Southern Charm’s Craig Conover has moved past ex-girlfriend Naomie Olindo’s jab about his sewing — but watching it back with Us Weekly still stings.
“It’s just funny how I really was the only one that saw the vision,” Craig, 34, exclusively told Us in the latest episode of “Reliving Reality” while rewatching the now-famous season 5 scene. “People were so passionate about my life that weren’t me. I never understood it.”
Craig let out a little laugh and shook his head as he sat in the Us studio and watched the 2018 clip in which Naomie, 31, claimed all he did was “sit at home and sew and pretend to do things.” In response, Craig asked, “What’s wrong with my sewing?” The quip has since become his motto — and a part of his Sewing Down South line of pillows.
Looking back, Craig told Us “it’s humbling” to see how far he’s come since Naomie took a swing at his passion. “It makes me happy,” he explained. “I just picture the store now and all the people that get to visit on King Street in Charleston, and I’m like, ‘I’m just happy I did what I said I was going to do.’”
The “Pillows & Beer” podcast cohost joked that he “used to drink a lot during filming,” so he didn’t remember the dramatic scene. He then clarified that he was well aware of what transpired and remembered “just being sad” at not only Naomie’s criticism but that of Cameran Eubanks and more cast members.
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“I remember starting to get sad, because they were really dogs with bones and they ran with it,” he recalled to Us. “I think I was lonely [at] the time because I felt like I was the only one that shared my thoughts [about the business]. Fortunately, I had supportive parents, but soon after I ended up moving to The Bahamas and being like, ‘I just need to find myself.’ And everything happens for a reason.”
That positive outlook — and his desire to sew pillows instead of becoming a practicing attorney — led to Craig being the go-to pillow man in Charleston, South Carolina. In fact, he told Us that fans yell, “What’s wrong with my sewing?” at him “all the time” when they’re in town.
“I love it because I think it’s neat to do something a little different,” Craig said. “And I never wanted to lean too hard on a tagline or a saying, but obviously you can find ‘what’s wrong with my sewing’ merchandise [in the store].”
When it comes to Naomie — from whom Craig split in 2017 after three years of dating — she acknowledged that she was out of line during that 2018 scene. “The delivery was harsh, but he was like, ‘It helped motivate me,’” Naomie exclusively told Us in July 2022. “Not that exact conversation but some of the conversations we had, he’s like, ‘It kind of helped motivate me sometimes.’”
Naomie noted that Craig’s business has “given him so much purpose” despite her early criticism of his passion. “I just think it’s really good for him,” she added.
Craig, who is now dating Paige DeSorbo, told Us that Naomie is still allowed to shop at Sewing Down South — in spire of their dramatic past.
Watch the exclusive video above for more of Craig’s reactions to his cringeworthy scenes on Southern Charm, and check in regularly for more episodes of Us Weekly’s “Reliving Reality.”
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