By Jarett Wieselman
10:19 AM PDT, September 19, 2013
The most controversial season of reality television ever, Big Brother 15, came to a close last night when Andy Herren won $500,000 by a 7-to-2 jury vote.
But the consensus is there are truly no winners here as the summer saw countless racist, homophobic, antisemitic and ignorant comments spewed by the housesguests, both online and on-air.
Following last night's finale, I hit up the BB15 backyard to talk with all the houseguests as they were just learning about the controversy -- sometimes from yours truly! I also found out what's next for Aaryn Gries, GinaMarie Zimmerman, Spencer Clawson -- who all lost jobs as a result of their behavior -- and discovered what life inside this racial powderkeg was truly like for Elissa Slater, Helen Kim and Candice Stewart!
Backyard Breakdown
But the consensus is there are truly no winners here as the summer saw countless racist, homophobic, antisemitic and ignorant comments spewed by the housesguests, both online and on-air.
Following last night's finale, I hit up the BB15 backyard to talk with all the houseguests as they were just learning about the controversy -- sometimes from yours truly! I also found out what's next for Aaryn Gries, GinaMarie Zimmerman, Spencer Clawson -- who all lost jobs as a result of their behavior -- and discovered what life inside this racial powderkeg was truly like for Elissa Slater, Helen Kim and Candice Stewart!
Andy
Andy: I mean ... not really [laughs]. I feel like a jerk saying that but I argued a really strong case in the finale and I don't think GM played as strong a game as I did. I really do think I deserved it.
ETonline: What was going through your mind when you heard GinaMarie's juror answers?
Andy: [fist pumps] I was like, "I got this!" She was giving pageant answers, not Big Brother answers. When she started talking I knew I'd probably won.
ETonline: By now you know this was a very controversial season. Are you surprised?
Andy: I am surprised that it stirred up as much controversy as it did; I know it was a big deal in the house, but I had no idea the impact it had on the outside world. And that's unfortunate. There were only a couple of comments said and this was, in large part, a season full of wonderful people. It's sad that a few really awful things said could taint an entire season.
ETonline: Well, it was way more than a few things.
Andy: I don't know. I haven't been exposed to any of it yet.
ETonline: And as a result of the things said, Aaryn, GinaMarie and Spencer have all lost jobs.
Andy: I did hear that. Some of the things, and I'm not going to name names, but some of the things were more malicious than others, so some of the really malicious ones were problematic, but I'll be honest, I don't think Spencer ever meant anything bad with the things he said, so the fact they could be taken out of context and is put in a comprising position is sad. He's a nice man who would not mean to hurt or offend anyone.
ETonline: But he repeatedly called you a "f*g." How do those two things mesh?
Andy: The thing is, that's the type of relationship we have. Don't get me wrong, I hate that word, but when you're somebody who is so close to me, I knew that he was only saying because we were such good friends and he thought we could. He never said it maliciously to me.
ETonline: I feel like you sat back a lot this season and let people say and do hateful things. Is that who you are in real life?
Andy: The things is, this game puts you in such a tough position. I wasn't trying to make a scene. I didn't like the things that were said, but I didn't want to be in the middle of it, so I would pull Candice aside afterwards and say that I was so sorry about the things said to her. I won, basically, by staying out of everything. The nice person inside of me wishes I would have stuck up for people more.
ETonline: Well, as a result of not standing up for people, The College of DuPage issued a statement distancing themselves from you. There's been some confusion as to your job there. Can you clarify?
Andy: I was on a leave. The semester started in August, so obviously I couldn't work there, but hopefully I will be able to go back there in January when the new semester starts. I worked semester to semester, so it's not like I had a full-time position and no longer do. I don't think I should be penalized for sitting in a room while people said hateful things and hopefully the college will understand that. Any student of mine will tell you that I love my job so much and $500,000 isn't going to change the fact I want to work there still. If it is in jeopardy I think it's unfortunate and unfair.
GinaMarie
GinaMarie: To be honest, I really wasn't. A lot of my friends left in the beginning. After Nick left I thought I didn't have anybody besides Aaryn. Andy is a fun-loving person with a lot of friends in the jury, so I'm not surprised. I applaud him. Second place isn't too shabby. I'm happy with the way it worked out. I always played to be the best GinaMarie I would be.
