Southern Charm fans believe Craig Conover was DUMPED by Paige DeSorbo before the holidays

Craig Conover has sparked speculation he was dumped by Paige DeSoto before the holidays as he broke his silence on their shock split. 

The Southern Charm star, 35, finally addressed the breakup that sent shockwaves amongst fans in a video statement that suggested Paige, 32, ended the relationship herself.

A smiling Craig told Instagram followers: 'I figure it's finally time to check in with everyone... This has all been very, very unexpected to say the least. But I guess life has to, I gotta start living again, whatever that looks like. Whatever my new normal looks like, I have to start.'

'Gratitude will get you through this, with time comes clarity, all of the advice, I'm trying to listen to. But yeah. Right before the holidays, I was very shocked.

'And it's OK. It takes two people to be in a relationship, and you can’t control other people, you can only control how you react to it, so.'

'Remember to be kind to Paige and me and yourselves and all of that good stuff. I'm still processing everything, which is normal, I mean, three year relationship, it's your best friend who you talk to all day, everyday and then they're just gone.

'One day I'll be able to talk more on it but right now I just wanted to thank everyone for their kind messages. It has been really nice to read them and it's just life and I have to take my own advice that I give when I go around and speak at these home shows "that no one's ever not better off after a breakup". 

'But I guess now to practice what I preach and believe it and truly have faith in God that everything happens for a reason. But I love you all and I'll see everyone on my travels this January, we've got a lot coming up.'

Based on Craig's statement, fans sensed the break-up was not mutual.

'Oof.. that is NOT mutual,' one X user wrote.  

'So basically, she blindsided him during the holidays. She also led him on for years. Never liked her. She was never going to move for him,' another posted. 

'I don’t know I feel bad,' another wrote. 'I kinda had a tear. I believe he loved her more than she loved him.'

'I thought it was a mutual decision, but it seems she dumped him right before the holidays and he was very shocked,' one posted. 

'Awww she did break his heart... looks like he was blindsided. That’s not good,' another remarked. 

Fans also took note of how Paige, who first announced their split, did not reveal who initiated the break-up, but Craig suggested he was the one who got dumped. 

'She made it sound very mutual. He just said it was unexpected. Super sad for him,' one fan wrote in the comments section of a Queens Of Bravo post featuring the video. 

Shortly after Craig shared his video, Paige posted a glam selfie and a slew of shots with her Giggly Squad co-host Hannah Berner at the New York Knicks vs. Orlando Magic game. 

'And then it becomes an ice skating rink again,' she captioned the post. 

The caption appeared to reference a recent episode of her podcast, where she described how she often wonders about the many uses of a basketball court. 

Paige announced their split last month on an episode of the Giggly Squad podcast.

'Craig and I have decided to no longer be together,' DeSorbo revealed.

Fighting back tears, the reality star admitted discussing the breakup publicly felt 'weird,' but she made it clear she holds only positive feelings for Conover.

'I love him. I think he loves me. I think we will remain friends,' she said, adding, 'No one did anything. It wasn’t a bad thing.'

DeSorbo went on to describe their decision as a mature one, saying, 'I think we both were just being really mature and saying what we want and what we didn’t want. And I think that’s extremely powerful to be able to voice how you’re feeling in real time and what you want for your future.'

Paige remained tight-lipped about the exact reasons behind her breakup with Craig but described the past few years as ‘very transformative,’ noting that both she and Conover had experienced significant growth and change during their time together.

While she didn’t specify when they officially ended their relationship, the pair appeared to still be on good terms as recently as last month when they celebrated Thanksgiving at her parents’ home in upstate New York.

‘He’s definitely the best boyfriend I’ve ever had. Like, I can truly say that,’ DeSorbo shared, reflecting on their time together.

‘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.’