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Bravo’s Winter House isn’t the first time Craig Conover became confrontational with cast members. On more than one occasion, Conover fiercely dragged Southern Charm cast members in the past. He’s also clashed with a few people while visiting the Summer House.

Conover snapped at Luke Gulbranson in the Winter House for how he interacted with some of the women, especially his girlfriend Paige DeSorbo. Conover insisted that Gulbranson was being too forward and aggressive.

He also passionately attacked Madison LeCroy during the Southern Charm Season 7 reunion. Close friend Austen Kroll and LeCroy were trying to break up and Conover felt as though LeCroy toyed with Kroll’s feelings and strung him along. He also stood up for Kathryn Dennis when everyone abandoned her.

Craig Conover was bullied when he was a kid

While DeSorbo and other Winter House cast members became more and more annoyed with Conover’s reactionary behavior, it may stem from a past of being bullied as a kid. In his book, “Pillow Talk: What’s Wrong with My Sewing?” Conover opened up about being pushed around by older kids in high school.

Landon Clements, Shepard Rose, Cameran Eubanks, Craig Conover gather around a table on 'Southern Charm.'
Landon Clements, Shepard Rose, Cameran Eubanks, Craig Conover | Paul Cheney/Bravo

He was targeted daily and at one point, bullies destroyed his favorite textbook, binding it with an entire roll of athletic tape. He finally removed the tape only to find Doritos smashed inside it. Oil from the chips made the book unreadable.

Scars from being bullied stayed with Craig Conover for years

Conover admitted to being terrorized every day. “There’s no need to recount all the episodes of bullying that happened to me as a teenager,” he wrote. “The best way to describe it is that it was just this persistent state of being for me, something that I had to deal with every day.”

He also reflected on being bullied which perhaps explains why he is so strong in his convictions. “I still carry these scars with me today,” he wrote. “I developed a need to be liked by everyone, accepted as an equal.” Conover added, “Scars that would stay with me for many years,” about being bullied.

He enjoys rubbing his success in bullies’ faces – including ‘Southern Charm’ co-stars

He recalled being smaller than the other kids, which he thinks may be one reason why he was targeted. Now, as an adult, Conover admits that being bullied as a kid remains with him. “So I think it’s something that I saw as validation, you know, it’s talked about in the book, but I was bullied a lot growing up, which you don’t realize how many people actually were bullied,” he said on the LadyGang podcast.

“And I remember signing my contract and being like, ‘I hope those a**holes have TVs in the jail at home.’ Because that was driving force and I was like, I’m just going to rub it in everyone’s faces,” he added.

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But he also likes to rub his success with Sewing Down South company in his co-stars’ faces too. Days of being kicked in the teeth as a kid may have felt as though they returned in early adulthood when Southern Charm co-stars like Shep Rose and Naomie Olindo dragged Conover when he took up sewing.

Once his business took off, Conover told Showbiz Cheat Sheet he couldn’t help but enjoy getting the last laugh. “Shep finally had to accept the fact that I’m never going to be the type of person he wanted me to be,” he said. “But he loves it now. What he said is ‘All I ever wanted was for Craig to be honest with himself.’”

“But it’s funny,” Conover added. “Our message is of positivity so it’s fun to get the last laugh.” 

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