Update 8/29: Following her eviction in last night’s episode, Katherine is finally sharing her side of the story. In a new interview with Parade, Katherine was asked how she felt about the fandom’s reaction to her relationship with Rylie, and she came to his defense.
“I think specific instances maybe just weren’t seen the best,” she said, alluding to some of his more controversial behavior. “But I never felt uncomfortable or unhappy with anything.”
She also noted that what she and Rylie experienced was the real deal. “I really thought he’d get over it in a week or something if I didn’t feed into it much. Because I was pretty cautious of wanting to be perceived as even a ‘flirtmance,’ let alone a showmance with anyone in the house,” she explained. “But he just proved to be such a great person. Every day that I had there that was a good day was mainly attributed to him, so I just couldn’t help it.”
Oh, and also: “I was excited to kiss him. I was glad when I did. I would have been near him all the time every day if I could.”
Interesting!
Original story 8/28: Big Brother 27’s Rylie Jeffries has caused a lot of drama in the reality TV universe—so much so that he needed a week to process his Big Brother eviction before finally addressing the fans. Now, Rylie Jeffries is finally addressing his controversial relationship with Katherine Woodman in a new interview.
Following Rylie’s eviction last week, the Houseguest was supposed to sit for the traditional extended Big Brother exit interview with Julie Chen Moonves, but his sit-down was abruptly canceled. Clips were later released, but the footage didn’t air in its entirety, and it’s unclear if it ever will.
According to Entertainment Weekly, producers axed the interview because “Rylie was shell-shocked by America’s reaction to his time in the game.” Now that he’s had a few days to think about it, Rylie is speaking out.
Matthew Taplinger/CBS via Getty Images
In his new interview with EW, Rylie addressed his surprise exit, why he fumbled the BB Block Buster, and, of course, Katherine.
“I understand how things may have come across, but I speak with passion. I love with my whole heart, and maybe that intensity was misunderstood,” he told EW via email, adding, “I would never intentionally disrespect anyone, especially Katherine. I respect her deeply, and she’s her own person, makes her own choices.”
He continued, “I think some moments just don’t reflect who I truly am. My intentions have always come from a place of care and loyalty, not control.”
Throughout his time in the Big Brother house, Rylie was caught on live feeds condescending to Katherine, the girl he was supposedly in a situationship with in the house. He belittled her strategy, demanded that she hug or kiss him, and even once told her that she should be grateful to have a “man” like him protecting her in the house.
Viewers watching at home called the relationship toxic and expressed so much concern for Katherine that Rylie’s mother had to speak to the press.
Asked about the fan reaction, Rylie said, “It’s heartbreaking to be misunderstood. People online don’t know me, but my friends, family, fellow Houseguests and Katherine do, and that’s what’s important.” He continued, calling himself “loving, funny, and full of heart.”
He also said, “I love deeply, and I lead with kindness. It’s painful to see people online twist that into something negative. The version of me being spread isn’t who I am, and I wish people would see past the false claims.”
Whether or not Rylie wants to pursue a relationship with Katherine outside of the Big Brother house remains to be seen. Elsewhere in the interview, he called their relationship a “showmance,” but it’s unclear if he meant that it was just for the cameras or if he just doesn’t know what that term actually means.
Katherine, meanwhile, is still playing the game.