Rubina Bernabe (‘Big Brother 26’) exit interview: ‘I can’t say that I’m surprised’
Week 12 in the “Big Brother” house ended on Thursday night, with Rubina Bernabe being evicted by the only houseguest with the power to vote, Makensy Manbeck. (Read our minute-by-minute live blog.) The 35-year-old event bartender from Los Angeles became the 13th houseguest evicted from Season 26 and the sixth member of the jury. Makensy will now compete for $750,000 in Sunday’s live finale against Chelsie Baham and Cam Sullivan-Brown.
Both Makensy and Chelsie told Rubina that they wanted an all-female final three, so what happened? “I can’t say that I’m surprised,” Rubina told host Julie Chen-Moonves during her exit interview. “[Makensy] told me moments ago that they had a final three. It was giving that energy towards the last five. I was like, ‘This feels a little like a final three,’ when it was Kimo who was going to go. Then, I inevitably thought it might be me next, but I wanted it to be three women at the end.”
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Rubina did make a pitch to Makensy that if she kept her, and Rubina won the final HOH, Rubina would take Makensy to the final two. Did she mean it? “I meant it,” Rubina confirmed. “I am not afraid of sitting next to another strong, amazing woman and I’m all about women empowerment. I would hold true to that.” But why would she have chosen Makensy over Chelsie? “We’ve gone a really long time in this game together,” she said. “I just feel closer to her than I do Chelsie. I know that’s not how you’re supposed to play the game, but I lean into how I feel a lot.”
Earlier this season Rubina had a brief showmance with Tucker Des Lauriers before he was evicted. When he left, was it easier for her to play the game or harder? “In that moment I thought, ‘Oh my gosh! Am I next? That would make sense.’ But, after that it did become easier for me to focus all my energy on the game than on trying to resist a relationship.” But what does she hope for her future with Tucker? “I just hope that there’s an opportunity there at all. I hold no expectations, but it was really cool to meet someone after four long years of not meeting anyone! It was really nice to make that connection.”
For her final thoughts, Rubina stated, “Humbled, blessed, grateful to even have the opportunity to make it this far. I’m shocked. There is no experience like this. I’ve gone through crazy things and this is by far the craziest. I wouldn’t change it for anything.”
Rubina now joins Quinn Martin, T’kor Clottey, Leah Peters, Angela Murray and Kimo Apaka in the jury house. They will all help decide the winner during the October 13 season finale. Who do YOU think will win “BB26”? Make your “Big Brother” predictions right now!
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