"A Heartfelt Apology: Reilly Smedley and Cara Maria Sorbello Mend Fences Post-Challenge"

In an exclusive interview with us, reality TV sensation Reilly Smedley has opened up about the post-season apology she received from none other than Cara Maria Sorbello following their heated confrontation on "The Challenge: Cutthroat." Smedley shared, "Cara reached out to me a couple of months back. She said, 'Listen, I love you. I am so sorry if I misdirected you. It was never intentional.'" The former "Big Brother" contestant couldn't help but gush about her fellow competitor, stating, "Me and Cara are amazing. I love Cara. She's the best." However, Smedley admitted that Sorbello trying to guide her during the challenge only added to the confusion, ultimately leading to Smedley's elimination against Deb Chubb. "I was just following instructions," she explained. "If I had trusted my instincts in that moment, I might have made it further in the game." Smedley went on to say that while Sorbello didn't intentionally misdirect her, it was a misunderstanding that may have cost her the challenge. "She genuinely feels terrible about what happened," Smedley said. "But I don't hold a grudge against her." Despite the miscommunication, Smedley appreciated Sorbello and the rest of the Blue Team for offering assistance from afar during the challenge. "It can get chaotic with everyone yelling at you, but it's helpful to have a different perspective," she said. "They had a bird's-eye view, and they've done this before. Having help from my teammates was exactly what I needed." Smedley also attributed the Blue Team's dysfunction to internal issues among its members, particularly the rookies. "We were brand new," she stated. "We had to learn everything about each other. We lost Cedric right off the bat, and then we got disqualified. People weren't getting along. There was no chemistry. And that ultimately led to the Blue Team's downfall." Despite her early elimination, Smedley is grateful for her experience on "The Challenge," which she found to be more positive than her stint on "Big Brother 25," where she was eliminated during Week 2. "When you come in hot like that and have to make the initial decisions and rip the band-aid off like I did on 'Big Brother,' people's feelings are going to get hurt," she explained. "But I think I've healed those relationships now." Smedley added, "I do think that I really genuinely love my 'Challenge' cast. I definitely am not super pumped about how I did, but other than that, friendships are great." Catch new episodes of "The Challenge: Cutthroat" every Wednesday on Paramount+.