Exclusive: ‘Champs vs. Stars’ Competitor Kailah Casillas Reveals Which ‘Star’ She Totally Misjudged

Coming into The Challenge: Champs vs. Stars this season, Kailah Casillas didn’t know what to expect. But she did know she was going to try and steer clear of the stars.

What she definitely didn’t expect, she revealed during a May interview with PopCulture.com, is that she would be betrayed by one of her fellow champs, and bond with one of the stars!

“What [producers] don’t really show is all of the champs team, we all from the beginning … sat down and told each other that we come first,” she told PopCulture. “The stars are new. This is our game. We’re gonna have each other’s back and that’s that. And if you end up screwing over one of The Challenge people, the champs, it’s just gonna come back and haunt you later, so we might as well all stick together.”

That was prior to the merger, when the stars and champs were forced to take each other on as teammates — a twist she really didn’t expect.

“I did not see that coming at all,” she told PopCulture. “That was a huge surprise.”

She was also shocked watching the ongoing season to see how fellow champ Wes Bergmann, known for his sneaky side in The Challenge world, was playing both sides of the fence, collaborating with both the stars and the champs.

“I had no idea that that was happening,” Casillas told PopCulture. “I did, but I didn’t. I mean I never played a game with Wes before, I’ve never been on The Challenge with him, but I’ve heard how slimy he is. And he really assured me time and time again, ‘I am on you guys’ team. I am with the champs. I have no allegiances to the stars,’ blah blah blah.”

She admitted he did have her back at times, but that she had no idea he was making deals with star Louise Hazel.

When asked if she was angry watching his manipulations back this season, Casillas said she was incredibly mad. “I tweeted at him too, I was like ‘Wow, everything people say about you is so true.’” she told PopCulture. “I didn’t want to think that of him, because everyone says he’s this manipulative, conniving person and he’ll do anything to save his own a—. I wanted to kind of form my own opinion of him. I had multiple conversations with him while we were there and he was super genuine with me. Well, I thought he was being genuine, but it turns out he was actually lying the whole time. I was like, so they are right, you are a piece of s—.”

She may have been let down by one of her fellow champs, but Casillas said she made up for it by bonding with Brooke Hogan, daughter of famed wrestler Hulk Hogan. It didn’t start off as a sisterhood, however.

“I actually did not like Brooke Hogan at all when I first met her,” Casillas told PopCulture. “I just didn’t understand her. And looking back, she’s very nice and very genuine, but if you don’t know her, it can kind of come off as kind of snooty and condescending. And then I got to know her and I realized she’s actually just a really sweet person and she doesn’t mean to come off like that.”

She continued: “She’s just really extra nice, and sometimes you’re like, ‘Whoa, you’re just like an angel.’ And now we’re actually really good friends and I talk to her all the time. I’m really close with her now. So, I didn’t expect that.”

That’s the only star she ended up spending time with, Casillas made clear.

“Aside from her I don’t think I talk to anyone else [of the stars], and I kind of steered clear of making any friendships with them.”

The Challenge: Champs vs. Stars airs Tuesdays at 10 p.m. ET on MTV.

Photo credit: Instagram/Kailah Casillas