Jury Questioning

[Julie Chen]

Congratulations again Victor and Britney on making it to the final 2!

Now the power will go to the jury.

First, you can say your opening statements and then after that, we'll let the jury questioning begin. Please only make one question for each finalist to make this simple

Good luck!

[Victor]

Sorry for the delay its been a crazy time for me. I do just want to say thank you to Julie. You take the time out to do the series every year and I really appreciate it. Playing here was something I was looking forward to for a long time. Let's get down to business.  

    I know this is common knowledge at this point but I haven't been able to acknowledge it. I am Johnny Mac from last season. As much as I wish last season didn't matter but it shaped this season. Old friendships and rivalries split the house. It's a double edge sword. on one side I know who is close with who and who they get along with. on the other end you have to carry your baggage. Some were better at it than others.



    It reminds of the saying "The more things change, the more they stay the same". I played almost the exact opposite this year. I started out low and built momentum when I needed to instead of always being at the top. Even though it's 2 different ways I was able to get the same result and have control over my fate more times than not. I wanted to play dead in the beginning to try to keep my secret. I knew the more I talked and people got voted out someone was going to put it together. I don't pretend I'm trained to change who I am but that is what helped me. With the explosive people in the pre-jury and being lucky enough to be on a team with Britney, Bridgette, and Tiffany. I didn't need to do anything and I didn't want to because of the extra twists. That changed after Tiffany took control of the game.



    With Tiffany's move keeping Z, she told me i'm on the bottom on her side and Bridgette, Britney, Michelle, Z, and Paul are super tight. I understood that I was on the bottom in the middle. the move Tiffany made put me on the block and woke me up. I was lucky enough to have Bronte come back after being voted out because she was my new #1 after Tiffany. I was able to win HOH to make sure someone from Bridgette side to go home because I didn't trust Jacob to do it. Even though I wanted the comp beast Bridgette, z was just as good, because she was the first to ask if I was Johnny Mac. I don't know if that is the point everyone knew because almost everyone was outed by then but I couldn't not take the chance. it did lead me to get nominated but I had most of the people in the comp working on plans in which I was going to come off the block.



    After Jacob I would have loved nothing more than to ride the middle so I can control what I want to do. What turned out was that the Michelle and Brittany vote was the most important of the season. It was the hardest decision. I had been working with Tiffany longer but I didn't see my path to the end. I would have needed to have a comp run and I didn't want to depend on that. It was clear joining Britney and Bridgette would be hard because they are close and are harder to beat in comps. My determining factor was that I knew Britney would be my next best option in going to the end. She was the one person all season I thought about telling because of how strong our relationship had been. if anyone were to be ok with me being who I am would be her because she still is know to be better at comps than me and I was overly loyal to her at some points. I continued to be loyal and honest in telling Britney about Bridgette and Paul's real/fake attempt at cutting Britney at f5 to build rapport . I wasn't sure if it was true but I wouldn't let it be used against me if it was. it was the best decision I had made. Britney draws a lot of attention along with Bridgette and Tiffany. It kept both sides going at it to ignore me because I "wasn't worth getting out" compared to others.



    it ended up with the Brawlin Ballers Alliance (Bridgette, Britney, Bronte, Paul and myself) dominating but I made the obvious move. At final 6 it was go time.I wanted to cement that I had won the 5 person alliance and to do that I needed to beat the one person it seemed like no one could. Bridgette kept winning which caused Paul, Steve, and Bronte to go home. I had initially wanted Steve, Britney, Bronte and myself final 4 and having Steve with Bronte and I f3 but I adapted to the curve balls thrown at me. Not only could Bridgette not lose Steve tried to throw a dagger at me and revealed who I was. at first I was incredibly nervous but I was able to turn it into a positive. I was able to pick up the pieces enough to have Bronte still trust me but it actually helped me in my relationship with Britney. All season I had saved her and bringing in last season just added to the loyalty I already built. before f5 i thought Britney would cut me for Bronte. after I think Britney would have brought me over anyone possibly. I didn't want to leave it up to that.I pulled myself up by the bootstraps and won the final 2 hohs. I still lost my safety net in Bronte but I’m not perfect. I beat Bridgette in a flash comp and then beat Britney to guarantee my spot in the final 2.



