America Lopez Admits Her 'Big Brother 25' Showmance "Distracted" Her from the Game
America Lopez
Big Brother’s house is open once more! Every week, Parade.com’s Mike Bloom will be bringing you interviews with this season's houseguests as they get evicted from the game.
America is in trouble. That's not just a statement on our nation's current political climate. It also applies to the tempestuous journey America Lopez experienced on Big Brother 25. After laying low initially, America helped helm one of the biggest moves of the season in flipping the house to evict one of its most powerful players. But that put her and showmance partner Cory Wurtenberger on many people's radars. Unfortunately, America's loose lips sunk her relationship, as an attempt to inform Blue Kim about Jag Bains got back to Jag. Cory and America were blindsided and separated. And though America was able to stave off going out the door immediately after Cory, she was quick to follow in the season's second double eviction.
Having watched Big Brother since she was 10, America was eagerly the first to walk through the door, in awe of getting to participate in the experience. Early on, she kindled a chemistry with Cory that would soon spark a reaction. With the return of the iconic "Pressure Cooker" competition, America was in her element, lasting nearly 14 hours. However, in the moment, she chose to throw the HoH in the final stage to Cameron Hardin in exchange for protection. And, while America figured this was a good choice to not have her ping on anyone's radar, it would sadly be the closest she'd get to a competition win in 86 days. But soon enough, America would prove she didn't need comps to make moves. Tired of the power structure that ruled the first 44 days, she worked with Cory to flip the house on Izzy Gleicher. In one movement, the hierarchy was upended, and it seemed like "Cormerica" could be at the core.
Unfortunately, it wasn't to be. When Cory put Blue up next to her showmance partner Jared, she sought revenge against the other relationship in the house. Meanwhile, Cory and America had agreed to a deal with Jag and Matt Klotz, who were becoming the new power structure. When Jag told America that he was the invisible HoH and Blue was the target, America then went to tell Blue. It was a move as messy as a washing machine kiss, as Blue immediately told Jag. As a result, Jag blindsided Cory and America by nominating them, which prompted fury and f-words from America. After Cory was evicted, America tried the best she could to get back on Jag's good side, and for her efforts, was able to get the last laugh on Blue. But it turns out America would not make it out of Day 86 after all. A surprise double eviction was sprung on the Final Six, and, for the final time, she came up short in the competitions.
Now on her way to the jury house, America talks with Parade.com about how she attempted to get off the block during the double eviction, how her gameplay changed getting into a showmance, and how she regards her loose-lipped gameplay.
Related: Everything to Know About Big Brother 25
After the double eviction veto last night, we saw you try to convince Matt to take you off the block with the veto by saying that Bowie Jane had a deal with Cirie. Talk to me about your strategy behind that, and how you generally handled the double eviction after losing the HoH and veto.
Strategy, I don't know her. I was literally just begging and pleading Matt. There really isn't anything else that I could have done in that moment. Ugh, I'm looking back. I'm like, "Oh, I must have looked so pathetic." I was just there literally begging him to to use it on me. I was like, "Matt, come on. I've been your ally, please, please, please." There really wasn't anything that I could say. I told him that he would be safe. I told him that I wasn't going to come after him and Jag. All of that was a lie, obviously. But I was just trying to do my best. I don't know get through to him that I'm really on their side and I've been loyal to them. There really wasn't much strategy at that point. I was just so desperate. I know that I didn't stand a chance against Felicia on the block. I know that I was their next target. I don't know what I could have done. I was just begging, pleading. I surprised I didn't get on my knees. That would have been too much. But that's all I could do. I really couldn't. The only thing I could do is promise them safety. But they weren't ever gonna buy it.
You mentioned your frustration with not winning any competitions, and how tough it was to go up against the bigger guys in the house. Talk about your thoughts on how the competitions have gone down this season, and how it contributed to what Jag and Matt have been able to do so far.
