Craig Conover and Charley Manley’s short-lived romance officially ended during Southern Charm Season 11, but it turns out that their dating drama continued even after cameras stopped rolling.
During the second and final part of the Southern Charm reunion, host Andy Cohen revisited the topic of Craig and Charley’s breakup, and the two still could not agree on when or why their would-be relationship crumbled. After Charley revealed she has a new boyfriend, Southern Hospitality newbie Justin Assad, Craig claimed that she had not been forthcoming about the fact that she was talking to guys other than him.
By Craig’s account, Austen Kroll informed him during a trip to Las Vegas that Charley was “in love” with someone else, despite the fact that they were still “hanging out” at the time. “I gave you a lot of chances to tell me you were talking to someone else, and you actually never did,” Craig claimed, before revealing that Salley Carson also told him that Charley had actually been “talking to two other guys.”
RELATED:Â Craig and Charley Clash Over Their Split: “I Do Not Have the Same Explanation”
In Craig’s version of events, Charley had taken him by the hand and assured him that she was not entertaining any other men. However, she shot back, “I swear to God that did not happen.” Charley also pointed out that she and Craig “were not together” and had only gone on two dates anyway.
Though Craig agreed that he and Charley were “never dating” in an official capacity, he said that they went out together well beyond just the two dates that were shown “on camera.”
Craig Conover accused Charley Manley of love bombing him
“I was strung on,” Craig further claimed at the reunion. “I can’t believe I know what this means now … I was love bombed.”
As several of his castmates groaned at the suggestion, Andy asked him to elaborate.Â
“You said all of this stuff for me,” Craig told Charley directly. “And, like, you were FaceTiming me from your friends’ weddings and started to be the talk of the town. But then I was like, ‘Oh my god, that’s what love bombing is.’ … There was some future planning from your end.”
Charley, for her part, insisted, “I do not feel like I love bombed him,” but Craig doubled down, adding, “You made it seem to me like we were gonna make it out of filming.”
RELATED:Â Charley Reveals New Details About Her Decision to End Things With Craig Conover (EXCLUSIVE)
As she previously explained during Southern Charm Season 11, Charley maintained that her feelings for Craig “changed” after witnessing his behavior toward Salley during the cast trip to Mexico. At the reunion, she described that moment as having given her “a very valid reason to be done with” their romance.
“Whatever. Mexico happened,” Craig replied. “But I’m saying up ’til Mexico, the way that you talked to me made it sound like you had feelings for me. Because, like, I really thought we had, like, real feelings. I really thought we were something more.”
Charley’s response? “Because, Craig, I had every intention of continuing to, like, hang out with you afterwards. And then in Mexico, I decided I didn’t want to do that anymore.”
Where Craig Conover and Charley Manley stand after the Southern Charm Season 11 reunion
Regardless, Craig theorized to Madison LeCroy during a brief filming break that Charley was “looking for a way out” of dating him and had only used the “mishap” in Mexico as an excuse to end things.
Charley, for her part, broke down into tears backstage, describing how she felt “overwhelmed” by Craig denying her account of her own feelings. “Seriously, before Mexico, we would talk like every day,” she elaborated. “After Mexico, we talked one time.”
When Charley returned to the reunion set, Craig approached her and remarked, “It’s a little unfair for you to say Mexico.” She replied, “It was,” prompting him to scoff and simply say, “OK,” before filming resumed.
Nevertheless, in closing, Andy asked if Charley had anything she wanted to say to Craig, but she declined.
“I mean, at the end of the day, like, I do see Craig as a friend,” Charley shared. “I feel like we had a good friendship before, whenever we were all hanging out. … I wish him the best.”
Now that Southern Charm Season 11 is officially in the books, revisit Charley’s explanation for why she stopped dating Craig.
