“Big Brother 28″ contestant Jason De Puy, also known as Salina EsTitties from two seasons of “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” knew the writing was on the wall when he lost the blockbuster challenge during Thursday night’s live eviction episode.
“I was this close, a second away, from tying with Mallory. I knew it was game up for me, so I was in acceptance in that house,” Jason tells Variety the morning after being voted out of the house in a 12-0 landslide. “I’m here, no need to be bitter or upset.”
While Jason fully embraced his queerness on the show, he chose not to tell anyone he was a “Drag Race” veteran. Yet “Survivor” favorites Rick Devens and Dee Valladares, alongside “Big Brother 26″ favorite Angela Murray, made a strong pact as reality TV stars.
“I think those icons are strategic enough players — smart, cunning and baffling enough players — that they would have used that against me down the line,” Jason says.
While Jason went on quite the emotional roller coaster in the house, “Big Brother” host Julie Chen Moonves let him know during their exit interview that he was among the top three houseguests voted every week to receive a chance at mystery power.
“That was just eye-opening,” Jason says. “I’m just so honored and grateful that me being exactly who I am was enough for [America] to like me, even though I thought me being who I am made people hate me.”
Below, Jason breaks down the explosive tea party that sent shock waves through the house, his reaction to Kamu making waves online for his anti-drag comments (as heard on the live feeds), and what he hopes for the future of “Big Brother” after being the first drag contestant in the show’s history.
There was a lot of debate in the house in the days leading up to the eviction about different scenarios, and a potential flip. Why do you think all 12 votes ended up being against you?
I call it the six — the icons and [Kamu], Chuck and Haley, they’re the ones running this game completely. They got Drew and Barrett in their pocket, they’re the majority. So I definitely see how voting for me would put a target on their backs, especially if they don’t win power. Who are they going to put up next? It fared better for them to not show their cards in that way, I guess. So I understand.
Drew and Barrett have been trying to play the middle. Will that strategy work out for them in the long run?
They’re probably going to have to show their cards, but if they stick with the six, I think they’re in a good position. They just need to win some power down the line or hope that Mallory wins. I would assume that Mallory is the only one who would take a shot at the six unabashedly. She’s made it very clear that she has some targets. That’s what is going to take for any shift in the house to happen, because I don’t see Barrett or Drew shifting that. They’re pretty much set up at least through jury, at this point.
I’m rooting for Barrett. Ultimately, I think he’s set up in a way that if he wins some power, he can make some moves. He has Mallory in his pocket, which is a good thing because the minute she gets power, that can help Barrett [get rid] of Chuck, Haley and Kamu. If the other side gets power, Barrett can use that to his advantage since he’s playing both sides.
The house has been pretty cleanly divided from the beginning, but all the votes have been landslides.
That’s what I really learned in the Rome vote, even myself included. I voted Rome out and I had to for my game. If you don’t show your cards, there’s opportunity and possibility to connect with someone else at that point. But if you make a clear line in the sand, you’re ousted, which is what happened to me at the tea party, what happened to me at the nomination ceremony with Devens. I was constantly put up to get attacked, so I wasn’t afraid to combat them. They’re kind of scaredy cats, they’re afraid to stand up.
You and Kamu clearly did not get along in the house. I’m wondering how much you perceive Kamu’s dislike of you as personal versus game.
I could tell that it was personal, but he was using game to make that point. He would call me his “zesty bestie,” and I don’t really know where that came from because we weren’t necessarily besties at all. It felt a little bit like a pet name at first, where I was like, “Oh, he’s trying to relate to me!” But as soon as he ousted me, I learned very quickly — I don’t know what it was, but I could tell it wasn’t authentic. I think you’re more zesty than me, dude! What are you talking about?
Frankie Grande, who was on Season 16, is one of your close friends and has been very outspoken online. I don’t know if you’ve had a chance to connect with him yet, but he has posted about some of Kamu’s anti-drag comments.
Oh wow, no, I have not talked to Frankie yet. Has he been helping with that conversation out in the real world?
Yes!
That’s awesome. I mean, that’s very Frankie. I’ve known Frankie now for about 13 years and watching him live authentically himself, I see the backlash he gets. I see the negativity, the negative comments. People love to clown on him. Although it may hurt, I see how he rises above it by just being himself even more. I think I took a page from his book in that house with Kamu, right? I wasn’t gonna let him bully me, I wasn’t gonna let him make me hide away in the closet. I was gonna battle him, and I was going to step up and be even more authentically myself. And that’s exactly what he got that next morning after the tea party.
