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The Challenge: USA star Paulie Calafiore confirms that he remains steadfast in his relationship with Cara Maria Sorbello, his partner of five years. The couple, who first met on The Challenge: The Final Reckoning, discussed closing off their open relationship in a conversation with Us Weekly on June 30, 2023.
In an interview with GLAAD on August 18, 2023, post his elimination from The Challenge: USA, Paulie came out of the closet, identifying as bis*xual, stating he felt a weight had been lifted off him.
"I feel good, finally being able to talk about this."
Paulie and Cara Maria's social media updates from a few days ago prove they are content in their relationship. Cara also left supportive comments for Calafiore on a post where he discussed the recent interview.
Paulie Calafiore and Cara Maria Sorbello: Looking back 5 years
Calafiore and Cara Maria Sorbello's half-decade-long run has endured its fair share of highs, lows, and scandals. Although the two first interacted while filming The Challenge: The Final Reckoning, their match did not take off instantly.
In fact, the couple only started officially seeing each other following the show's end. 2018 marked the beginning of the latest season and the duo's new relationship, though with several bumps right from the get-go.
Calafiore's former girlfriend was Danielle Maltby, an ex-contestant on The Bachelor. He was reportedly romantically involved with Danielle in 2018 when Paulie and Cara Maria first met. The Challenge: The Final Reckoning contestants pursued one another upon the show's completion. However, it was revealed that he was courting Danielle Maltby and Cara Maria simultaneously, with a two-month overlap.
The brewing controversy threw a wedge into the initial stages of what's come to be a fruitful, long-term relationship between Paulie Calafiore and Cara Maria Sorbello. After being exposed, he reportedly broke up with Danielle. However, since he and Cara Maria were in an open relationship, he continued seeing Danielle, portraying them to Cara Maria as friendly meetups.
Initially, Cara Maria defended the former The Challenge: USA star, as he proposed an open relationship to rid the two of the trolls. As more secrets came to light in the following days, she expressed her shock in an exclusive interview with People Magazine.
"There were two completely different realities, I lived in one. Daniel lived in the other."
Despite the turbulence their relationship faced, the couple powered through. In 2019, Paulie and Cara Maria officially restarted their union.
While an open relationship might be uncommon to some, it worked swimmingly for the couple. In a Watch With Us podcast in October 2021, Sorbello explained that having this system helped them improve their mental health and the overall strength of their partnership.
"The love is good. The friendship is good. This is my person."
Paulie Calafiore and Cara Maria: After Paulie came out
The duo remains immaculately bonded after the former revealed he is bis*xual in an interview with GLAAD on Friday, August 18, 2023. His preferences have not in any way impacted the relationship, as Cara Maria publicly professed her unconditional love for him via a comment on a post discussing the interview.
"Always by your side," she commented.
In said interview, Paulie Calafiore spoke about how his initial hints about how he chose to dress on TV were not well received online. He said he now sees many more athletes who are just like him dress the way they feel. He equated his identity no longer being a secret with feeling lighter and more accepted.
Cara Maria supported him endlessly, as he mentioned in the interview, and she herself is a part of the LGBTQ+ community. Calafiore's coming out also confused viewers about what their relationship could be defined as.
So, the couple is still together. Pinned to the top of their Instagram accounts is a dreamy photo with #couplegoals paying an ode to their five-year relationship. They wrote how it threw them some curveballs, but they made it through despite it all. They also recently created a reel spoofing an ongoing Barbie and Ken trend.
