Heavy/NBCUniversal Craig Conover; Kyle Cooke
Kyle Cooke is upset over the way Craig Conover handled his new business deal.
In May 2024, the “Summer House” star spoke out about the “Southern Charm” veteran’s involvement with the Spritz Society cocktail brand.
Spritz is a direct rival of Cooke’s hard tea brand, Loverboy, but that’s not the whole issue. Instead, the Loverboy founder said he’s more upset that Conover allegedly lied to him about how things went down with the new company.
Speaking on “Watch What Happens Live” on May 23, Cooke told host Andy Cohen there’s no “bad blood” between him and Conover. “I wish him the best,” he said. Then he added, “But the way he handled it really rubbed me the wrong way and I’m just trying to take the high road.”
Cooke also said of Conover, “He has a reputation of lying and he lied to me.”
Conover is the boyfriend of “Summer House” star Paige DeSorbo, so he has spent time with Cooke filming the Hamptons-based reality show as well as the spinoff show “Winter House.” The 9th season of “Summer House” will begin this summer.
Here’s what you need to know:
Kyle Cooke Claimed Craig Conover Knew Loverboy Sold Spritz Cocktails
While Cooke became visibly upset while talking about Conover, Cohen pressed him for more information later in the show. In another segment, Cohen asked Cooke why he thinks Conover signed on to be Spritz Society’s spokesperson.
Cooke claimed the company—and Conover—kept information from him as the deal was being worked out. “I mean the founder, you know took me out to dinner days before they inked the deal and failed to mention any of that and milked information from me,” Cooke said. “So, really shady operation. And then you know, I think Craig had already signed the deal when he confronted me.”
Cooke said Conover also claimed that he didn’t know Loverboy markets spritz-style cocktails and thought they just sold sparkling hard teas. “And I’m like, ‘Bro, we launched our spritz line a year and a half before this company,’” Cooke shared. “And it was just like the whole thing. I was just like, man… they’re basically riding you for your Instagram. And then all the articles that come out are about Loverboy.”
“I don’t wish anybody ill will. But like, the way they went about it was really, it really rubbed me the wrong way,” Cooke added.
Cohen then asked Cooke point blank, “Does Craig have a reputation for lying?”
“Well, I think that’s what I’ve been told,” Cooke replied. “My whole thing is like I’ve literally launched products, like we launched our Expresso Martini while we were filming ‘Winter House.’ He knows we don’t just do teas. Like, he was there. He’s had all these products. So don’t tell me you thought we were just a tea company.”
“Again, the way he went about it,” Cooke added. “Whenever someone says, ‘Kyle it’s just business,’ that’s to basically justify something they did that was kind of whack.”
Craig Conover Explained His Involvement in Spritz & Said He Will Always Be a Loverboy Fan
On April 24, 204, Conover announced his involvement with Spritz Society via a splashy Instagram post. “I’m so excited to announce that I am now an investor in @spritz!” he wrote. “First found out about Spritz last summer when me and Paige were on our way to @taylorswift at Metlife and the party bus was stocked with these delicious wine spritzers. One sip was all it took for me to realize they were onto something, and I needed to learn more about the brand – I loved the concept of a refreshing wine-based drink & how they brought everyone together.”
Conover added that he was sold when he found out that podcast hosts Ben Soffer and Claudia Oshry owned the company.
In an interview with Page Six, Conover explained that he “always” wanted to become involved with an alcohol brand. “So, when [the opportunity] presented itself, I’m just such an easy sell. I’m just such a yes man,” he said.
The “Southern Charm” star claimed that he “would have loved to invest” in Loverboy, but added, “That wasn’t an option.”
“I have nothing but respect for those guys and I will always be a Loverboy fan,” he said. “But
guess what? I’m all the way down in Charleston, and I’m on a different show and we’re going to have Spritz down there.”
READ NEXT: ‘Vanderpump Rules’ Fans Have a Theory About Deleted Season 11 Finale Scene