How did CT Tamburello and Phaedra Parks make their long-distance relationship work?
Forget the cameras. Phaedra Parks and CT Tamburello had to step off-screen to overcome real-world distance and turn castle chemistry into genuine love.
Key Takeaways
What: Phaedra Parks and CT Tamburello are officially dating.
Why: Stepping away from reality TV cameras allowed them to build a genuine, real-world connection.
How: Navigating geographical distance and personal timelines off-screen during a July Los Angeles reunion.
The Reality of Reality TV Romance: Why Phaedra Parks and CT Tamburello Had to Step Away from the Cameras to Find Each Other
We often assume that when two reality television stars display undeniable chemistry on screen, a real-world relationship is the natural next step. When The Real Housewives of Atlanta star Phaedra Parks and The Challenge veteran Chris “CT” Tamburello flirted their way through Season 2 of Peacock’s The Traitors in 2024, fans immediately began rooting for them. Parks openly adored her “castle daddy,” and the physical and emotional spark between them was obvious to anyone watching.
Yet, contrary to the standard belief that on-screen chemistry is the perfect launchpad for romance, the camera actually delayed their connection. The very intensity of the show, combined with the artificial environment of the Scottish Highlands, made a lasting relationship impossible at the time.
The Respectful Pause: Why the Scottish Castle Couldn’t House a Real Romance
In March 2024, right after the finale of The Traitors aired, Tamburello shut down rumors of an off-screen relationship. His reasoning was simple but counter-intuitive: he had too much respect for Parks to let their bond become a short-lived distraction or a superficial product of game-playing.
At that moment, the barriers were too high. First, there was geography. Parks is firmly rooted in Atlanta, raising her two teenage sons, Ayden, 16, and Dylan, 13, from her marriage to Apollo Nida. Tamburello was living on the East Coast and raising his 10-year-old son, Christopher “C.J.,” whom he shares with his ex-wife Lilianet Solares. When asked about dating Parks in 2024, Tamburello laughed off the idea, asking how he could possibly make that work when he couldn’t move to Atlanta.
Additionally, their personal lives were in entirely different phases. Parks had been single for years since finalizing her divorce in 2017. Tamburello, however, was navigating a complex personal timeline. He finalized his divorce from Solares in late 2023, only to marry Catalina White in October 2024. That marriage was brief; the couple split in January 2026, and their divorce remains unresolved.
Had they tried to force a long-distance romance in 2024, the relationship likely would have collapsed under the weight of bad timing and distance. By choosing not to date, they preserved their connection.
The Los Angeles Turning Point
The real change occurred not under the pressure of television cameras, but during a quiet, off-screen window in late July 2026. While visiting Los Angeles, Parks reunited with Tamburello. Free from the rules of a game show and with Tamburello’s marriage to White having ended months prior, the geographical and personal barriers finally began to soften.
Over the last month, the two began exchanging public, playful messages on social media. In August, Tamburello shared a post looking for a date to the Creative Arts Emmy Awards, asking if anyone could “throw in a good word” for him with Parks. Her public response—”Baby I’m already yours”—confirmed that the distance between Atlanta and Boston was no longer an obstacle.
Public Confirmation and the Road Ahead
On Friday, September 4, 2026, Parks confirmed that their relationship is active and non-platonic. Speaking on SiriusXM’s Jeff Lewis Live, she shared that they have been dating quietly since her July trip to Los Angeles. Host Jeff Lewis confirmed Tamburello’s presence by noting he was waiting right outside the studio, and Tamburello later posted a behind-the-scenes video of Parks to his Instagram Stories, writing that he was about to pick her up.
The couple is making their public debut this weekend at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards in Los Angeles, where Tamburello is presenting and Parks is attending as his date. Following the ceremony, they plan to travel to New York together, where Parks has commitments on Fire Island.
By waiting for the right moment and refusing to let their connection be defined by the screen, Parks and Tamburello managed to build something genuine. It is a reminder that sometimes, the best way to make a relationship work in the real world is to let the cameras stop rolling first.