She's Not Taking It Well: CT's Ex-Wife Breaks Silence on His New Romance with Phaedra Parks
Catalina White fires back after The Challenge star goes public with his surprise relationship—and her response is everything
By CelebBuzz StaffSeptember 06, 2026Source: US MagazineFact-Check: HIGH
The Love Triangle Nobody Saw Coming
Just when you thought The Challenge fandom had seen it all, a bombshell romance has the internet in absolute chaos.
Chris "CT" Tamburello, 46, the legendary reality TV star and fan favorite, just took his relationship with Phaedra Parks public—and it's already causing waves.
But here's where it gets messy: CT isn't single. His estranged wife, Catalina White, 40, is watching this unfold in real-time on social media. And she's not staying quiet about it.
After years of speculation, stolen glances on camera, and whispers from insiders, CT and Phaedra, 54, have finally confirmed what millions of fans suspected. The chemistry was always there—but nobody expected the fallout to be this public, this raw, and this dramatic.
When Catalina saw the news hit the internet, she did something that has fans divided: she went straight to the comments. What she wrote next will shock you.
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Years in the Making—But Not Without Complications
The Phaedra and CT connection didn't happen overnight. According to reports, the two stars openly flirted as competitors on screen roughly two years ago, long before they went public with any romance. The tension was palpable, the banter was electric, and viewers couldn't help but speculate.
"They had undeniable chemistry," one source close to the Challenge production has previously noted about their on-screen dynamic.
But there's a critical detail that complicates this love story: CT has been estranged from his wife, Catalina White. While estrangement suggests a separation, it also means the legal ties that bind them haven't been fully severed—a fact that makes this public romance particularly thorny.
Catalina White, a woman who has largely stayed out of the spotlight, now finds herself in the uncomfortable position of being CT's still-legal spouse while watching her husband announce a new relationship to the world. The timing, the publicity, and the very public nature of it all has her understandably upset.
For months, fans wondered if CT and Phaedra would ever actually confirm what seemed so obvious. When they finally did, they didn't do it quietly—they went full public with red carpets, social media posts, and media confirmations.
But Catalina's response proved she's not the type to fade into the background. Her comment on a news post about Phaedra sent shockwaves through social media—and the internet immediately took sides.
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She Speaks: Catalina White's Blunt Response
When news outlets began covering CT and Phaedra's relationship going public, Catalina White didn't scroll past. On Saturday, September 5th, she found the news report about Phaedra Parks and did what most people would do if given the chance: she responded in the comments section.
Her intervention was immediate, public, and impossible to ignore. Rather than staying silent or handling this privately, Catalina chose to have her say where everyone could see it—a bold move that signaled she's done staying quiet about her husband's new romance.
The comment quickly gained traction, with fans and followers flooding the post with their own reactions. Some praised Catalina for speaking up; others criticized the public nature of her response. Either way, it became clear that this wasn't a situation that would be handled behind closed doors.
What makes this moment particularly significant is what it reveals about the state of their marriage. An estrangement is already a painful limbo—neither married nor officially divorced. Now, with CT publicly dating someone new, Catalina is forced to watch her husband move forward while she's still legally entangled with him.
The Challenge star, who has spent years as a reality TV fixture, seemed to prioritize transparency about his new relationship. But that transparency came at a cost for the woman still legally bound to him.
Since her initial comment, the situation has only heated up. Reality TV insiders are weighing in, and the drama is far from over.
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What Happens Next?
The fallout from this very public love triangle is still developing. While CT and Phaedra appear committed to their relationship, Catalina White's public response signals that closure isn't coming quietly or easily.
Sources close to the situation suggest that divorce proceedings may become inevitable. Estrangement can only last so long before legal action becomes necessary—especially when one party is actively building a new life with someone else in the public eye.
For fans of The Challenge, this drama adds another layer to the already complicated saga of reality TV relationships. CT has long been considered one of the show's greatest competitors and most magnetic personalities. Now, he's also at the center of a real-life love story that's colliding with unfinished business.
Phaedra Parks, meanwhile, has maintained her own public profile throughout her career. Whether she anticipated this level of public scrutiny when she went official with CT remains to be seen.
This story is still developing. As more details emerge about the current state of CT's marriage, his relationship with Phaedra, and how Catalina White plans to move forward, expect more drama. In the world of celebrity relationships, nothing stays quiet for long.
This story is developing. Follow CelebBuzz for updates.
Originally reported by US Magazine. Fact-check confidence: HIGH