There’s no bad blood between Big Brother exes Tucker Des Lauriers and Rubina Bernabe following their split.
“We’re friends. We’re fine,” Tucker, 31, exclusively told Us Weekly at House Chops Los Angeles’ Big Brother Finale Watch Party at Beaches Tropicana in West Hollywood on Sunday, September 28. “There’s no hard feelings there. I think we’re both just happy that each other are happy. All is good.”
Meanwhile, Rubina, 35, told Us that her reunion with Tucker post-split “could have probably not been as good as it is,” but she “wanted to specifically make sure that [they] would still be good” because they would be sharing spaces.
“I don’t know how Hollywood people do it. I think about that all the time. Like, you see your exes all the time. This is the first time in my life I’ve got to still see my ex. Usually, if you’re my ex, bye. You ain’t seeing me ever again, but in this time and space and with how we met, I knew I’d be seeing him more and more,” Rubina explained.
She continued, “I’m always going to have love for the guy, and I appreciate, always, whatever I get from any experience. I can’t ever be mad. I think there’s always a lesson or a blessing in everything. You gotta choose how you see things. So, yeah, I’m always going to be grateful.”
Tucker and Rubina called it quits in May after less than one year of dating. The breakup came shortly after the pair filmed The Amazing Race season 38, which consists of Big Brother stars and their loved ones, throughout March and April. (Tucker ran the race with his brother, Eric Des Lauriers, while Rubina raced with sister Kristine Bernabe. The season premiered on CBS earlier this month.)
Tucker told Us that he didn’t cross paths with Rubina much while filming The Amazing Race because “you don’t get to see the other teams a lot.”
“So it was really, like, a race with my brother. It was fun that Rubina was there, but we rarely saw each other, and if we did, it would be like sprinting by each other, just being, like, ‘You got this, yeah?’” he continued. “To have that experience with her was still really fun. We got to talk about it afterwards. It was a trip and an experience of a lifetime, and to share that with my brother, who’s my best friend, is unmatched.”
Rubina agreed that she “did not see” Tucker often in the competition and joked that she was in a more serious relationship with her sister during the race.
“It’s cool that we have another shared experience. But was it helpful for the relationship? I would say not. I don’t think it was zero out of 10 recommend doing it not with your partner, especially as a new boyfriend and girlfriend,” she said, adding that it had “always been the dream” to run the race with her sister.
Tucker and Rubina started dating while filming Big Brother season 26 in 2024. In November 2024, the pair exclusively told Us that their relationship was “better than ever” after the show, but they split less than one year later.
“There has been a lot going on lately and I wanted to finally address things. Rubina and I are taking a break,” Tucker said via his Instagram broadcast channel in May. “It’s very sad but deep down we both know it is what’s best for both of us at this time.”
Rubina also confirmed the split via Instagram and wrote of Tucker, “Grateful to have met him & for the love we shared. Feeling grounded and focused on this next chapter of growth. We appreciate your support, your respect, and the space to move through this chapter privately. And a big thank you in advance for continuing to support me through every season.”
The Amazing Race airs on CBS on Wednesdays at 9:30 p.m. ET.
