“She’s absolutely real”- Big Brother star Rylie discusses his showmance with Katherine in an exit interview

Episode 21 of Big Brother season 27 was released on August 21, 2025. It saw Rylie Jeffries getting eliminated under Rachel Reilly's Head of Household reign. The veteran player first nominated Vince Panaro, Morgan Pope, and Mickey Lee, but Katherine Woodman saved Vince with the Power of Veto she won, so Rachel chose Rylie as the replacement nominee. 

The move was surprising to the houseguests, especially because Rachel said she didn't want to evict Rylie or Katherine so their showmance could go on. The duo connected right from the beginning and developed chemistry during their seven-week stay in the Big Brother house. 

After he was eliminated, clips of Rylie's exit interview with Julie Chen Moonves, the host, were published by The Sun on August 22, 2025. Here, when Julie asked him what he liked about Katherine, Rylie said:

"Her smile. The way she actually cares. Where her heart is. She's absolutely real and I love that about her." 

More on Big Brother star Rylie's journey with Katherine

In the interview, Rylie also said that Katherine made him feel like he was the only man in the world. Julie mentioned that he fell "hard and fast" for her and even told her that he wanted to marry her. Rylie agreed on saying it, but couldn't believe how everyone heard it. 

Julie referred to a clip from the live feeds section of the show where Rylie told Katherine:

"I'm being with you outside of this, whether you like it or not."

This made Katherine ask what if they broke up in there, so Rylie answered, saying they were not going to. "I'm gonna marry you after this," he said, adding that he would get to wake up next to her forever. Katherine called it a "manifestation," but Rylie believed it was a "promise". 

The clip of him speaking of marrying Katherine went viral, and fans on TikTok thought Rylie was "creepy" for saying it. Several other clips of Rylie and Katherine went viral, and he was criticized for his behavior in them. Some documented him asking Katherine for a kiss or a hug, even when she said no. 

Some even showed him criticizing her gameplay and her strategies. According to Cosmopolitan's reports, published on August 21, 2025, fans on both TikTok and X called Rylie "manipulative" and "toxic" and even petitioned to get him removed from the show. The frenzy reached a point where Katherine's stepmom replied to a fan comment, and Rylie's mom came out to defend her son. 

Tracy Spencer, Katherine's stepmom, commented that she and Katherine's dad were in touch with CBS. 

"I’m pleased to report that CBS has been responsive and communicative. Once we receive the requested information, we will make a public statement that is based on first-hand knowledge rather than speculation," she wrote. 

The "requested information" she is referring to in the text might be the assurance from Katherine that she was safe in the Big Brother house. Meanwhile, Rylie's mom, Michelle Jeffries, came to a TMZ interview on August 20, 2025, and said that her son wasn't the "stalker-type" everybody was saying, but had a "great heart" and wore it on his sleeve. 

Julie Chen Moonves also let her feelings be known about Rylie and Katherine's relationship in an Entertainment Weekly interview, published on August 22, 2025. She called their love "young" and said that she was glad they had the videos to look at what their relationship looked like on screen. She hoped they would watch them now that they were away from each other. 

Stay tuned for more updates!

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