America Lopez knew her days were numbered after her showmance partner Cory Wurtenberger was blindsided out of the Big Brother house, but that still didn’t make her own exit any easier.
America was the second victim on Thursday’s live double-eviction episode after Bowie Jane won Head of Household and put her on the block, and then Matt Klotz did not remove her after winning the veto competition. After a tearful plea to the other houseguests, she was unanimously voted out.
Why was America so emotional upon her exit? Whom did she want to go to the end with had she stayed? And what does her future look like with Cory? We asked the 27-year-old medical receptionist all that and more on her way to the jury house. You can watch the interview above or read it below.
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: That was the most emotional exit we have seen all season. What was going through your mind there as your time ended in the house?
AMERICA LOPEZ: The last couple of weeks have been the hardest here in the house. I really haven’t been super emotional like that all season. I just broke down for the first time during me and Cory’s blindside, and then just last night, I didn’t really realize how much this meant to me. I’m obviously a huge fan of the show. I went to a casting call on a whim and made it all the way through and made it into the house. I didn’t think it meant so much to me until that moment when I looked at Jag and I said, “I heard I’m the next one to go like, please tell me that’s not true.”
And I could just see it in his eyes. It broke me. It was so hard. I thought about the last 86 days, how much fun I’ve had, how much I’ve loved every single moment of it, and it was just uncontrollable. It just all came up — all these feelings that I had been holding in.
There’s constant pressure, constant tension that you’re under in this house. You’re under surveillance all the time, and you really don’t realize how overwhelming it all is. I didn’t realize how overwhelming it all was until that moment when I realized that I didn’t have Matt and Jag and that I was going to go. It was tough and it sucks so badly. I’ve been like, “Oh, it sucks here without Cory. I hate this house!” But at the same time, I did not want to leave. I wanted to keep playing. I wanted to wake up to those fluorescent-ass lights for another week, and I wanted to play in these goofy-ass competitions again. I wasn’t ready to have that end. It was tough.
Had you stayed, whom did you want to go to the end with?
I wanted to go to the end with Bowie Jane. I miss Bowie Jane! I love her. What a character. But she’s totally oblivious of anything going on around her, right? She literally has to be told what to do, how to vote, what is going on. She has been the ultimate floater this entire game, so I would’ve loved to take her to final two. Obviously, I thought I had the best chance of winning against her. I was trying to get close to her this week, trying to be her bestie, trying to be her buddy, but I’m no Matt and Jag. I wasn’t going to detach her from them.
How disappointed and frustrated were you by your competition performances this season?
Ugh! I suck. The one thing I really wanted to do this season was winning HOH, get my basket, get my wine, get my music, and I just couldn’t make it happen. These competitions were so hard. Oh my God, so much tougher than they look. You have to be able to stay cool under pressure, and I just was never able to do that. I’d panic in a competition, or when you’re competing against at the beginning, like 16 other people, it was so tough.
Everyone there was smart and capable, and going into this I thought I was going to be some sort of comp beast because I’m a super fan, and clearly womp womp! Here I am, zero competition wins. I’m so mad! I’m like, “Let me in and let me do Pressure Cooker again! I can do it. I can beat Cam. I know it.” So the one thing I really regret is making that deal. If I would’ve known it was early on in the game — Pressure Cooker was week 4 — if I would’ve known that I would’ve sucked at competitions this badly, I would’ve not let go of that button.
If you could go back and change one thing about your game that might have led to a different result, what would it be?
Okay, so if I could change anything, just off the top of my head, not talking to Blue last week about her being the target, if I wouldn’t have talked to Blue, I think Matt and Jag wouldn’t have had a reason to nominate me and Cory to blindside us. I really think they might’ve stuck with this final four that we had — the Jagman and the Three-Way Rats would’ve possibly had a chance and made it to the final four.
I think that was a mistake this late in the game. I should have known better. I haven’t been working with Blue all season. What made me think that I could trust her now? I was just being sloppy and trying to get her to not target Cory, and it was so stupid. I think Matt and Jag were just looking for any excuse to come after us, and I gave it to them on a silver platter when I told Blue all of this stuff.
What kind of future are you hoping for with Cory beyond the jury house?
I know Cory and I will continue our relationship. I really went into this thinking like, “Okay, yeah, I’m going to get into a showmance, but I’m going to play. I’m going to play them. I don’t care about boys. I’m not here for a relationship. Showmance? Sure. But anything beyond that, anything serious? No way.”
Here I am with a whole-ass boyfriend at the end of it. I am so excited to see what happens after this. I am going to visit his family for the holidays. He’s going to come visit mine. I’m so excited to spend time in the jury house with him. It’s so stressful in the BB house. This will be a time for us to relax, treat it like a little vacation. I think it’s going to be great. I’m stoked. I’m excited.