ETonline: Do you feel like you represented the best GinaMarie you could be in the house?
GinaMarie: Things were said, I think sometimes out of anger. We're watched 24/7, but I don't think any of us thought it was blowing up the way it did. I speak for myself and other houseguests when I say that if we offended anyone, we are sorry. I am sorry. I'm generally a good-hearted person and I apologize for my mistakes. I'm from New York, I love everyone. I see different people every day. I do apologize.
ETonline: Of all the controversial things you said, saying you receive "n****r insurance" has gotten the most attention. Why did you say that?
GinaMarie: I love hip-hop music. Sometimes they use that word -- I have a big mouth, I'm Italian, I'm from New York; sometimes I might curse, sometimes I might say things. I don't think it's right for them to use the n-word in music. I know all different nationalities and religions. I'm influenced by all of that because I see it all. I guess I should just watch what I say.
ETonline: What's your reaction on being fired from your job at East Coast Pageants?
GinaMarie: The pageant and the kids are my heart, and my heart is broken. I know that the company has to defend themselves. I'm representing me, not them, so it stinks that I did, but hopefully people see the brighter side of GinaMarie -- I like to smile and have a good time. Hopefully they can see I'm a good person and can work in pageants in the future.
ETonline: The CEO of the company said you're a bad role model for pageant contestants. Do you disagree?
GinaMarie: I wasn't always pretty, I didn't always have long blonde hair. I had braces and always loved to dance, so every time I did a pageant it's because I wanted to dance. I always used to never win. Finally I watched other people, I got stronger, I got better -- and because I lost, I kept going to eventually win. It's like whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger. That's what made me win. You don't have to be skinny-skinny. You don't have to be blonde with blue eyes; if you've got a good heart and want to show your talent, do pageants. I always try to think positive and hopefully little girls can look up to me and see a positive role model.
ETonline: Switching gears, you seemed to really hold a candle for Nick. Do you think, at times, your feelings for him bordered on insane?
GinaMarie: [laughs] I was previously engaged. I had a little crush back at home, but haven't had feelings for someone in 7 years. Then I met Nick -- he was like a different kind of guy and I felt such a connection. I was blindsided when he left. My heart was broken, so I don't normally act like that. All that stuff with the hat and the shorts was because it made me feel like he was there supporting me, watching me, rooting for me. I'm not psychotic [laughs] -- it just gave me strength.
ETonline: What was your first thought upon seeing him tonight?
GinaMarie: He looked so handsome! Even if we don’t pursue a relationship, he'll always be a very good friend. But you never know what's going to happen. There might be a little wedding in the future!
Spencer
Spencer: About a week about there was a brief hint that he might, but I was always wary of the depth of his relationship with GinaMarie. He went out of his way a few times to keep her safe when he didn't have to. But Andy was a phenomenal strategic and social player, and had 5 comp victories at the end of this. It was an honor to play with him.
ETonline: This was a very controversial season. What's your take?
Spencer: There was so many inappropriate things said that I would never say. I tried to stay out, as much as possible, of the racially charged things said that I don't condone. But at the same time I made some off-color comments that maybe offended people, and I'm sorry for that. When you're in an environment like this, you say stupid things because you're just talking all day. I'm so sorry for anything I said, I apologize if I hurt anyone -- or any group of people -- with the things I said. I hope the good things I did outweigh the bad things I said. I feel bad that people were hurt over the things that were said in here because I don't think the people who are taking the brunt of this are hateful people. I blame maturity. Some people just need to grow up a bit.
ETonline: But you said a lot of controversial things as well, and as a result, your company released a statement distancing themselves from you. What's your reaction to that?
Spencer: My union is involved with this, and I'm extremely apologetic for the things I said. I love my job and want to keep it. Sometimes you just make stupid jokes. It was almost like a fraternity house in there -- anything goes, and whether that's right or not, I made some bad judgment calls and I hope the company will take me back. I am a good employee.
ETonline: Your local police also investigated you during the course of the show for really heinous things you said about child pornography. Care to clear that up?
