Let’s talk about your relationship with Enzo. I know you two played on Big Brother 22 together. How did that build into the friendship we saw on the show?So we spent maybe 60 days together playing Big Brother. Big Brother is a mental mind [expletive] that you’re literally playing live, getting people out, so you kind of bond in that experience. But Enzo did vote me out on Big Brother All-Stars. It was a 3-2 vote. So he had a deciding vote on me staying over somebody who had already won the game, but he was so loyal to someone else. And he regretted it after the season. He literally called me the night we got out and was like, “Yo, my family trashed me for voting you out.” (Laughs.)So we had this relationship that was pre-existing. And if anything, he was somebody that I could trust, wouldn’t have the same type of doubts or whatever they thought about me because he played with me, he got to know me on a personal level. Nobody else there did. Nobody else knew what type of person I was deep down. And as a result, we did get closer. I was like, “Yo, you voted me out last time, so I’m not going to really trust you.” So when they saw that scene of me saying, “Yo, I need you to win some [expletive], it’s me telling him, “I’m not sitting here about just to trust you to the end. I need you to prove it. I need you to to not play the social game. We build this relationship because you’re funny. But I need you to show me that you actually got my back.” And once we had that conversation, I think we were locked into the end.I see comparisons between your seasons on Big Brother 22 and The Challenge: USA. In both cases, you were definitely regarded as a “lesser player” and told you had to prove yourself by undergoing a trial by fire early on. How did it feel to have to re-experience that on this show?Yeah, I hated that. Memphis is a whole other discussion. But I think some of it deals with me having social anxiety. It is triggering in these moments where you’re around a lot of people. The very first time I was around a lot of people experiencing this, I was gone within a few hours. That emotion and feeling does not go away. And so sometimes I can be a little bit more reserved early on, trying to build these relationships. Because the first time I did it, it was used against me, and I was gone.But I actually really liked being underestimated because people had to beat me. So no matter if you doubt me or not, you have to beat me. And that type of energy motivated me. I can tell you a cool story about this. Xavier, Cinco, and I were in a bar one night after the third challenge. And Xavier says to Cinco, “Between me, you, and Danny, I think we’re the fastest in here.” I was sitting across from them all at the same booth. And as they’re saying this, maybe it’s true. Maybe it’s not. We don’t know that. But two of them are collegiate players. And one is a retired NFL player, so I get why he’s saying it. But at the same time. I’m like, “Oh, okay. Noted. There’s more fuel. Thank you. I appreciate it.” And I think we saw what that meant when it came to my elimination against Xavier., I wasn’t scared. There is no moment or person that I’m scared of because I feel like I have everything needed to win this entire game. It’s just moment by moment you got to win. Finally, in honor of the infamous “[expletive] They Should Have Shown” episode of the old-school days of The Challenge, what’s one moment from your time on the show that you wish had made the edit?Before Leo and Alyssa’s big elimination, Leo comes to me. He knows that he’s about to go into elimination. He is also not worried about going home because he just tried to walk out the day before. And so he’s at this very binary moment of either he can go home and take care of his businesses, or he can fight to stay. And he doesn’t like the doubters and haters as well. So we have this relationship of “these mother [expletive] are doubting us.” Then Kyland walks into the kitchen and says, “Yo, Leo, you don’t want to see me in elimination.” And I said to Leo, “Leo, you are about to have the most amazing story this season. You almost went home. You’re in elimination. And now this person is scared to go against you. They’re scared to go into elimination. So guess what? I think Kyland might go in there. And if he does, send them home. If he’s trying to intimidate you, that means he’s scared; send them home.” I think that was a huge moment. And when Leo won and did some kind of harm, I was so happy for him.Next, read our interview with Cashay Proudfoot, who was eliminated in The Challenge: USA Episode 9.
