Craig Conover is speaking out after his friend-zone conversation with Salley Carson on “Southern Charm” season 11. During the January 14 episode, Carson admitted she was developing feelings, and Conover told her he didn’t feel the same way.
Now, both Conover and Carson are sharing their perspectives. On the ‘Southern Charm’ After Show for season 11, episode 7, Conover said he never led Carson to believe they were dating and felt he made his intentions clear. Carson disagreed, saying their dynamic sent mixed signals and made the conversation more difficult.
Craig Conover Says He Made His Feelings Clear on ‘Southern Charm’ After Show
On the After Show, Conover said Carson’s reaction did not match how he believed he had handled the situation. He told producers he tried to avoid hurting her feelings and thought he signaled that he wanted a platonic relationship.
“I don’t like hurting people’s feelings, and I thought I had made it clear,” Conover said.
He pointed to a moment where he turned down Carson’s request to stay at his place after a late-night hangout.
“I don’t think she wanted to take the hint,” he added.
Conover said he viewed their relationship as a close friendship and compared it to dynamics he has had with longtime female friends. He described their bond as “sister-brother” and said spending time together without romance is not unusual in Charleston.
“It wasn’t weird to hang out with the girls you weren’t dating,” Conover said, adding, “Salley just wanted it to be something that it wasn’t.”
Craig Conover Explains the Flirting and Hot Tub Hangouts
Conover acknowledged the way he spends time with friends could be interpreted differently, especially given the late nights and frequent hangouts shown throughout season 11.
He suggested his lifestyle may have contributed to the misunderstanding.
“When I hang out with someone, I don’t know how to, like, do it half-ass,” Conover said. “Like, I’m gonna take you to my favorite spots and do things that are, like, romantic, because that’s just who I am.”
Conover also said he does not approach every friendship as a potential romantic situation.
“Everyone’s assuming, like, every guy wants to hook up with every girl. It’s weird,” he said. “Like, I’m very selective with people, and I don’t just hook up with them. I don’t use it as an escape from my reality.”
Salley Carson Says She Didn’t Imagine the Chemistry
Carson pushed back on the After Show, saying she did not misread the situation.
“I don’t think I was just, like, pulling it out of my ass,” Carson said. “Like, we’re hanging out all the time, we’re talking all the time, and I’m at his house until 5 a.m. all the time. And then he’s FaceTime-ing me all night. … We had a lot of chemistry.”
Carson also shared why the conversation hurt, saying Conover built her up before delivering the “just friends” message.
“He’s sitting there, and he’s telling me, like, ‘Look, you’re gonna be a great mother; you’re gonna be a great wife,’” she said. “He’s telling me all the amazing things about me. And then he’s like, ‘But not for me.’”
‘Southern Charm’ Season 11 Episode 7: Craig Conover Says ‘We’re Just Friends’
The friend-zone moment occurred when Conover helped Carson shop for supplies to start raising chickens. Carson told him, “I’ve been kinda catching some feelings.”
Conover replied, “Yeah, I mean, I just — I don’t see it. We’re just friends.”
He added, “We’re just distractions to each other. But I also have no problem with just being friends with you.”
When Carson questioned why he spent so much time with her — including hot tub sessions that stretched into the early morning —
Conover said he originally thought things could develop.
“Because I was like, ‘Oh, cool, maybe we might, like, do something. Maybe this might go somewhere.’ But then, it didn’t,” he said.
In confessionals, Conover said Carson was “reading into our interactions in a fantasy way,” while Carson insisted she wasn’t making it up.
“You’ve been hitting on me for three weeks. … I’m not making it up in my head. I’m not f–king delusional,” Carson said.
Craig Conover Doubled Down on ‘Friend and Sister’ Label
Outside the show, Conover has continued to describe the relationship as platonic. On the December 18 episode of Andy Cohen’s SiriusXM series “Radio Andy,” he said, “Salley’s wonderful; she’s just — I’ve always just seen her as like a friend and a sister.”
Conover also clarified the situation during “Watch What Happens Live,” noting that while his hot tub has “seen some action,” it did not involve Carson or fellow newcomer Charley Manley.
He also shared he is adjusting to single life after his breakup with Paige DeSorbo.
“I’m traveling in January, solo, for the first time ever,” Conover said, adding that Switzerland would be his first stop. “I’m just trying to be more open to new experiences.”
New episodes of “Southern Charm” air Wednesdays on Bravo.