Spencer: I picked up [McCrae's] mic and was saying goofy things. I've heard what a big deal that was, and I do think that was blown out of proportion. And I'm even scared to say that because ... I'm actually really paranoid about that right now. It was a bad joke, I admit it, but I would like to say that I was not condoning any behavior or accusing McCrae of any behavior. That's not me. I know the police department in my hometown got involved, but I was just being stupid. Of all the things to follow you around, I hope that doesn't follow me about. Good god. Having the word "pedophile" attached to your name can be bad news, dude. I hope it doesn't haunt me.
ETonline: Do you feel like you've grown through this experience?
Spencer: Honestly, I think the politically correct thing to say is yes, but, no. I love Andy. I don't care who he loves. Any guy who married Andy is a lucky human being. Howard & Candice are both wonderful people and that's not the person I am. I don't have any hate in my heart. I'm not a hateful person. I wish I hadn't said some of these things, and I really wish they hadn't blown up as big as they have, but now I have to clean up the mess.
McCrae
McCrae: A lot. She wants me to move to Florida, I want her to move to Minnesota, but I don't think that’s going to happen, so I'm going to Florida this winter. I hate the cold.
ETonline: Are you going to watch the show now?
McCrae: There's definitely part of me dreading all the sappy crap. All the emotional stuff. I'm not looking forward to seeing that. I was crying like a baby a lot. Even with Judd leaving. I'm not excited to see the show, but that's me, so I have to own it.
ETonline: You had a very interesting trajectory in the house, looking back, how important do you think that first HOH win was to your game?
McCrae: Winning HOH off the bat opened up a lot of avenues for me, and then meeting Amanda set me up for the long game because I could push her in front of me and have her take the heat while I looked like the good guy. I don't think I would have gone far without that first HOH win. In fact, I think I would have been first out.
ETonline: You witnessed a lot of the hate speech this season. What's your take on it all?
McCrae: My whole thing in this game was to lay low. Outside, in the real world, I'm the guy who will take a punch to defend someone being attacked. In the house, I had to play a game and I can't go out of my way to attack someone about that. It killed me inside, but I was here to play a game. When people are ignorant to what they're saying, I naturally want to call them out. I would try to enlighten them as much as I could, but there's only so much you can do within the context of this house.
ETonline: Well, Aaryn, GinaMarie and Spencer have been fired from their jobs for what they said in the house.
McCrae: What? Are you sh*tting me? [laughs] Oh wow. Oh wow. I don't want to call any of them out, but I think Aaryn says the worst stuff. Oh man, they're all pretty bad though. It's ignorance across the board. You can't let ignorant people have a free pass because they're ignorant, but we were scrutinized 24/7. Sometimes you have to give people a free pass because I don't think most of it came from a place of hate, just a place of ignorance.
Judd
Judd: I knew Andy would win. That's why I gave GM my sympathy vote. Andy should have won, so I knew my sympathy vote wouldn't hurt.
ETonline: How aware of the controversial comments were you while in the house?
Judd: It happened in front of me a lot; it's the kind of thing I don't condone, I don't have that in my life and I don't want to be a part of that.
ETonline: Aaryn blamed a lot of her behavior on being from Texas. As a fellow Southerner, what do you think about that?
Judd: Oh gosh ... she said that? I don't think that's a Southern thing at all. I'm surprised she actually said that. It's a terrible stereotype. I don't appreciate that as a proud southern man.
ETonline: Aaryn, along with GinaMarie and Spencer, were fired from their jobs as a result of the things they said. Surprised?
Judd: Oh wow. I'm not sure what was shown or said -- I'm very surprised about Spencer. But that's part of going on a show like this. You have cameras on your 24/7, even if you feel that way, don't talk that way. It's disrespectful to the fans and your family.
Elissa
Elissa: Thank you! I'm shocked and so grateful and overwhelmed. It's such an honor and a privilege.
ETonline: Along with Candice, you endured a lot this season. How do you feel about this experience as a whole?
Elissa: Tonight made it worth it [laughs]. Being perceived by America as their favorite in light of what happened in that house is kind of like me getting the last word. That's what happened, it was that bad and I lived every moment of it for 3 months. It was awful. I did BB because I loved the game and I didn't want people to steal that from me.
ETonline: Is that what kept you from self-evicting because there were a lot of moments on the live feed where it truly looked like you were going to quit the game.
