Derek Xiao and Claire Rehfuss, known for their appearances on Big Brother 23 and their win on The Amazing Race 34, have ended their four-year relationship.
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Rehfuss, 29, announced the news in an Instagram story, insisting “nothing dramatic happened.”
“After 4 wonderful years together, Derek and I have decided to end our relationship,” the Big Brother alum wrote. “Nothing dramatic happened, just the realization that we’re different people who want different things.”
“We still deeply care about each other, are grateful for the time we shared, and will remain friends,” she added. “Thank you all for the love and support, it truly means so much. We hope that by sharing, we can be given the space and grace to move forward without any speculation or drama.”
Their paths first crossed on Big Brother 23 in 2021. Rehfuss was a last-minute addition, subbing in for a COVID-positive cast member. While they were allies on the show, sparks didn’t exactly fly. It seems their romantic connection blossomed post-eviction, after both were sent packing in tenth and eighth place.
Soon after Rehfuss arrived at the jury house, the two began to connect.
“I remember the first or second night that she was there, we stayed up all night just talking until 5:00 a.m.,” Xiao,28, recalled to Us in a 2021 interview.
“That happened every single night for the first, like, five days. That’s when I started really thinking like, ‘Wait a second, why didn’t this happen in the house? There’s such a strong connection and chemistry between us.’ I think that was the beginning of us thinking about what this could be,” he added.
The Big Brother Alums Went on to Win The Amazing Race
Weeks after Big Brother 23 ended in October, the two surprised the show’s community with a social media announcement confirming their relationship.
The couple moved quickly after Big Brother. Though both lived in New York City, they relocated to San Francisco in August 2022. That same month, they were announced as one of 12 teams competing on The Amazing Race 34. This was their first on-screen challenge as a couple, despite their prior reality TV experience.
In 2023, they eventually moved to California together, a year after winning The Amazing Race.
“It’s surreal. It’s just unbelievable. What a fantastic opportunity,” Rehfuss gushed to Us in 2022 about winning the $1 million prize with her then-beau. “I understand why people [were] like, ‘You go on the race and you’re gonna break up or you’re gonna make it work.’ We just were really required to talk about, like, how do we communicate, how do we wanna solve problems? And be very honest and be very real with each other in a way that I think a lot of couples don’t have to be, necessarily, and still be happy.”