If you watched Big Brother 20 back in 2018, you probably have one very specific, very stressful image burned into your brain. A girl in a yoga outfit, sobbing on the floor, failing to put together a six-piece life-sized puzzle of herself. It was Kaitlyn Herman.
Most people remember her as the "manifestation girl" who couldn't lift a puzzle piece. But honestly? There is so much more to her story than that one embarrassing live TV moment.
Kaitlyn Herman: The Chaos Agent of BB20
Kaitlyn didn't just walk into the Big Brother house; she floated in on a cloud of essential oils and sage. A life coach from Plainview, New York, she was only 24 when she became the most talked-about person on the internet. She claimed to see auras. She talked to spirit guides. She even thought a bird in the backyard was her dead grandfather.
People loved her. People hated her. But nobody could look away.
She wasn't a "boring" player. In just four weeks, she flipped the entire house upside down. She backstabbed her own alliance to get rid of Swaggy C, all because she "felt a vibration" or something. It was strategic suicide, sure, but it was incredible television.
The Puzzle Fail That Defined a Season
Let’s talk about the elephant in the room. The Bonus Life competition.
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For weeks, Sam Bledsoe held a power that would allow an evicted houseguest a chance to return. When the house finally turned on Kaitlyn and voted her out 9-1, the "puzzle" was her path back. It should have been the easiest win in reality TV history.
Production literally tested the puzzle on dozens of people. Children did it in under a minute. Kaitlyn had two and a half minutes.
She panicked.
"I caaaaan’t lift it!" she screamed. Looking back at the footage, she actually had the pieces together on the floor. She just couldn't figure out how to stand them up on the pedestal. As the clock hit zero, the most chaotic player of the season was officially gone. It was a massive letdown for the producers who clearly wanted her to stay for the drama.
The Reality TV Hangover
Coming out of that house wasn't easy. You've gotta remember, Kaitlyn was getting roasted by the entire world. Memes of her puzzle fail were everywhere.
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Plus, her personal life was a bit of a wreck. She entered the house with a boyfriend, musician Aire Atlantica, but her "soul connections" with Tyler Crispen and Faysal Shafaat (Fessy) on the live feeds made things... complicated. They didn't stay together.
In a 2025 interview on the Dare to Overshare podcast, Kaitlyn opened up about how "dark and crazy" the post-show experience actually was. Being judged by millions of people while you're still trying to figure out your own life is a recipe for a mental health crisis.
What is she doing now?
Kaitlyn didn't disappear. She leaned into her brand. She’s still a Certified Life Coach through her business, Kait Coaching.
She isn't just selling "vibes" anymore, though. She’s been pretty open about her struggles with chronic illness and anxiety, which has made her coaching feel a lot more grounded than the "90% love and light" persona we saw on CBS.
- Podcasting: She hosted Kait Coaching The Podcast, where she’s interviewed everyone from Holocaust survivors to fellow reality stars.
- Social Media: She's active on Instagram and TikTok, often posting about manifestation and "soul-led action."
- Cameo: If you want her to sage your house via video, she’s still one of the most popular Big Brother alums on the platform.
Why We Still Talk About Her
Kaitlyn Herman matters because she represents the "messy" era of Big Brother. Modern seasons can feel a bit scripted or safe. Players are too scared of being canceled to take risks.
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Kaitlyn didn't care. She followed her gut, even when her gut was totally wrong. She was a reminder that humans are irrational, emotional, and sometimes just really bad at puzzles.
Honestly, the show hasn't had a character quite like her since. She was "spirituality" meets "total game collapse."
Lessons from the Kaitlyn Saga
If you’re looking for a takeaway from the whirlwind that is Kaitlyn Herman, it’s basically this: Don't let your worst moment define your whole life. She could have gone into hiding after the puzzle fail. Instead, she used the platform to build a coaching career that has lasted nearly a decade. She took the "L" on national TV and turned it into a business.
What to do next
If you're a fan of the "messy" gameplay Kaitlyn pioneered, you should check out the Big Brother 20 live feed archives or her recent podcast appearances. Watching her talk about the "Nomination Speech From Hell" from Sam Bledsoe gives a lot of perspective on how much of the house drama was edited out.
You can also find her current coaching programs at kaitcoaching.com if you're actually into the manifestation stuff she preaches. Whether you believe in auras or not, you have to respect the hustle of someone who can fail that loudly and still come out on top.