Elissa: The reason I didn't self-evict is because people would tell me that I can do this, to just stick with it. I had Helen and Candice's support, but it was almost too much at times. I look at life like you never know when it's going to be your last day, so I don't want to be a negative influence in anyone's life or bring anyone down, so just seeing people hurt sucks. Whether we're in the BB house or real life, there's no room for hate.
ETonline: What was it like inside the house for you?
Elissa: There were dark clouds over the house. It was the most uncomfortable place I've ever been in my entire life. I couldn't believe the things people were saying, it was just something totally unfamiliar for me and it makes me sad that people are so unaware the comments people make hurt people. It was shocking and hurtful. It was just awful.
ETonline: As a result of their comments, Aaryn, Spencer and GinaMarie were fired from their jobs.
Elissa: Oh man ... I had no idea. You know what, I think that sometimes you have to learn the hard way and unfortunately they did.
ETonline: Any chance you'll speak with Amanda or Aaryn after this?
Elissa: Neither. I would never. Not in a million years.
Amanda
Amanda: I was surprised that it wasn't unanimous. GM fell ass-backwards into those chairs and Andy played a phenomenal game. He's the only person who played me. I don't know how she got any votes. GM isn't that great with thinking on her toes, or thinking at all, she floated through most of the game and I don't even think she deserves the $50,000 for second place. She should take that and run.
ETonline: Well she's going to need it because she was fired from her job for the things she said in the house.
Amanda: Oh! I didn’t know that! Wow.
ETonline: What do you think of that behavior having real world implications?
Amanda: You know, this is the first time we were all in the public eye and I think a lot of us misspoke. I don't think anything was said to hurt anybody, I think it was just ignorance. I'm sure I said things too, which I'm deeply apologetic for. I didn't want to hurt anyone.
ETonline: You started the season very aware of the impact of racially charged comments and then went on to make a lot of them yourself. Why?
Amanda: I know, I know. I just found out today that those comments were being held against me. I'm surprised by that. There was no malicious intent behind any of that. The thing is, I'm not racist. I've lived in places that are very mixed, culturally. I make racy jokes. I think a lot of the things I said were taken out of context, but it doesn't matter, there's no excuse for the things I said and, again, I apologize to anyone I offended.
ETonline: Do you think anyone in this house is a racist?
Amanda: I don't think anyone is really racist in the house. I think people said stupid things, including myself.
ETonline: You seemed to be, at least in the beginning, the only one standing up to the racists. Why?
Amanda: Here's the thing about the BB house that makes me want to kill myself: nobody wants to say anything because nobody wants to be on the radar. Everybody holds their tongue because they don’t want to be caught in a fight. Obviously that's not me. I say it how it is, if I have an opinion I'm going to say it and everyone else can go screw themselves.
ETonline: Any regrets?
Amanda: Besides all the ignorant comments I made, my biggest regret is showing my cards, from a game standpoint. I'm a bragger, what can I say.
ETonline: So no regrets about unleashing Bubbie on Elissa? Some people are calling you a bully for that.
Amanda: I can see how it would be misconstrued but bullying is a really popular topic right now and I was just trying to be a strong woman playing a strong game. I think that was very one-sided. Elissa is very passive aggressive and she poked me one too many times. I regret some of the personal things I said about her, it definitely wasn't necessary, but a lot of that was gameplay. I was trying to torment her so Andy could go and make it better. It was the wounded=animal method. We're playing a game, and it worked.
ETonline: There are rumors online that you and McCrae knew eachother before this game. True or false?
Amanda: [laughs] What? Absolutely not! We did not know each other -- he's from Minnesota, I've never even been there. We did not know each other whatsoever.
Aaryn
Aaryn: Andy played that game every single minute he was in there. I knew he would have the votes, but GM has always had my back so if I didn't vote for her, it would have looked really bad.
ETonline: Was Big Brother a positive experience for you?
Aaryn: I think it will become a positive. It's been the biggest learning experience of my life.
ETonline: Let's start with your eviction, what was it like coming out and hearing the audience boo you?
Aaryn: Oh god. I had just been evicted, and I was not expecting that. I was expecting to talk about my wins and my game. I was not expecting that. I did not expect to have my words taken as seriously as they were. Never in my life have I had people watching me all the time. I did not realize. It caught me off guard. I don't remember what I said, but I should have never brought Texas up. I was so overwhelmed. It was a mistake.
