Explaining the Feud Between Venita Aspen and Craig Conover from Southern Charm
Southern Charm’s Venita Aspen and Craig Conover have never shared a close bond, but their friendship took a nosedive in March 2025 after simultaneous appearances on Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen.
Venita initiated the feud by declaring on WWHL that she was “Team Paige,” in reference to Paige DeSorbo, following Paige and Craig’s breakup in 2024.
When Craig addressed Venita’s remarks during his own WWHL segment that month, he asserted that he no longer wished to be “associated” with her. Craig claimed that his resentment wasn’t solely due to her siding with Paige, but because of other comments Venita allegedly made about him.
As season 11 of Southern Charm—which debuted in fall 2025—unfolded, viewers gained deeper insight into the fractured ties between Venita and Craig, which, by December 2025, remained unresolved.
“I wish I could sit down and ask him [why he is still upset], if I’m being honest,” Venita shared during a December 2025 episode of the “Not Skinny But Not Fat” podcast. “Like, ‘Hey, why are you so mad at me?’ I still don’t know. I just think it’s about the Paige stuff — and if that’s the case, we need to move past it.”
Scroll down for a full timeline of Venita and Craig’s feud and everything they’ve stated about their relationship:
Venita Aspen Ignites Tension by Supporting Paige DeSorbo Over Craig Conover
In March 2025, Venita revealed on Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen that she had reached out to Paige following her separation from Craig in late 2024. “I have a closer relationship with Paige than I do [with] Craig,” she stated.
Venita explained that her connection with Paige stemmed from their mutual friend, Summer House’s Ciara Miller.
“Ciara and I are very close, which means I have a decent relationship with Paige—not super, but close enough,” Venita stated on a December 2025 episode of the “Not Skinny But Not Fat” podcast. “Naturally, I’m going to support Paige more; I talk to her more often.”
She also claimed, “Craig never really made an effort to be my friend. So why should I just suddenly prioritize his feelings? I don’t speak to him, and that’s just odd.”
Craig Conover States He’s No Longer Friends With Venita Aspen on Live TV
After Venita voiced her support for Paige during WWHL in March 2025—and accused Craig of “milking” their breakup—Craig fired back.
“To be honest, I don’t want to be associated with her because as I grow older, my circle of friends is becoming smaller,” Craig told Andy Cohen during his appearance on WWHL that month.
He insisted, “It’s not about being on Paige’s side; she can be friends with Paige,” adding that he feels Venita “regurgitated” gossip about him.
“I’m not friends with her. I wish her well, but no one is entitled to my friendship, and she most certainly isn’t anymore,” Craig stated emphatically.
Venita Aspen Reacts to Craig Conover’s ‘WWHL’ Statement
In April 2025, Venita expressed her “disappointment” to Deadline upon learning that Craig no longer wished to be “associated” with her.
“From a friendship standpoint, I don’t operate that way, whether it’s a new, old, or on-and-off friend,” she explained. “I would have preferred him to take the lead as the quarterback that he is and guide us, rather than deem those who disagree with him as unworthy of friendship. We never speak, so what else was I meant to do?”
Venita Aspen and Craig Conover Maintain Distance at BravoCon
In November 2025, Venita claimed that Craig “won’t even look in my direction” while they attended BravoCon events for Southern Charm in Las Vegas.
“I wouldn’t look at someone else either, with greasy hair like that, it’s fine. Sorry, I said it,” Venita playfully told Us Weekly at that time. “Other than that, I liked his outfit the previous night [at The Bravos]. I just wasn’t a fan of [the] hair. He wore a beautiful bow tie, though.”
Season 11 of ‘Southern Charm’ Offers Glimpses into Venita Aspen and Craig Conover’s Dynamic
During the season 11 premiere, which aired in November 2025, it was apparent that Venita and Craig were no longer friends. Although they both attended their co-star Madison LeCroy’s baby shower, neither seemed interested in repairing their relationship.
“I am absolutely terrified of Craig’s temper. I’ve seen him yell at Naomie [Olindo]. I’ve watched him yell at Leva [Bonaparte]. I’ve seen him raise his voice at JT [Thomas],” Venita confided to the cameras. “Craig is a certified jerk, and he’s not someone I’m willing to challenge.”
