Big Brother stars Taylor Hale and Joseph Abdin became close friends while on the show, even inspiring romance speculation. Although the two said they are just “having fun” last month, they have only grown closer in the weeks since the show ended. Abdin, 25, even met Hale’s mother during their first trip together.
Hale, 27, and Abdin traveled to Reno, Nevada for the 2022 Miss USA pageant on Monday, they told Us Weekly. “Last minute we just decided, ‘Why don’t we go?’ So, we booked a flight and two hours later, we were on it,” Abdin told the magazine. He noted it was his “first time traveling” with the Big Brother champion. Hale even introduced Abdin to her mother and friends.
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“Her mom and pageant coaches were so welcoming and loving and they were so patient with me in explaining how the pageant world works,” Abdin said. “It was such a pleasure seeing this part of her life and how happy it made her.”
Abdin found himself completely wrapped up in the pageant scene, even though he was completely unfamiliar with it. He was “more invested” in it than Hale, adding that he started “screaming and rooting” for some of the contestants. “This is definitely not gonna be my last one,” he said.
The experience also helped Abdin see a new side of Hale. He understood how she won Miss Congeniality during her own pageant days. It was “heartwarming” to see Hale in her element, Abdin said. “She really knows what she’s doing in that pageant world, and I can see why everyone there loves her.”
Hale made history late last month when she won Big Brother Season 24. She is the first Black woman to win a non-celebrity season of the long-running CBS series. Hale did not have an easy journey to victory, even facing bullying from other contestants. Hale understood the history she could achieve, even telling Entertainment Weekly that becoming the first Black woman to win was her “exact goal” when the season began.
Now that the season is over, Hale and Abdin have been seen together so often that fans already nicknamed them “Jaylor.” However, they told Us Weekly in September that are only “having fun” and were taking their relationship “day by day.” Hale said there was “just something really warm and inviting” about Abdin that bought the two together. For now, they want to get to know each other in the real world before putting a label on their relationship. “We’re having fun,” Hale said. “We’re making sure we’re taking care of ourselves, but yeah, I’m not gonna let go of Joseph anytime soon.”