    Not everything I wanted happened but at the most critical times I was able to put myself in the best position I could. I didn’t win the most competitions but did it when I needed to. I was only nominated twice and was the only one this season to never have received a vote. While Britney was getting called out and burning bridges I maneuvered in a way she can’t. The results have been the same but there is one huge difference. Britney is a game bot and I am a Big Brother player. Britney has been consistent and predictable while I have adapted and changed. My biggest ally was someone I just met and not someone I had been playing with for years. There are 2 people that make it to the end. The person who is just there and the person who made it there. Even with everything stacked against me I made it here and I believe I played the best game and I believe I should be the winner of Big Brother BTB 18.

I look forward to everyone’s questions and would be happy to answer any question you may have. 

[Britney Haynes]

I will post tonight once I am finished work. Also been super busy lately. Xo

[Steve Moses]

[Britney Haynes]

I really don't have time to do this right now. Just ask your questions. Sorry.

[Britney Haynes]

I'll post a closing statement or whatever.

[Bronte D'Acquisto]

Hello everyone. I want to start out by congratulating the two of you on making it this far, because I've been involved in strategy talks with you both, and I think either one of you would make a great winner. Victor, you've been with me from early on, and we made a really amazing team. Brit, you've got some real guts when it comes to making moves and love to play hard, and we've bonded over that. So here's my question for both of you. It's almost Christmas, and I want to make this fun for everyone, so I want you both to compare each juror and finalist to a Christmas movie character, and explain why you chose that character for that person.

Bronte out

[Victor]

- Bridgette- Frosty the Snowman
     you were always nice to everyone including me. With your comp wins it really did feel like you had magic on your side. It was just at the end your hat fell off and your magic powers were gone and just became a regular snowman

- Bronte- Mrs. Claus
     Very well liked. As the game went on it became more apparent how many good relationships she made and if she got to the final 2 she may have won.

- Steve- The Nutcracker
    Steve was willing to not only tell it how it is but he was always willing to try to be funny about it. Its the difference between being a loud mouth and a smart alec.

- Paul- Howard Langston, dad, Jingle All the Way
    Your allies have been targeted all season and I feel like you were looking for a comp win to find your "turbo man" to make the people you care about feel better. But in the end you actually turn into Turbo Man and save the day for Bridgette. Even though you got voted out you went out with people cheering for you and what you did

- Tiffany- The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come
    I'm really excited to see tiffany play in future seasons. I think if one or 2 things went a different way then who knows. I think if she keeps playing within the next 3 seasons she will win one.

- Corey- Father Christmas
    im surprised he didn't ask this question

- Natalie- Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer- The train with square wheels
    I know this is a deep cut but on the island of misfit toys there was that train. I think that in a different season you could do better but you just never got the momentum you needed

- Michelle- Ghost of Christmas Past
    You were a big part of pre-jury in being the pawn that was always safe. When you went home that was one of the most pivotal points of this entire season. when all of us look back we know that if you had stayed the game could have been completely different.

- Jacob- The Grinch
    I never really got to know jacob too well. most of our talks involved strategy and he had to fight since the beginning. I don't think it would have been that way if more sang his praises.

[Jacob Heald]

Hey guys, congrats on both getting to the end! I'm proud that you guys are here, you both deserve it!

So I'm gonna ask you each different questions:
Victor- In your opening statement, you claimed that you didn't trust me enough to try to take out the people that I had gone telling basically everyone that I wanted out, what did you exactly mean by that?

Britney- What part of your tirade against me, Steve, and others, the week Bronte went home the first time was genuine anger, and what part was playing to "get Zakiyah" to save you?

Again, congratulations to both of you and either one of you would make a great winner for the game!

