Catalina White is breaking her silence on Chris “CT” Tamburello’s romance with Phaedra Parks and addressing questions about their relationship timeline.
Chris “CT” Tamburello’s estranged wife, Catalina White, is addressing one of the biggest questions surrounding his new relationship with Phaedra Parks: whether there was any romantic overlap before his marriage ended.
White, who was married to the “The Challenge” star for only a few months, says she has no reason to believe Tamburello and Parks crossed a line while he was still married.
Tamburello, 46, and Parks, 52, recently confirmed that they are dating after first meeting while filming the second season of “The Traitors.”
Their relationship has quickly attracted attention, particularly because the pair met in 2023, before Tamburello married White.
Despite the timing, White said she does not believe there was anything inappropriate between Tamburello and Parks at the time.
Speaking about the possibility of an “inappropriate overlap,” White said she “absolutely” does not think the two reality stars were romantically involved before recently beginning their relationship.
“I have no reason to believe that,” White said when asked about whether anything may have happened between them before her marriage to Tamburello ended.
White also declined to criticize Parks, despite the complicated circumstances surrounding her estranged husband’s new romance.
She explained that she does not personally know the former “Real Housewives of Atlanta” star, but said Tamburello had always spoken positively about her.
“I don’t know her personally,” White said, while noting that her estranged husband only ever “spoke highly” of Parks.
The comments offer a notably different perspective from some of the speculation surrounding Tamburello and Parks’ romance.
While reports have suggested that Tamburello had feelings for Parks during their time together on “The Traitors,” White appears confident that their relationship did not become romantic until after her own marriage had effectively come to an end.
When Did CT and Phaedra Become More Than Friends?
Tamburello and Parks met while filming “The Traitors” Season 2 in 2023. During the show, the pair developed a noticeable friendship and exchanged plenty of playful and flirtatious banter.
However, the two reportedly did not begin pursuing a relationship at that time.
An insider previously claimed that Tamburello “fell for her” while they were filming the reality competition.
Another source told Us Weekly that the pair became particularly close during production, although Tamburello reportedly did not think he had a realistic chance of dating Parks.
According to that account, Tamburello had “a bit of a crush” on Parks but valued their friendship enough that he did not want to risk crossing a line.
The situation reportedly changed after Tamburello’s marriage ended.
The source said Tamburello and Parks began communicating much more frequently after his marriage was over, allowing their friendship to gradually develop into something romantic.
Parks eventually confirmed the relationship publicly during an appearance on “Jeff Lewis Live,” putting an end to months of speculation about the nature of their connection.
The couple then took another major step by making their red carpet debut together at the 2026 Creative Arts Emmy Awards.
Their public appearance has only intensified interest in their relationship, especially given the reality television connections that brought them together in the first place.
White Says Her Marriage to CT Was Not a Good Match
While White says she does not regret marrying Tamburello, she acknowledged that the short-lived marriage had a significant impact on how she felt about her own public image.
The couple married in October 2025, but White filed for divorce just three months later, in January 2026.
When asked why she decided to end the marriage, White offered a brief explanation.
“We were not well matched,” she said.
White also claimed that she eventually felt she had lost control of her own story during the marriage and became portrayed as the villain.
Despite that experience, she said she does not regret the relationship itself.
The former professional wrestler has also made it clear that she considers herself ready to move forward.
White recently described herself as being in her “cougar era,” signaling that she is focused on her own life rather than dwelling on Tamburello’s new romance.
White Wants the Divorce Finalized
Although Tamburello and Parks have now gone public with their relationship, White says there is still unfinished business between her and Tamburello.
The divorce proceedings have reportedly remained unresolved for months, and White has publicly called on Tamburello to finalize the legal separation.
“If Chris is ready to publicly move on, he should be ready to legally move on, too,” White previously said, urging him to “sign the papers!”
White claims her legal team has made repeated efforts to move the process forward but that the proceedings continue to wait on Tamburello’s cooperation.
“My counsel has made repeated efforts to move things forward as quickly as possible, and we continue to wait for his cooperation,” White alleged.
She also expressed frustration over the contrast between the stalled divorce proceedings and Tamburello’s willingness to publicly promote his new relationship.
“What I would like is for him to put the same energy into ending our marriage that he’s putting into publicly promoting his new relationship,” she said.
White further emphasized that she is financially independent, saying she supports herself through her own career and does not need or want money from Tamburello.
Phaedra’s Ex-Husband Has No Problem With CT
Interestingly, Tamburello is not the only person connected to the new relationship through a previous marriage.
Parks was previously married to Apollo Nida, with whom she shares two sons, Ayden, 16, and Dylan, 13.
Nida has publicly expressed support for Parks’ new relationship, saying he is happy for the couple and has no concerns about Tamburello as long as he treats Parks and their children well.
Tamburello also has a child from a previous relationship. He shares his 10-year-old son, CJ, with his first wife, Lilianet “Lili” Solares.
For now, the biggest question surrounding Tamburello and Parks appears to have been answered by the person who would arguably have the most reason to question the timeline.
Despite the overlap in dates between Tamburello’s first meeting with Parks and his later marriage to White, White says she has no reason to believe their romance began before her marriage ended.
With Tamburello and Parks now openly dating and White focused on finalizing her divorce, the three reality TV figures appear to be moving into very different chapters of their lives.