‘Claim to Fame’: Naomi Felt ‘Blindsided’ by Betrayal as Her Famous Family Member Was Exposed (Exclusive)

Naomi Burns can’t believe how a betrayal in the Claim to Fame house led to her elimination. After Adam correctly guessed his fellow competitor was related to iconic Brat Pack star Molly Ringwald during Wednesday’s episode of the ABC show, sending her packing and ending her chance of winning $100,000, Naomi opened up to PopCulture.com about being “blindsided” by a former ally.

“When I found out Adam was coming for me in the elimination I absolutely knew someone had fed him the correct answer or he was wrong,” she explained. “He had no idea who my cousin was and admitted that to me, so I knew there was 100% no way he did that on his own.”

Naomi initially thought Shane had been the one to feed Adam the information about her family member, but she was “blindsided” to find out it had been Hud to give up the Sixteen Candles star’s identity. “I was so sad,” Naomi admitted of learning the truth behind her elimination. “I went to great lengths to protect Hud’s clue. I had people trying to threaten me for it, trying to bribe me for it, and I didn’t fold. I stayed true to my promise to protect it unless I absolutely had to. And he got rid of me over a misunderstanding… that hurt a lot.”

As a stay-at-home mom, Naomi said she joined Claim to Fame to have fun, make a little money, and do something for herself. “As a parent to small kids you sometimes lose yourself for short periods of time giving all of yourself to make sure your children are getting the best life has to offer,” she shared. “It was my way of reminding myself that I’m still me.”

After assuring her famous cousin that the show would respect their family’s “privacy,” Ringwald was on board as well. “My cousin hasn’t done any reality TV, so she didn’t know what to expect for me but just encouraged me to have fun and make the best of the experience whatever the outcome,” Naomi revealed, adding that while The Breakfast Club star didn’t have any competition tips for her, she did advise her to lock down her TikTok and Instagram to keep fans from guessing their relation prematurely. 

Having moved in with Ringwald’s parents as a teenager, Naomi shared that she’s got a little more “complicated” cousin relationship than most. “It’s not quite sibling but not quite cousin, because my aunt and uncle helped raise me and I see them as parental figures,” she explained. “So we have been a lot closer than most cousins.” Naomi added of her bond with her famous family member, “We both love music, languages, travel, and good food,” gushing over Ringwald’s “amazing sense of style” and “best taste in music.” She added, “I’ve always looked up to her and she’s been so loving, generous, and supportive to me over the years I’m so grateful.”

Claim to Fame (produced by Kinetic Content) airs Wednesdays at 9 p.m. on ABC.