[Victor]

Dec 19, 2016 15:38:20 GMT -5 Jacob Heald said:

Hey guys, congrats on both getting to the end! I'm proud that you guys are here, you both deserve it!

So I'm gonna ask you each different questions:
Victor- In your opening statement, you claimed that you didn't trust me enough to try to take out the people that I had gone telling basically everyone that I wanted out, what did you exactly mean by that?

Again, congratulations to both of you and either one of you would make a great winner for the game!

Its a combination of glenn stank, your strategic aura and needing street cred. We were in an alliance the first week as part of glen's alliance tour and since we didnt talk much after that I felt like I was being used. Which I was ok with since I didn't really have anything going on. During the 5th HOH comp you were beating it into my head that Britney staying was good for my game and I agree'd. What bothered me was that you kept selling after I was already sold. You were so gunho that I thought I could be getting cheated because you wanted it so bad. you were willing to not only forgive but still go to bat for britney. You were smart enough strategically to set personal bs aside and that makes you dangerous. Idk if britney prepped you ahead of time but I don't know if I would be so forgiving. I never was put in the spot in being called out for something like that so I'm not sure what I would do. 


it was also for my game as well to win that week. It was the first time there was no buy back and I needed street cred. Even though I won hoh people didn't think I had a strategic opinion so people told me what to do. You were in a similar spot I wanted to be in. you had connections with tiffany and britney and I figured you were also with natalie and corey. If you are in the middle I can't be. I always knew I had to get rid of bridgette but I didn't also want to worry about britney picking you over me. When I tried to suggest and try to ask Britney she wouldn't say if we were f3 she would take me. From my point of view it made sense for you to leave sooner rather than later

[Michelle Meyer]

Hi y'all. Congratulations to the two of you on making it so far. Well done and this isn't a feat you should take lightly. Thank you, Heather, for continuing to host this game. I know your life and work may get hectic, but you always find time to continue the series. I, along with others, really appreciate it.

When this game first began I was about to enter my first year of high school. Now, I'm almost half way through the first year. With that being said, I know you guys are exhausted and ready to wrap this up. From my understanding, you both played pretty stellar games. Looking back, I held conversations with both of you and so that's great. I really hate that I couldn't dedicate more time into this game, but life happens. You guys kept the game interesting and fun. I'd just like to point out one thing. Britney, I'm sure you figured out my alias early but I really appreciate the fact that we were able to start fresh and have great conversations this game. I really enjoyed them and you're a cool character. Thank you for allowing me that chance.

With that being said, good luck to the both of you!

[Tiffany Rousso]

Congrats to both of you to getting to the final together again!

I'm going to keep it short and simple
Victor - you said "With Tiffany's move keeping Z, she told me i'm on the bottom on her side and Bridgette, Britney, Michelle, Z, and Paul are super tight." why didn't you tell me who you were last season if you felt that you were on the bottom? I honestly felt that I couldn't trust you despite me wanting to do so. you weren't on my bottom, I was just wary of you since you didn't really seem to have an opinion on much. Just so you know, if you had told me you were j-mac last season i would've trusted you a little more at least in terms of strategizing. when we talked strategy this season it was a mess.
Britney - I'm gonna save you some time and not ask you a question. I hope it was a good decision on your part to be MIA for such a crucial time for you in the game.

[Victor]

Dec 22, 2016 5:24:06 GMT -5 Tiffany Rousso said:

Congrats to both of you to getting to the final together again!

I'm going to keep it short and simple
Victor - you said "With Tiffany's move keeping Z, she told me i'm on the bottom on her side and Bridgette, Britney, Michelle, Z, and Paul are super tight." why didn't you tell me who you were last season if you felt that you were on the bottom? I honestly felt that I couldn't trust you despite me wanting to do so. you weren't on my bottom, I was just wary of you since you didn't really seem to have an opinion on much. Just so you know, if you had told me you were j-mac last season i would've trusted you a little more at least in terms of strategizing. when we talked strategy this season it was a mess. 