ETonline: Do you wish we were talking about your gameplay as opposed to the things you said?
Aaryn: Somewhat. I am somewhat upset that my accomplishments have been overshadowed but I own up to what I did. I should have never said those things. I need to start thinking before I speak. My brain wasn't in the right place. And I'll fix it.
ETonline: As a result of your comments Zephyr Talent Agency has let you go.
Aaryn: I really wasn't actively working for them and we were on the rocks before I even came here. But I have six new agencies that want to interview me, so, I'm OK.
ETonline: GinaMarie and Spencer also lost jobs.
Aaryn: Oh my gosh, I had no idea they lost their jobs. That's ... I guess it doesn't surprise me a lot. But, wow. That's crazy. I did not realize this was taken that seriously.
ETonline: I feel like the Aaryn we saw at the end of the show was an entirely different person than the one who entered the house.
Aaryn: Really?
ETonline: Yeah, the girl who egged Jeremy on to yell at the house about the wine and the person who seemingly developed a friendship with Helen strike me as totally different people. Were you changing your personality to suit the house or is one of those people not the "true Aaryn?"
Aaryn: Who I was at the end of the game is way more who I am than who I am at the beginning. I develop deep relationships after I know people for a long time. I'm very closed off, so when I meet people at first, I have a wall up. The more comfortable I get with people, the more I open up to them.
ETonline: It seems like you and Candice are in a good place after being in the jury house together.
Aaryn: The jury house was amazing. Candice and I got along so well, almost better than I got along with anyone else. We're so close now. The jury house experience was very important to me.
ETonline: Did any of your behavior surprise you? For example, did you think you were the kind of person who would flip a bed?
Aaryn: No! But, for the record, I flipped her bed because she was talking about how we couldn't sleep in that room. It had nothing to do with anything racial. That was just a stupid argument.
ETonline: Why didn't you like Candice?
Aaryn: I don't know. Candice and I, at first, I felt judged by her. I felt judged by a lot of people in the house. So I put up walls, and I think those walls are what made me react the way I did. Everybody's a little insecure.
Helen
Helen: I was surprised it wasn't unanimous. Andy played the better game. This is Big Brother, if you don’t think people are going to lie, you shouldn't be here. Would I have loved to be bitter and not given him the money because he deceived me? Sure. But I've seen so many bitter jury members and hated them for it because you know the better game should win. I wasn't going to be the person I complain about. If I had another vote, it would have gone to GM -- but $50,000 is going to make a big difference in her life too.
ETonline: Yeah, well, especially now. I don't know if you're aware, but GinaMare -- along with Aaryn and Spencer -- was fired from her job as a result of her comments in the house.
Helen: Oh, wow ... I didn't realize it got so severe. I mean, every time I would ask people if they watched Big Brother they'd always say "no" so I didn't think anyone would see this. [laughs] The fact it made national headlines just tells me it's going to break my heart to watch this season. And to know GM said things is shocking because I didn't know she said anything ... guess I'm glad I voted for Andy. I knew Spencer said vulgar things about women all season long. I don't think he’s a nice person. I'm not surprised to hear he's in hot water. Oh gosh, he kept making shout-outs to his company during live shows [laughs]. Aaryn, well, we were all aware of her comments. I tried to tell everyone, Candice in particular, that they were all despicable people. We don't stand with them, but they show us that there are still major racial issues in our country and it's people like Candice and I who should be setting a good example for them and showing what good people we are regardless of the color of our skin, or our background. And I do think that’s something Aaryn has learned.
ETonline: You do?
Helen: Only time will tell, but she has reached out to me and Candice especially over the last few weeks. We need to be the example for her. If we shut her down, who will teach her? But it hurts my feelings. It takes me back to being called a "pancake face" in school. Those comments stick with me, and it still happens now, but it's important we have open hearts to those people. Now, if Aaryn continues to be a bigot, that's on her. But we tried.
Jessie
Jessie: I was surprised it wasn't unanimous. Well, I knew GM would get Aaryn’s vote. Honestly, for me it came down to tonight's questions [laughs].
