the Bravo series. They called it quits by the end of the year, and during the season 8 reunion, Ciara claimed West was playing “games” with her the whole time. During season 9, which was filmed in summer 2024, Ciara kept West at arm’s length because she was upset with how he handled their split in the press.
During the season 9 finale, Ciara explained that there was more going on at the time of their split, which left her in a vulnerable state. “He wasn’t there for me,” Ciara claimed, revealing that her mom got remarried around the holidays, which was a trigger for her after years of wanting her parents to be together.
“When that time came … you turned your phone off for two weeks. You were gone,” West recalled. Ciara acknowledged that she did shut off from the world over the holidays in 2023, left for Costa Rica and unplugged because she tries to “forget the holidays” because they’re “really hard” for her.
“I was trying to communicate it a little bit but also I didn’t want to be a burden,” Ciara confessed. “He took that as me trying to shut him out. In reality, I was spiraling just trying to get through the month of December.”
West noted he “just wasn’t there” and at the point she wanted him to be when he broke it off. “I thought us ending in that moment would’ve at least salvaged a friendship but obviously I f***ed that up as well,” he said. “I’ll apologize again. I never wanted to hurt your feelings.”
Imrul Recalls Backlash Over ‘Orgy Beast’ Name
“I definitely felt like I was pigeonholed a little, but I led with the sex party,” season 9 newbie Imrul Hassan said of his reputation as a ladies man on the show. “I don’t feel like I’m an orgy beast. I think you have to do more than one [sex party] to be an orgy beast. I’m more of an orgy novice.”
Imrul revealed that the nickname followed him off camera — and not in a good way. “My brother had a birthday for my only nephew, and I was supposed to go to that,” he recalled, noting that his sister-in-law’s family is “religious” and “made a whole stink” about inviting “orgy beast” to the event.
“That was the first time it really hit home that I didn’t do a good job of connecting with people,” Imrul explained. “It was a little uncomfortable, it was a little nerve-racking. I kinda leaned into what I knew, I suppose.”
West Claims There Was No ‘Dibs’
After Jesse, 31, claimed that West “called dibs” on Ciara during summer 2023, West revealed that wasn’t true. “For the record, I never f***ing said that I called dibs. That’s an original from Jesse,” he quipped.
Ciara, for her part, revealed that she was never interested in a romance with Jesse, with or without West standing in their way. “If I wanted to f*** Jesse, I would’ve done it before the summer to spite West and really throw him off his game. But I don’t want to,” she said.
Ciara and Lexi Face Off Over Press Tour Jabs
Ciara and Jesse’s flirty banter during season 9 played into Lexi’s insecurities while dating Jesse. When the cameras stopped rolling, Lexi, 27, claimed that Ciara and Jesse acted like they are more than friends, pointing to her birthday party — which the pair allegedly skipped to go to brunch together — as proof that they were getting cozy.
Ciara clapped back at Lexi’s allegations during Wednesday’s episode. “You are also creating this narrative that me and Jesse are more [than friends],” Ciara said. Jesse backed up Ciara, claiming that they did have brunch but said, “If it was on your birthday, it was not on purpose.”
“You illustrated this picture as if we skipped your birthday party intentionally. When, one, I don’t really know when your birthday is and two, the last dinner that we had you’re telling me that you don’t trust me,” Ciara fired back. “Why would I go to your birthday party? Especially because when you’re illustrating this picture that like me and Jesse are doing things that are manipulative or doing things in the media to rub it in your face — like what the f*** was that?”
Lexi tried to defend her actions, saying that her comments were all directed at Jesse. Before she could say more, however, the episode came to an end.
