Rick Devens Wins Big Brother 28

Rick Devens, a two-time "Survivor" contestant, has been crowned the winner of "Big Brother 28," taking home the $750,000 grand prize. Devens defeated Taylor Brown in the season finale, securing six out of the seven jury votes. Brown, as the runner-up, received $75,000.

The jury's votes came from Angela Murray, Barrett Pfeiffer, Yash Patel, Melody Morris, Dee Valladares, and Drew Campbell, with LaTrice Verrett being the sole vote for Brown.

In addition to the grand prize, Devens also claimed America's Favorite Player for an additional $50,000 and another $10,000 for winning the "Pharaoh's Curse" challenge, bringing his total winnings to $810,000.

The final Head of Household competition saw Devens emerge victorious in its third part. As HOH, Devens chose to take Brown to the final two, resulting in Drew Campbell becoming the final jury member. Devens' decision to evict Campbell and advance with Brown was noted as a surprise, given their close relationship throughout the season, often referring to each other as "father" and "son."

Earlier in the season, several Houseguests expressed feelings of betrayal by Campbell. Mallory Aurichio, a pre-jury evictee, told Page Six that she was surprised by Campbell's actions, noting his tendency to play both sides of the house and relay information to the "Icons" alliance. Yash Patel also voiced "hard feelings" towards Campbell regarding gameplay but stated that these sentiments would remain within the game. Melody Morris, who had a "flirtmance" with Campbell, indicated she would not pursue a romantic relationship with him outside the house due to certain traits.

Dee Valladares, another "Survivor" alum who competed alongside Devens on "Survivor 50," revealed that had she won the final HOH, she would have evicted Devens. Valladares explained that while she valued her loyalty to Devens, she believed he could defeat her in the final two and that he likely would have made a similar strategic decision.

Season 13 winner Rachel Reilly had previously expressed a hope that "Survivor" players would dominate "Big Brother 28," telling Page Six that she wanted to see them "steamroll" the competition and utilize their strategic skills from the outset.