The Traitors' Britney and Danielle's 'Big Brother' Drama Explained

Britney Haynes and Danielle Reyes had a lot of history before stepping into The Traitors mansion.

Danielle cemented herself as a Big Brother legend after becoming the runner up on season 3 which aired in 2002. The real estate manager returned to the show four years later in its All-Stars season where she came in sixth place.

Britney, for her part, joined the CBS competition series for season 12 which premiered in 2010. While the real estate agent came in fourth place, she won the hearts of fans thanks to her witty commentary. She was voted America’s Favorite Player and was asked back for season 14 as a coach alongside season 7 winner Mike “Boogie” Malin and fellow Traitors alums Dan Gheesling and Janelle Pierzina. (Britney and Janelle also competed on The Amazing Race together as a team.)

While Danielle and Britney never played Big Brother’s traditional format together, they have been connected over the years as they formed a friendship as fellow alums. During the season 25 premiere in 2023, the women met for the first time when they made a cameo to break into the Big Brother house alongside Frankie Grande.

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That same year, Britney and Danielle were reunited as they faced off on Big Brother’s holiday-themed competition show Reindeer Games. While the women were working together at first, Britney played a role in Danielle’s dramatic elimination. Danielle and Britney’s friendship has since turned into a feud following the betrayal.

While it’s been two years since the drama went down, the wound reopened when the women both joined the cast of The Traitors season 3. In a sneak peek of the January 9 premiere, fans got a brief glimpse into Britney and Danielle having an intense face-to-face chat about their past drama.

Keep scrolling for a complete breakdown on Danielle and Britney’s Big Brother history:

Danielle’s ‘Big Brother’ Legacy

Throughout the history of Big Brother, Danielle has been dubbed the best player to never win the game. Danielle changed the course of the game following her devastating season 3 loss. She was best known for her strategic prowess and candid demeanor in the diary room. At the time, the jury returned home to watch the season unfold.

After seeing Danielle’s confessionals, a majority of the voted out players felt bitter over her remarks and ultimately voted against her. She received one vote from her loyal ally Jason Guy while Lisa Donahue took home the cash prize. Following season 3, Big Brother began sequestering their jury members.

Danielle returned for Big Brother’s first All-Stars season in 2006, and she was immediately targeted for being a strategic player. However, she aligned with Boogie, Dr. Will Kirby, James Rhine and Erika Landin. Danielle was evicted as the fourth member of the jury.

17 years later, Danielle came out of her Big Brother retirement to participate in Reindeer Games.

Britney’s ‘Big Brother’ Legacy

Like Danielle, Britney has appeared on two Big Brother seasons. Britney became a fan favorite during her first appearance in season 12. She was best known for her wisecracks and joking commentary. Her legacy has lived on with her iconic lines including, “I lost my dignity on a slippery wiener,” and “You’re a homosapien, Brendon. You’re not a wizard!”

Britney returned to Big Brother two seasons later as a coach where she played alongside Dan and Janelle. Britney became collateral damage following Dan’s legendary funeral move and voted out. She became the second member of the jury.

Britney then took an 11-year break from Big Brother before joining the Reindeer Games cast.

Danielle and Britney’s ‘Big Brother’ Cameo

Britney, Danielle and Frankie appeared in the season 25 premiere, which aired in 2023, to introduce the season’s twist. In the bit, the trio broke into the Big Brother house to use a time laser so they could change their fate from their respective seasons. But in true Big Brother fashion, the trio’s plan backfired and they accidentally created the BB Multiverse twist for the incoming houseguests.

What Went Down on ‘Reindeer Games’

After season 25 wrapped up, Britney and Danielle were reunited to compete in the holiday-themed competition series. As players from the older seasons, Britney and Danielle gravitated towards each other and wanted to form a women’s alliance. While the duo had the best of intentions for each other, an unfortunate instance in a competition fractured their dynamic.

In episode three, the remaining competitors were tasked with completing a puzzle during the Santa’s Showdown elimination challenge. It featured a knockout format as the first participant got five minutes and thirty seconds to finish the puzzle. If the puzzle was solved before time ran out, the player was safe. However, the next person would have significantly less time on the clock.

Nicole Franzel had won a challenge earlier in the day which gave her safety in the competition but she was tasked with picking who should go first. She ultimately chose Frankie who finished the puzzle quickly. Frankie subsequently chose Xavier Prather to go next. Despite struggling with the puzzle, Xavier completed the challenge with seconds to spare. The lawyer was convinced whoever went next would automatically go home.

Both Britney and Danielle begged their fellow competitors not to send them in as they knew they were not good at Big Brother challenges in the past. Xavier, who was secretly aligned with Danielle, decided to take a shot at Britney.

Britney went into the puzzle already thinking she would be sent home. However, she surprised herself — and the other players — when she was victorious with plenty of time to spare. After learning from Xavier that he was working with Danielle, Britney felt betrayed that she was not included in their deal. While Taylor Hale volunteered to go into the puzzle next, Britney decided to pick Danielle instead. Danielle went into the challenge and gave it her all. She lost by a few seconds, making her the third boot.

What Did Danielle Say After ‘Reindeer Games’?

After her exit, Danielle opened up about how hurt she was by Britney’s decision to send her in.

“She was my person. The person that I was wanting to go to the finals with was Britney,” Danielle said to Entertainment Weekly in December 2023. “And so when she put me in, it was very shocking. So I think that’s probably why I didn’t do so well in the comp, because I couldn’t get my head around that this friend of mine put me in this game knowing that I was not going to come back.”

Danielle explained that she had an “undying love” for Britney outside of the game and was hurt by the blindside.

“When I came out of the house, I just didn’t understand why she did what she did. And it was like I kept playing it in my head. I was like, ‘What happened?’ So yeah, that’s how I dealt with it,” she reflected. “I understand she did it for game purposes, and she said she had thoughts or feelings about me in the house, but again, my feelings were based on my relationship outside the game. So that’s where I stand with her decision making. Like I said, I was hurt. I was taken aback by it.”

What Did Britney Say After ‘Reindeer Games’?

Britney ended up coming in 5th place in the Reindeer Games. Following her elimination, she explained her thought process about why she decided to target Danielle.

“It was not always going to be Danielle. However, Danielle was on my radar as far as I did not trust that she was really working with me and the girls alliance as much as I thought she was working with that four-person alliance,” Britney said in a December 2023 interview with Entertainment Weekly. “I felt that they were much tighter, that they were a much more secure alliance. And as you can see, watching it back, it’s even more evident to me now than it even felt in the moment.”

Britney confessed that she thought Danielle was doing a “really good job socially” and didn’t think anyone else would choose to target her.

“We were both trying to do the same thing socially. And I saw if someone at some point could save me or Danielle, they’re going to save Danielle every single time,” she said. “And so as much as I wanted to work with her — and if I could have had the opportunity to shake a snow globe, Danielle would’ve been in my final four — seeing how well she was doing socially and seeing how we were playing a similar type game, I knew she would always be a preference for safety over me. Because I had started winning competitions and she had done the work socially.”