Craig, on his end, told friend Rodrigo Reyes, “I don’t like her. I don’t mess with her,” choosing to remain silent about their issues during the baby shower.
Ciara Miller Stands Up for Venita Aspen
As season 11 of Southern Charm progressed, Venita faced some backlash for not exhibiting her usual charm and accommodating demeanor.
“Imagine being the only Black girl on a predominantly white cast in the SOUTH,” Ciara commented on a December 2025 TikTok video discussing Venita’s storyline on Southern Charm. “No one ever hears Venita’s side.”
After a user suggested, “I wouldn’t be surprised if Venita perceived Craig’s declaration that he wanted nothing to do with her as an attempt to push her off the show, which is the real issue,” Ciara appeared to validate the concern, stating, “If a main cast member refuses to film with another main cast member, that’s code for an attempt to isolate them. So yes, your assessment of the situation is spot on.”
“For some ‘odd’ reason, Black women/people are held to such an exceedingly high standard; we receive less grace, and are expected to be the bigger person at all times, regardless of the situation, right or wrong,” Ciara further asserted. “Meanwhile, our white counterparts can be unpleasant and still remain fan favorites without facing even a fraction of the backlash that we do for simply existing.”
Venita, for her part, detailed on a December 2025 episode of the “Not Skinny But Not Fat” podcast that Craig was indeed trying to exclude her from the show, stating that he “literally refused to film with me.”
“That implies I would lose my job. I’d no longer be able to hang out with my friends or showcase my personality on screen, which, well, I would lose so much,” Venita said, becoming emotional as she recounted it.
Salley Carson Tension Explained
At the beginning of season 11 of Southern Charm, Salley Carson and Venita were “thick as thieves,” according to Venita. However, viewers quickly witnessed their friendship face challenges as Salley pursued a romance with Craig amidst his drama with Venita.
“I saw her date a couple of people, and I was just like, ‘I don’t want her to fall for someone I know is…a bad egg,’” Venita explained during her appearance on the “Not Skinny But Not Fat” podcast in December 2025, detailing her discontent with Salley’s interest in Craig. “I was upset that she wanted to pursue a man who publicly stated, ‘I can never be friends with someone like that.’”
Venita added, “At the end of the day, I decided to let it go. I still don’t want her to be hurt by someone who doesn’t deserve her attention.”
Salley, meanwhile, began to feel the strain in her friendship with Venita as she consistently chose to spend time with Craig instead. Nevertheless, as of the date of this article, the two women seemed to maintain a connection.
Venita Aspen Will ‘Always’ Be the ‘Bigger Person’
“I’m always the bigger person,” Venita remarked during her December 2025 episode on the “Not Skinny But Not Fat” podcast, reflecting on her decision to attend Craig’s Memorial Day pool party featured on the Bravo series that month. “I was the one who chose to go to the party with gifts—towels for everyone. I said to myself, ‘You know what? I’m gonna show up and bring things for everyone at this gathering.’”
Craig Conover Allegedly Blocks Venita Aspen — and Her Assistant
While recording her December 2025 podcast episode, Venita shared that she received a text from her assistant stating that Craig had blocked her on Instagram.
“I think he blocked me too. Previously, I had him blocked but I unblocked him,” Venita revealed to her listeners. “I thought to myself, ‘Let me act mature, you know, like, let me still attempt to be the bigger person, but I think he blocked me now.’”
No Conversation Has Transpired Between Them
“Oh, my God, it was devastating,” Venita lamented about Craig publicly declaring he didn’t want to be friends, stating that a “text message is such a quick fix” for the situation.
She emphasized during the December 2025 podcast episode, all Craig needed to say was, “Hey, I don’t appreciate the things you’ve been saying. Can we chat about it?”
Venita then alleged, “I feel like I made an effort to find one-on-one time with him throughout the season to discuss things, but he was just uninterested.”
Southern Charm airs on Bravo Wednesdays at 9 p.m. ET.
