Big Brother 25 houseguest Reilly Smedley and runner-up Matt Klotz had a strong connection in the house, but now Reilly reveals a heartbreaking update about their potential relationship. Reilly, a 24-year-old bartender from Nashville, TN, and Matt, a 27-year-old Deaflympics gold medalist from Baton Rouge, LA, shared an instant bond when they entered the Big Brother house. Matt, who is deaf, relied on Reilly to help him navigate the many complicated whispered conversations that occurred as part of the game. They were in an alliance together, but that quickly came to an end when Reilly was evicted in week 2. Despite this, Reilly and Matt never stopped thinking about each other.
However, in a now-expired Instagram Live, shared via @rodDiazTwine on X, Reilly revealed that she and Matt are not a couple.
Reilly explained, “We are not dating right now. You know, he needs time. We talked about it. He needs time. He is doing his thing, and I’m not gonna interfere.” However, Reilly emphasized that she and Matt will always share a special bond. She said, “You know, I’ll always be his friend, but right now he was pretty honest, and he said that it’s not a good time for him. He’s overwhelmed. He has a lot going on. So I’m going to be there for support when he needs me. And that’s that.”
Reilly Smedley & Matt Klotz’s Big Brother Showmance Explained
Although many classified Reilly and Matt’s relationship as a showmance, it was actually more of a very strong friendship, since they never really crossed the line into romance. They were torn apart rather quickly when Reilly was evicted in week 2. However, they continued to think about each other for the 84 days they were apart. When Matt won HOH in week 13, he received a letter from Reilly and a photograph of her with his mom, who she met after she was evicted. He was thrilled, and told his fellow houseguests that he guessed he had a girlfriend. They reunited on finale night, but, obviously, their relationship didn’t progress romantically outside of the house.
Reilly and Matt’s relationship was very cute, but it was also based on something deeper than a frivolous showmance. She emotionally supported him through the beginning of the game, which was very difficult for him to get used to as someone who’s deaf. When she was evicted, he felt a bit lost, but he soon found new allies in Cirie Fields, Felicia Cannon, and his Final 2 Minutemen alliance member, and eventual Big Brother 25 winner, Jag Bains. Reilly proved that she never stopped thinking about Matt by visiting with his mom and sending him a letter, while Matt often spoke of Reilly during the game.
It’s a good thing that Matt was honest with Reilly about how he’s too overwhelmed after the show to begin a romantic relationship with her. It’s also admirable that she’s so understanding of his feelings. Matt spent 100 days in the Big Brother 25 house, while Reilly was there for 16. She’s had time to decompress and move forward from the show, but he hasn’t. Reilly and Matt can remain good friends for now, and, perhaps someday in the future, they can explore a romantic relationship. Reilly and Matt seem to care about each other a lot, so perhaps all they need is some time.
