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Big Brother 25‘s Matt Klotz found himself at the center of an unexpected controversy surrounding his HOH letter and relationship with co-star Riley Smedley.
Klotz seemed to have some candid revelations about the whole scenario and his feelings about his former showmance partner. The Deaflympics gold medalist opened up about the ordeal on The Zach Nichols Podcast on April 7 and stirred some discord among fans.
“I think it was day 84… I really missed my family. I missed my best friends. I wanted a letter from them. And so that’s why I wanted to win that comp.” Klotz, 27, said on the podcast. Smedley, 24, expressed her longing in the letter, stating, “[I] want you to know how much I miss you and wish I could be telling you all of this in person at 3 a.m. on the hammock,” revealing that the feelings were “mutual.” Additionally, she shared a photo that featured herself alongside the Klotz’s family, with him saying he initially didn’t recognize Smedley in the photos, questioning, “Who’s this?” due to their brief acquaintance. He goes on to say, “It’s nice to get a letter, but man, I wanted a letter from my mom, my dad, my best friends.”
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If you’re not familiar, the role of Head of Household (HOH) carries the privilege of receiving personal items and messages from home. This perk becomes a lifeline of sorts, a brief break from the game’s pressures. Season 25 of Big Brother, known for its grueling 100-day duration, tested the houseguests’ endurance, making moments of personal connection all the more crucial.
This realization comes despite Klotz’s previous affection for Smedley, including telling her she was attractive and creating a Q-tip shrine in her honor on the show, and also becoming emotional after she got kicked off the show.
During an Instagram Live session, Smedley was questioned about her current relationship status with Klotz saying, “We are not dating right now,” attributing the situation to timing and her co-stars current state. “You know, he needs time. We talked about it. He needs time. He’s doing his thing, and I’m not gonna interfere. I’ll always be his friend, but right now he was pretty honest, and it’s not a good time for him,” she explained.
The discussion on the podcast drew criticism from fans and Big Brother alumni, including Danielle Reyes, who condemned the disrespect shown towards Riley. “This is not a good look. There is no need to disrespect her on a podcast,” she posted on X (formerly Twitter). “Usually I do not care about post bb but the fact he thirsted over her the whole season being down right creepy and then turns it around like this. Honestly glad he lost,” said another fan on the platform.
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