Let’s talk about that explosive tea party! You seemed to clock that Kamu didn’t really want to clear the air and was instead trying to air you out, making you look worse.
Correct. I could tell that’s what he was doing. I was proud of myself for standing up for myself, that was the most awesome part — the fact that I didn’t let him win with the teapot the next morning. I was gonna make sure he knew who the queen of the house was because he was trying to be the queen of the tea party. Baby, you can’t out queen a drag queen!
What was the inspiration for banging the pots and pans around the house? You took a page from Evel Dick and Josh’s playbook.
Honestly, I never thought I would have the balls to do something like that. In a way, I thought, “Oh, that’s such a desperate move to try to get airtime!” But the way things panned out, the way I was cornered, it was so perfectly set up that it was a tea party with a tea kettle available. I was fuming in bed, I could not sleep. Kamu’s words had me so irritated in bed! I was like: “There’s a tea kettle. What happens when a tea kettle gets hot? It whistles!”
Kamu made some comments on the live feeds that were questioning drag performers.
I heard something!
He told Devens: “Bro, miss me with the drag stuff … I’m still an MMA guy, and I have an image to uphold.”
Awesome! That’s a sentiment across America with a lot of big straight guys, right? The idea of drag queens is very threatening to them. Headlines also help perpetuate that idea. My hope is that by me being the first drag queen in the house, without ever putting a stitch of makeup on, without ever putting on a dress — you know, Drew and Barrett wore a dress, and they’re straight boys! I never paraded that in front of the house, I never paraded that in front of Kamu. I hope just me being my authentic self is an example to America that drag queens are not threatening in a physical, violent way. Even with my words, I thought I was fairly respectful, even though my words could be sassy and cunning. I hope my example of what a drag queen looked like in the house can show America that we’re nothing to be afraid of. Maybe in the “Big Brother” house, you should be afraid and not come for a drag queen! And I hope I made that very clear. But in life, baby, I’m just an artist, I’m a creative who’s trying to make a name and make a living for himself.
You had some explosive moments with Angela. What is your reaction to Drew being the one to rat you out about lying and manipulating Angela with your dead mother story?
That really surprised me. I thought Angela being a returning player knew to look in the mirror to see if people were being authentic. I really thought that’s how I got ousted, I didn’t know it was Drew until earlier this morning. The next day after I created the Court Jesters’ alliance with Drew and Melody, I had a feeling that they went against me and created an alliance with Rome and Lyric. But apparently, Drew had an alliance with the icons day one.
Had I lied at the nomination ceremony, maybe that would have made Drew look like someone to be questioned by Angela and I would have had her. So I should have lied, but it was in my nature in that moment to just own up to it and be honest. And good job, Drew!
So it was the right move for him?
I hope it bites him in the butt because sure, you made these big splashes and big moves early on. I think this cast is smart enough to see what’s happening.
Where did you leave things off with Angela?
I would love to see her get eliminated just because I want to see her crumble! But I like Angela. I think she really likes me. She really wanted to connect with me so much in the house, but I was not letting her because of the game aspect. She wanted to connect with me on a human level, but not on a game level. We’ll be fine after the show, we’re fine now. We have an understanding, game clocks game.
And why is no one going after the vets? It seems like every season, nobody goes after the returning players.
That’s why I didn’t align with them in the beginning. I have that exact sentiment when I watch the show: “Get the vets out!” I told that to Drew, and Drew went to them, and look what happened.
I don’t know if you saw but Haley is HOH now. It seems like things are going to keep moving the same.
It’s gonna be boring!
We need a flip!
We need a flip. Mallory is the one who’s willing to take the shot. She’s also a little bit of a comp beast, she won her veto, the blockbuster and almost won veto last week. It’s very clear that she’s down to put Dee, Kamu and Haley up not the block. The fact that she wants to target Dee is a big deal.
Lastly, as the first drag contestant on the show, what are your hopes for future representation on “Big Brother” and reality TV as a whole?
My favorite thing about “Big Brother” is how the cast reflects America in real time, right? Isn’t it interesting how the six people in power were so threatened by a drag queen? We see that headline constantly these past couple years — they’re targeting drag queens, they’re targeting our trans brothers and sisters, our queer rights constantly. My favorite thing is that without ever putting on a wig or a dress, I got to represent what drag looks like in the house with just being myself — the messy, emotional, authentic human that I am. That’s what people are so threatened by. I’m proud of the way that I was never violent, that makes me very happy. I hope I showcased my community in a very beautiful light, even though I was attacked the entire time in the house.
This interview has been edited and condensed.