Ā Parks confirmed on Sept. 4, 2026, that their relationship is romantic, not platonic.
Phaedra Parks is no longer letting fans guess. The 52-year-old Real Housewives of Atlanta alum confirmed she's dating her The Traitors costar Chris "CT" Tamburello, 46. The news ends weeks of speculation sparked by flirty social media exchanges.
The confirmation came during a candid radio appearance. It happened just as the pair prepared to attend the Creative Arts Emmy Awards together. Here's everything you need to know about the romance.
Key Facts
- Parks confirmed her relationship with Tamburello is "not" platonic on Jeff Lewis Live.
- The pair met filming season two of The Traitors in 2023; it aired in 2024.
- Tamburello is presenting at the 2026 Creative Arts Emmy Awards.
- Parks is attending the Emmys as his date.
- Tamburello previously denied romantic involvement in a 2024 Entertainment Weekly interview.
How the Romance Rumors Started
Phaedra Parks and CT Tamburello first crossed paths on season two of The Traitors. It's Peacock's reality competition that pits stars from different franchises against each other. Parks played a Traitor, while Tamburello, best known from The Challenge, played a Faithful. That put them on opposite sides of the game.
Despite that, their chemistry became one of the season's most talked-about storylines. Fans quickly began shipping the pair, and the nickname "Castle Daddy" stuck to Tamburello for the rest of the season, per Just Jared.
When the season wrapped in March 2024, Tamburello tried to shut the speculation down. He told Entertainment Weekly that nothing romantic had happened between them. He added that he cared about her, but that they were simply playing the game.
The Flirty Exchange That Reignited Buzz
The showmance chatter resurfaced this August. Tamburello posted publicly that he was still searching for a plus-one to the Emmys. Parks responded with a message that made clear she was already spoken for, according to Yahoo News.
Days later, Tamburello shared a video declaring she'd said yes to being his date. Parks also reposted a photo of the two together. Her caption made clear she'd been "claimed," per E! News.
The playful exchange convinced fans the pair had moved past friendship. It set the stage for Parks to finally address things directly.
Phaedra Parks Confirms the Relationship Is Not Platonic
The confirmation came Friday, Sept. 4. Parks appeared on Jeff Lewis's SiriusXM show Jeff Lewis Live. Lewis asked her directly whether her upcoming Emmys date with Tamburello was platonic.
"It's not," Parks said, according to Just Jared. The blunt answer left Lewis visibly caught off guard. It marked the most direct acknowledgment yet of a romance fans had suspected for weeks.
Lewis pressed further and asked whether the two had been out together before. Parks confirmed they had. She stayed coy about specifics, including how many dates they've been on.
She did confirm the timeline traces back to her last visit to Los Angeles. Tamburello will accompany her to the Emmys as his date. The two then head to a work trip together, per E! News.
What's Next for the Couple
Parks and Tamburello will make their first major public appearance as a couple at the 2026 Creative Arts Emmy Awards. The ceremony takes place Saturday, Sept. 5. Tamburello is scheduled to present.
It's a fitting venue for a relationship that began under reality TV's bright lights. Both stars bring complicated personal histories to this new chapter.
Parks was previously married to Apollo Nida from 2009 to 2017. The two share two children together. Tamburello, meanwhile, shares a son with ex-wife Lilianet Solares.
He was more recently married to Catalina White, whom he wed in 2024. The couple split earlier this year. Neither Parks nor Tamburello has laid out a full private timeline of the romance.
But between the "Castle Daddy" nickname, Tamburello's initial denial, and the summer's flirty posts, the two have left a fairly public trail. Parks's on-air confirmation was simply the final piece.
