‘Big Brother’ star had a ‘breakdown’ after realizing he was ‘the only queer person’ in the cast

Jason De Puy on "Big Brother 28."CBSIf you purchase a product through a link on our site, we may receive compensation.Jason De Puy was the only openly gay contestant on “Big Brother 28,” and it took an emotional toll on him.“The first ten minutes being in the house, I had a breakdown on the couch,” Jason, 35, told NJ.com after he was unanimously evicted on Thursday, July 30. “I thought it was gonna be a gay season,” he continued. “I thought Rome [Seymour], Drew [Campbell] and Barrett [Pfeiffer] were all gay when I looked at them outside the house. So, when we got in and I learned they were all straight — because that was what happened, Barrett told me he was straight, because I was asking him — I started crying. I was like, ‘I’m the only queer person here.’ And that’s when it hit me.”As Jason cried, several of his fellow Houseguests “came to rescue” him, including Barrett, Taylor Brown and Latrice “Lala” Verrett. Their sympathy gave him an idea.“When I learned that people were coming to my rescue in my emotional despair, I was like, ‘Oh, this actually could be a game strategy for me,’” he said. “This whole thing of using my emotion kind of stemmed from that. … It was coming from this idea that I don’t have anyone. And I’m starting to have people because they feel sorry for me for being a crybaby. Let me work this to my advantage.”Jason went on to have a vulnerable conversation with returning player Angela Murray about feeling outside of his “gay bubble.” He also opened up to her about his mother’s death, and the pair shared tears and hugs. When Angela walked away, Jason looked at the camera and laughed, implying that it was nothing but gameplay. But Jason insists that the moment with Angela was “very real.”Angela Murray.CBS“I do want to apologize, for anyone who thought that was nasty, which I can see exactly why it was,” he said. Jason explained that the look to camera wasn’t meant as a cruel dig at Angela. It was a reference to season 11 of “RuPaul’s Drag Race: All Stars,” when he did the same thing while crying in an ally’s arms. Jason competed on “RuPaul’s Drag Race” and “All Stars” as Salina EsTitties.“In that moment, I was doing a little nod to camera, the fourth wall break, for my ‘Drag Race’ fans. So, people who don’t know my ‘Drag Race’ career had no idea about that,” he said. “I had a very specific experience when my mom passed away while I was on ‘Drag Race.’ I was in the public eye, and it was a very interesting compartmentalization of my feelings and having to put on for people while I was grieving. So, I know how to do that.”READ MORE: ‘Big Brother’ alum slams ‘painful’ treatment of gay contestant, calls for more diverse castingJason’s vulnerability earned him Angela’s trust, but his strategy backfired when he bragged about the camera look to Drew and Melody Morris. Drew relayed the confession back to Angela, his fellow Crossovers alliance member.Jason chose to share the sensitive information with “superfans” Melody and Drew because he thought it would bring them all closer. “I thought if I share with them how conniving I can be, maybe they would be like, ‘Damn, this dude’s down to get dirty and wild and we can trust him.’ And that’s what I was thinking,” he explained.Jason now understands that telling Drew about the fourth wall break was a bad idea, as it led to a blowout fight with Angela that earned him a reputation as a shady player. READ MORE: ‘Big Brother 28′ star under fire for ‘disgusting’ joke about George Floyd“I can look back and be like, ‘What are you doing?!’ I can hear my friends, I can hear America scream, ‘What the hell are you doing? Shut your mouth!’” he said. “All my text messages when I opened my phone were like, ‘Stop talking, girl.’”Jason’s elimination came after Head of Household Kamu Kirk conspired to backdoor him, a “Big Brother” strategy that involves nominating someone for eviction after the veto competition has already been played. The move gives the intended target fewer chances to save themselves.Prior to his nomination, Jason tried to get close to Kamu’s ally Haley Thogmartin, which he described as “the worst feeling of my life.” “I had to be good with Haley to try to play their game with them and be on their side, and then it bit me in the butt ultimately,” he said. “So, I was like, I’m not faking it anymore. F you guys. We just don’t mesh as people.”“Big Brother” airs on CBS and Paramount+ Sundays, Wednesdays and Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET.‘Sopranos’ alums mourn costar’s ‘unexpected’ death: ‘Our beloved friend’‘Ted Lasso’ cast changes: See who isn’t coming back for season 4‘Big Brother’ alum slams ‘painful’ treatment of gay contestant, calls for more diverse castingIconic actress joins OnlyFans at 85Sara Donnellan is a trending entertainment news writer. She worked as a TV news reporter for NJ.com, covering scripted and reality television and other viral TV moments, answering viewers’ burning questions and...This article was produced with assistance from AI tools and reviewed by AL.com staff.