Safaree's win came as a bit of a surprise given how widespread Wes's influence was among the villains and how Machiavellian his gameplay was throughout. (Remember that fake advantage he ruthlessly used against Kandy Muse?) But Samuels smartly parlayed what Richard Hatch called an "extraordinary" social strategy into victory, securing votes from Teresa, Kandy, Larsa Pippen and Camilla Poindexter and a clutch tiebreaker from Jessie. (Safaree shockingly didn't receive a vote from his longtime ally Tiffany "New York" Pollard, but more on that in a bit.)
Parade's Christina Izzo—who has been bringing you interviews with the banished villains all season long—sat down with Safaree after his victory to discuss House of Villains Season 2, the implosion of his alliance with Wes and Jessie, and why even he was surprised by his win.
Safaree Samuels on 'House of Villains' Season 2Art Streiber/E! Entertainment
House of Villains Season 2
Christina Izzo: Let's take it back to the beginning. When you walked into this house and saw who you'd be competing against this season, did you think you could take the crown of America's Ultimate Supervillain?
So you didn't have a strategy already percolating when you entered the competition? Richard complimented your social strategy during the final voting ceremony.
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Talking about alliances, you had had a long-standing pact with Wes and Jessie through the entire season. How did it feel going into the finals with them just like you guys had planned?
Do you feel it helped your game that your two closest allies were at each other's necks by the end? Wes and Jessie had that huge blowup in last week's episode. What was going through your head seeing that alliance implode?
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Not a chance in hell! I go to my knees and pray to God. But to have a guy stand in front of me and say, "Go on your knees and beg and I'll do it." What?! Hell no! I didn't think he was going to do it. Then when New York and Victoria were like, "Do it, do it," I was like, "Y'all are foul." And then when Wes did it, I thought Jessie was really going to give it to him. Being there in that moment, the way everything felt, I was like, "Okay, I guess this is him making Wes feel like a bitch after Wes called him his bitch." I was very surprised when Jessie reached over to shake my hand.
Wes Bergmann, Jessie Godderz and Safaree Samuels on 'House of Villains' Season 2Trae Patton/E! Entertainment
The only one that surprised me was New York. I exploded. They didn't show it but at the end, I exploded on her and everyone who didn't vote for me. I went off. The people who didn't vote for me, I expected that, but I was like, "I don't want none of y'all coming to shake my hand and tell me congratulations" or none of that. I was like, "Get the hell out of my face, y'all go to hell, y'all fake." With New York, I was taken aback because New York used to look at me and say, "Safaree, if it's ever me and you, just know I got your back, and you never have to worry about anything." So, I was like, "Damn, you said that to me and you were lying."
Yeah, we're still cool. With her, I want to see her outside of a TV environment. I've never been with her in real life. I'm like, "Yo, are you being for real or not?" I know how it is with TV—we're characters. So, it's like, are you a character or are you being for real right now?
Yeah, I still talk to Wes, still talk to Jessie, still talk to Victoria. Me and Larsa speak a lot. She's always doing house renovations, and I'm like an interior decorator so she's always trying to use my contractors and stuff.
Overall, do you believe that you were the most villainous person in the house, or were you just the smartest at playing a villainous game? I feel like you were choosy about your ruthlessness, unlike Wes.
But clearly your strategy—or lack thereof, as you say—worked. You took out reality TV heavy-hitters.
And you want to know what's so crazy? I didn't know who any of those people were! Okay, I knew New York and I knew Teresa, but I didn't know anybody else. Everybody kept talking about Wes from The Challenge, but I didn't know anything about him. I didn't know how he played or what he did so when I saw the things he was doing, I was shocked. Rich, too—when I saw Rich wanted me out, I was shocked because Rich wasn't even on my radar.
Now that you've been victorious on House of Villains, are there any other reality TV competitions that you'd would like to take a stab at?
Honestly, all of them. I never was that kind of a person to be like, "Hey, I want to do these kinds of shows," but now that I did it, I'm all for taking a stab at anything that anyone sends my way.
Final question: what are you going to do with the $200,000?
No more fur coats then? You've got plenty already!
That doesn't sound villainous.
Definitely not villainous!
Past episodes of E!'s House of Villains Season 2 are available to stream on Peacock.
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