Betrayal is a natural part of Big Brother, considering the high-stakes pot of gold at the end of the three-month rainbow. Yet a betrayal from your closest ally feels different, a gut punch after fighting together 24 hours a day. Unfortunately for Claire Rehfuss, she’s one of the esteemed BB alum to experience this heartbreak. After riding the game with Tiffany Mitchell, she got cornered as the only vulnerable houseguest not in the “Cookout” alliance, giving Tiffany the tragic job of being the one responsible for Claire’s nomination and eviction. 64 days ago, though, it was a different story. Claire won the position of captain of the Queens team. And two important members she chose were Tiffany and Kyland Young, who helped keep her safe as the Cookout began to run things behind the scenes. Of course, Claire was responsible for her own safety too. Quite literally, when she won the final Wildcard Competition, guaranteeing herself safety until jury. Unfortunately, once that immunity expired, the block came calling. Kyland drew first blood, initially targeting his former teammate for wanting to go after Cookout members. Then she became a pawn in Sarah Beth Steagall’s plan to backdoor her close friend Derek Xiao, a position that left her devastated. Luckily, Claire survived both those bouts on the block. And once again, it was the final week of a twist that gave her power in the game. This time it was the “High Roller’s Room,” as she rolled her way into an advantage with the Coin of Destiny. She usurped Tiffany as HoH but kept her nominations the same, following through on Tiffany’s plan to evict Sarah Beth. And when Tiffany won HoH the next week, she was ready to cement herself in the top 6. Unfortunately, the Cookout had other plans. Tiffany had her sights set on getting rid of Alyssa Lopez, making Claire the last non-Cookout person left. But Alyssa won the much-needed veto, sending Claire’s game crashing down like a pyramid of mini-cocktails. Torn between betraying the Cookout and her closest ally, Tiffany told Claire what she had to do. In an incredibly emotionally visceral scene, through her tears, Claire said she understood the cause Tiffany was fighting for. But Rehfuss refused to give up until her last minute in the house, using her eviction speech to paint Xavier Prather as the one to beat. Now on the way to the jury house, Claire talks with Parade.com about navigating her emotions during her final nomination, why she chose to keep the nominations the same after winning the Coin of Destiny, and why being introverted is ultimately good for Big Brother. It was obviously a tough conversation when Tiffany told you she would be putting you up, though you ultimately understood why. How difficult was it to negotiate your emotions to being nominated while understanding her reasoning? It was extremely difficult. I think it’s still something that makes me feel complex emotions, honestly. It’s something that’s really hard to process and negotiate. On the one hand, she’s sticking with her beliefs and her ethics, and I respect it and admire it as a person. But also, I know it’s coming at the cost of my own personal game. I think that’s something that’s very tricky. It really tears at me. It’s hard to process also when you’re on slop! (Laughs.) Which you don’t realize is a big deal, but it is when you’re in the game. It was extremely difficult, and it’s something that’s still a little bit difficult to process. It’s something I understand, but it’s a tricky spot. As a huge fan of the game, you realized early on you were not as social as others in the house. Did that surprise you, and how did that affect your gameplay? I’ve always been somewhat of an “ambivert.” But I’m also always one of the loudest people in the room! (Laughs.) So I was a little taken aback that I wasn’t being as social as everyone else. I was surprised by how overwhelming it was and how many personalities there were. That said, I don’t think it’s a bad thing not to be the loudest person in the room. You see in the endgame, X is somewhat introverted. Azah is pretty introverted. Kyland’s very long-winded, but he’s somewhat introverted. There’s something to being a little introverted that’s good for your game, as long as you’re making some connections with people. You earned safety until jury, then proceeded to get nominated two weeks in a row by Kyland and Sarah Beth. Did that surprise you, and how do you look back on how you used your time when you were safe? (Sighs.) This is tricky. Perhaps when I was safe, I should have been building more alliances or relationships. But the two people who put me up were people I felt pretty good with! They decided to use me as a pawn. And maybe when I was safe, I should have been more aggressive at winning competitions to position myself better. I think that’s a regret that I have. But if people are going to use you as a pawn, people are going to use you as a pawn. And they were two people I had relationships with. So it’s hard for me to regret it right now. Maybe I’ll get more information afterward that’ll change my mind. You used the Coin of Destiny to take over Tiffany’s HoH last week. You decided to keep the nominations the same, something you admitted wasn’t your best move. Why did you choose to make those nominations, and how do you look back on the decision? I chose to make those nominations because I wanted to look out for Tiffany’s HoH week. I felt bad I was overthrowing her when I knew she had been wanting the HoH win so badly. And it’s really easy to get caught up in there without your friend’s emotions. I also didn’t have time to make deals and gather information. I wish I had done that more before going to play. But it’s hard because you want to keep it a secret if you can. And I didn’t know who was going to have money. In hindsight, should I have done something a little different? Maybe. But also, at that point in time, I don’t think there’s much more I could have done. Let’s finish with some rapid-fire thoughts about your fellow houseguests. Starting with Alyssa. Naive.Azah. Coaster.Derek F. Loud.Hannah. Adorable.Kyland. Long-winded.Tiffany. Amazing.And finally, Xavier. Stable. Next, check out our interview with Sarah Beth Steagall, who was evicted in Week 8.
