Why Paige DeSorbo Says She Had to Walk Away From ‘Summer House’

Paige DeSorbo is revealing the real reason why she didn’t return to Summer House, explaining she  had an “overwhelming sense that [she] couldn’t go back” to Summer House, in a new cover story with Byrdie.

“I know I would’ve been doing a disservice to [the show]. They expect a certain level of showing up, and I couldn’t give them that,” she explained in her joint interview with fellow Summer House alum Hannah Berner, who left the show in 2021.

DeSorbo, 32, also reflected on her final season with the Bravo series during the chat. At the time of filming, cameras followed the emotional end of her relationship with ex-boyfriend Craig Conover, which DeSorbo admitted was a hard storyline for her to share.

“Being on reality TV, there’s a level — this is a harsh word — of, like, brainwashing. That’s not real life,” she admitted. “You’re not stopping people on the street and being like, ‘I just had a thought that I hate my boyfriend.’”

Despite DeSorbo’s gut feeling that her time on reality TV was over, leaving the show was not an easy decision for her as she feared that her “career would be over.”

“There’s an element of thinking you need that show and network, and Hannah was reminding me they’re not in charge of where you are in your career,” she recalled.

Instead of spending her summer in a shared Hamptons house — as she did for the past seven years — the fashion influencer spent it focusing on the “Giggly Squad” podcast she co-hosts with Berner, 34.

“We’ve had people [from ‘Summer House’] verbatim say to us, ‘We don’t want to focus on your friendship this season,’” DeSorbo shared. “That was why we started ‘Giggly Squad,’ because we were like, ‘We have more things to say, and no one is listening to us.’”

Berner, 34, added, “I think we say more on the pod because we know how it’s going to be put out. Whereas when you’re on TV, you can say something personal, but you don’t know how it’s going to be framed and in what context.”

DeSorbo announced her departure from “Summer House” back in June with an emotional statement shared via her Instagram Story.

“Being part of this show has been one of the most rewarding chapters of my life – the friendships, the drama, the giggles. all unforgettable,” she wrote at the time.

She also noted how “grateful” she was for the memories and thanked her “castmates, fans and [her] NBCU family” for all the support.

“I never could’ve imagined what this journey would turn into — and how many of you would be along for the ride. And you haven’t seen the last of me, I promise. So much more to do together, but for now you know you can always find me and Daphne in my bed,” she concluded, referencing her cat.