ETonline: All your faces while GinaMarie was answering those jury questions were priceless.
Jessie: [laughs] Oh god. She was just ... I kept hoping the fans could read our minds in that moment. We were rooting for her to not answer like that. If she'd blown me away with some answer beyond "I lost Nick," I might have reconsidered my vote. But ... she didn't.
ETonline: Last week they aired a moment of you hysterically crying in the DR, screaming, "I hate all these people..."
Jessie: They used that?!?! Oh my god! F*ck them! [laughs]
ETonline: Is that indicative of your entire experience or an isolated emotion?
Jessie: I definitely had moments where I would cry for hours in the DR because I was missing somebody to talk to in the house. That was hard on me. But it wasn't the whole way through. I did come out of it and gave it my best shot.
ETonline: Inside the house, how aware of all the controversial comments were you?
Jessie: Not at all aware. The first hint I had was when Aaryn came into the jury house because she got booed. She came in and spilled the beans to all of us. I was just as shocked as she was. I didn't realize the extent it had impacted America. I do feel like some things were taken out of context, many weren't -- but I'm a sociology major so I look at where people were raised, their normal experience. There is some ignorance mixed in there, so we have to let people learn from their mistakes, otherwise they're going to be afraid to change.
ETonline: Well that kind of meshes with what Aaryn said in her exit interview with Julie when she blamed a lot of her beliefs on being from Texas.
Jessie: Eeeesh. Oh gosh. See, but I'm from Texas. That is so not what Texas is like. Ugh. I do not want anyone to have that impression. Obviously there are sections that still have these outdated opinions. We have big cities, we're not living 40 years ago and Texas is a very welcoming place.
ETonline: Aaryn, GinaMarie and Spencer have all been fired from jobs as a result of their comments in the house too.
Jessie: No way! [laughs] Wow. You know what, you reap what you sow. I'm not the kind of person who would say things like that in the first place because I have gay friends, black friends ... morals! But I was always very conscious of what I was saying because America was watching and this is only one summer of your life, you wouldn't want to blow any future opportunities.
Candice
Candice: I will say this, I went inside the BB house a size six and I’m now a size 10 honey. The way I dealt with it was eating. I mean, my family had to send me this dress because none of my clothes fit anymore [laughs]. So I dealt with it by eating and praying. I was just so stressed out. But I've grown as a person and a lot of the things I was subjected to were from Aaryn, and I will say this: I did not believe Aaryn could change, but once she got evicted from the game and booed after Julie's challenging questions, she came into the jury house and I saw her growing as a human being. I believe this all stems from how she was raised. I don't think it's racism, I think it's ignorance. She's so young. For me, I had to embrace her with love and to be totally honest with you, we've come to a good place. We're not going shopping or anything, but maybe Facebook friends.
ETonline: What was the hardest part for you?
Candice: What hurt me the most is Aaryn and I have very similar backgrounds: she was a cheerleader, she did pageants, all these things I did too. So why didn't she like me? Just because of my skin color? That's what hurt the most.
ETonline: Fans struggled to find an inciting incident for Aaryn's dislike of you, but couldn't ever pinpoint a moment. Why do you think she didn't like you?
Candice: I still don't know. There really was nothing that happened. She came to me on day four and was like, "I just want to tell you, I didn't like you when we first got here but I think you're OK." And then she'd go create drama. I kept asking Howard what it was about me that was so unlikable. I know I'm an intimidating and strong woman, but I just didn't get it. So I'm left to believe that it’s got to be because of the color of my skin, which is hurtful. And I know watching this season is going to be so hurtful, but I will say that once she was around me in the jury house, I saw her little mind realizing how similar we are, so I do think she's grown.
ETonline: Well, as a result of the things they said, Aaryn, GinaMarie and Spencer have all lost their jobs.
Candice: Spencer too? Wow. Well, he said some harsh things. I don't think they know that yet ... oh man. I think Aaryn's heart convicted her. After she got booed I think she started looking back on how she was raised and how closed-minded she was. I saw her starting to make her own views of the world, which I love because if she can do that, everyone in America can do that. Racism is still very much alive in America and if you meet hate with hate, we're never going to change and grow. For me, I'm going to do like Jesus did and forgive.
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