Bri Balram and Demari Davis were elated to win Too Hot to Handle season 6, but they are still waiting for one crucial part of the victory.
This post contains spoilers for Too Hot to Handle season 6.
“So, we actually have not got paid yet,” Bri, 26, exclusively told Us Weekly ahead of the season 6 finale. “They didn’t want us to go, like, elope and spend the money, so we haven’t got paid yet.”
Bri and Demari, 27, were crowned cowinners of Too Hot to Handle during the Friday, August 2, episode. Netflix originally allocated a sum of $250,000 for the winners, which saw multiple dips during the season after various couples’ rule-breaking kisses.
In addition to leaving Too Hot to Handle with a check, Bri and Demari walked away as a couple. While speaking with Us, Bri declined to offer specific updates about where they stand post-show for one specific reason.
“Demari does not want me to speak on our relationship without him,” she said. “We just don’t want to spoil anything for anybody. We want to keep everybody kind of on their toes.”
Without spoiling their next journey, Bri told Us that she is “very happy” with how the entire journey played out.
“I’m very happy that they were able to show my personality and show who I am authentically,” she said. “I think that was the most important part for me because I wanted people to see the true me, and they’re obviously getting it. They’re getting all the feels, they’re getting all the drama. They’re getting everything that I wanted them to get out of me from just seeing me and meeting me for the first time.”
She added, “I’m happy with the relationships that I feel, the friendships that I feel. I’m happy where I am with Demari and I’m happy for this new journey in my life and reality TV and everything that life has to offer me at this point. I’m very excited and I can’t wait [for the next chapter].”
Bri and Demari’s Too Hot to Handle connection, however, wasn’t all smooth sailing. The pair had to work through each other kissing different retreat guests.
Bri smooched Chris Alli on night one, leading to a 24-hour stay in the banishment cabin. After Demari worked through his jealousy, he and Bri were seemingly back on track. However, he was tested when newcomer Valentina Rueda Velez arrived to take him on a date, where they had a steamy embrace.
“I’m still upset watching it, hearing about it, seeing all the comments … and everything. It’s just actually seeing it in real life hurt more than knowing about it,” Bri told Us. “I think it’s just something that we’re just actively working on trying to get past it all, but it is very hard to watch on TV. I was very invested at this point … we [would] kiss [and] cuddle every night. We [had] these intimate conversations that they just don’t show all the way. I just felt very heartbroken.”
After the PDA session, Demari realized that it was Bri he wanted all along and he planned a grand gesture to win her back.
“I think he’s used to girls just chasing after him and forgiving him so easily. I’m not used to that. I have standards,” she explained to Us. “I have boundaries and those were so important to me even before going into the show. Anytime I date anybody, I’m like, ‘It is a privilege for you to be here with me, sharing my love with you, sharing my feelings with you, sharing my presence with you.’ I was like, ‘This is not a light situation, and I don’t want you to think that it ever is or will be.’”
Too Hot to Handle is currently streaming on Netflix.
With reporting by Christina Garibaldi
