Phaedra Parks and Chris “CT” Tamburello made their first official red-carpet appearance as a couple at Night 1 of the 2026 Creative Arts Emmy Awards on Saturday, September 5, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles.
The outing came one day after Parks confirmed on SiriusXM’s Jeff Lewis Live that their relationship was “not” platonic. She told host Jeff Lewis she had already been out with Tamburello and that she would attend as his date while he presented an award.
Phaedra Parks, Chris ‘CT’ Tamburello Go Public
They met while competing on Season 2 of Peacock’s The Traitors, filmed in late 2023 and aired in 2024. Viewers and fellow contestants noticed their chemistry at the time. Recent social-media exchanges, including Tamburello’s August request for an Emmys plus-one and Parks’ reply “Baby I’m already yours,” kept the speculation going until her on-air confirmation.
On the carpet, Parks wore a black velvet halter gown with crystal-lined cutouts and a leg slit (described in some reports as Jovani Couture), paired with a flipped blonde bob and diamond jewelry. Tamburello wore a classic black tuxedo. Photos show him with his arm around her waist as they posed; they kept public displays of affection limited. Tamburello also posed with fellow The Challenge and Traitors alum Johnny “Bananas” Devenanzio, who presented as well.
The Traitors swept all six of its Creative Arts categories that night, including Outstanding Host for Alan Cumming. The timing gave the new couple a celebratory backdrop. The next day Parks posted photos from the event with the caption, “Some came for the awards. I came with the prize. Thank you to the real trophy for making a beautiful night even better.”5
Parks and Tamburello planned to travel together to New York afterward. The appearance marked the public step after weeks of flirtation that traced back to their Traitors days. Fans who shipped the pairing finally saw it on a major awards-show carpet.
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