I really tried to think if it was one thing that made me feel that way but I couldn't. I didn't tell you or anyone else for 3 main reasons. Baggage, Dan, and my game

Baggage:
You were my number one last year but our relationship in the game didn't end on the best terms. Out of everyone you were the one I was most worried about finding out who I was. I really thought that once you found out that you were going to come after me. I never really planned on telling anyone because idk if anyone noticed but this is supposed to be an alias game lol

Dan:
If I had won a season back in BB9 I would be more open about it. If I ever got to this point I didn't want people to not vote for me just because I won last year. Since it was last season I'm extremely worried about the Dan effect. When Bronte found out who I was since she even said if she knew off the bat she wouldn't trust me as much because of my past relationships. she didn't even play last year so I could only imagine if I let one person know everyone would know. that would be too big of a thing for people to ignore and I would have been an impossible secret to keep. as soon as someone felt like they were in trouble they would name drop in a heartbeat. I guarantee if I play again and people find out early enough I'm gone.

Game:
I like to play big brother and not my friends against your friends. I didn't want to be like Britney and play with only the people I always play with because its boring to me. Last year I won a lot of comps and I didn't want to do the same. If you are perceived as a comp beast, as you know, you have to back it up or you get voted out. if I had told you who I was what would that move me to? maybe third on your list? you were really close with steve you were really close with Natalie. its not that I didn't want to work with you its just that I knew you had other people ahead of me and in order to align with you they needed to be voted out first. if you had won hoh the week steve came back maybe things would be different. If "ifs" and "buts" were candy and nuts, we'd all have a merry Christmas.



[Natalie Negrotti]

Congratulations Final Two!

Victor, I'm very impressed with the way you changed your game this season. You took what you learned from BB17 and played a completely different game this season to minimize your target. You knew you couldn't play the exact same way, and I really commend you on being flexible and adaptable. In fact, you avoided your mistake last year at the Jury Questioning, when you wrote a Paradise Lost opening statement. This year, you gave us just the Sparknotes

My question for you is: I feel like your social game was vastly weaker than it was last year; I barely talked to you. So, what is the best way to balance forging strong relationships and making sure you aren't perceived as a threat?


Britney, my question for you is: Do you really think you can win without an opening statement?

[Victor]

Dec 24, 2016 0:09:44 GMT -5 Natalie Negrotti said:

Congratulations Final Two!

Victor, I'm very impressed with the way you changed your game this season. You took what you learned from BB17 and played a completely different game this season to minimize your target. You knew you couldn't play the exact same way, and I really commend you on being flexible and adaptable. In fact, you avoided your mistake last year at the Jury Questioning, when you wrote a Paradise Lost opening statement. This year, you gave us just the Sparknotes

My question for you is: I feel like your social game was vastly weaker than it was last year; I barely talked to you. So, what is the best way to balance forging strong relationships and making sure you aren't perceived as a threat?

Thank you I really apperciate it. Unfortunately I couldn't find any good gifs to include. 


I disagree with vastly weaker overall. I was nominated less than last year and was only nominated twice. I held the longest streak of not being nominated (9 straight weeks) and never received a vote the 1 time it was possible. While also winning almost half of the comps and it being easier to nominate me. It was just a lot weaker with you for a reason. In order for people to help trust you they need to have the idea that they know how you feel. in an alliance you can't only say you wont go after them but who you are going after. I decided to choose you.

Someone last year said I tried to be in an alliance with everyone on purpose and I needed to change that. If I was trying to be friendly with everyone it would show I was playing the game. I always tried to make my moves seem obvious but low level thinking in terms of strategy. First HOH was nominating someone I didn't talk to and someone who nominated. When I voted out Michelle I pushed she wasn't here and that's why I voted her out. Putting up Bridgette and Paul since I know Steve wouldn't go with Britney and he wouldn't go to Paul. he would need to go to Bronte who I trusted 100% if I was able to get out Bridgette the first time. I think Tiffany explained it best when she said "you didn't really seem to have an opinion on much". I didn't want people to think I wasn't willing to work with them just that I had no reason to go against anyone.