The competitions, oh my God. I don't know how this happened, but the boys just steamrolled through the girls this season. Oh my God. Felicia won "Snot a Winner," Bowie got two HoHs, and Blue got that number guessing veto. It's just been so frustrating. There was like a whole-ass six weeks there where it just went Cam, Jared, Cam, Jared for HoH. It was so frustrating, the same thing over and over. It was just so monotonous. So repetitive.
It's not like these competitions were geared towards the big guys. It was a mix. There were a lot of mental comps that anybody could have won. There's competitions for everyone. But for some reason, these guys are just really good. They surprised me. Matt's done great in a lot of the mental competition. So has Jag. It's just been so frustrating to have the same people win over and over. You feel sort of helpless. It sucks. I'm really mad that I couldn't do better. I really tried to focus, really tried to keep my cool under pressure and do well. But it just was never enough.
You developed a partnership with Cory that turned into a relationship, eventually becoming official as boyfriend and girlfriend. How much did your gameplay change once your feelings for him got incorporated into it?
My gameplay changed quite a bit once feeling started getting involved. On the one hand, I just wanted to spend all my time with him. And I knew that we couldn't do that. We both knew that we couldn't do that. We're in this house to play. We're both huge fans; we were we weren't here to cuddle up in bed all day. So it changed. It was just harder because we wanted to spend more time together. We did spend more time together, and I think it did distract me from the game aspect of it, especially these last few weeks. As the numbers started to dwindle down, there's less stuff to do, less people to talk to. So of course I'm gonna go want to go and cuddle up with my person and just spend all my time with them. But other than that, I mean, I was distracted from the game in that sense. But also if I ever got any information, it would immediately go to Cory. He was my person and people coupled us up early in the beginning. But once feelings started getting involved and everybody knew we were official at that point, we were inseparable, and I knew I was going to form a big target on our backs, which didn't help.
You consistently revealed information to other houseguests throughout the season, with everything from telling Cameron that Jared was coming after him to telling Blue that Jag and Matt were targeting her. What was your intention behind revealing all of that intel, especially in a house where loose lips can sink ships?
[Groans.] I know this game! I know better. My strategy going into this game is like, "Oh, just shut my mouth." I know that, like you said, loose lips sink ships. And still, I just couldn't help it. Oh my God. I'm just so honest and blunt outside of this game. Being in there, and you have so much time. I don't think people realize how much time there actually is. We're all just sitting around looking at each other doing nothing. After a while you get bored, and I'm like, "You know what, let me go tell Cam this little secret." It's just so tough to keep your mouth shut.
So the Cam thing. We were close from the beginning with Family Style. Everybody was anti-Cam. I liked him. I thought he was cool. He had never wronged me in any way. I had this feeling that I could trust him. And it was tough. Cam was somebody that I thought I could trust. Blue was somebody that I just felt like in my gut that I could trust. There really wasn't any strategy behind it. Other than, you know, "Let's tell them and see where this goes." And that was so stupid. Oh my God. But there's just so much time to talk, y'all. And it wasn't just me. Everybody was talking to everybody. And so once you realize that everybody's talking to everybody anyway, and everybody is spilling everyone's secrets, I'm like, "Okay, well, why am I going to be the one to keep my mouth shut? All my information is out there and has been leaked. Let me join in!"
Let's finish with some rapid-fire thoughts on each of the houseguests. Starting with Bowie Jane.
Floater, ditzy, dumb ass, fan girl, puppy dog.
Cirie.
Cirie is grumpy, chill. Glued to the Comic Room bed. She is, from what I know, trustworthy. Sort of silent.
Felicia.
Farter, selfish, running around the house all the time, scrambling. Bold. If anything, Felicia is bold. I'll give her that.
Jag.
Superhuman athlete. Cock-a-doodle Zoom. The Jag man. He is sneaky. He's a liar. He's a manipulator. He's a comp beast.
Matt.
Sneaky Matt. Sneaky sneaky sneaky. He's also a liar. Also a manipulator. He's great. Sleepy Boy. Matty Ice. Matty Nice. Matty Smokes. Matty the Ice Pick.
Next, check out our interview with Blue Kim, who was also evicted during Big Brother 25 Week 12.
