Katherine LaPrell Was Too Hot To Handle’s Accidental Rule-Breaking Queen

Katherine LaPrell knows she was “acting a fool” on Too Hot to Handle, but she doesn’t consider herself the bad guy. The 28-year-old Los Angeles native quickly established herself as the biggest rule-breaker on Season 6, a role she says was unintentional. “I thought everybody else was going to be breaking rules left and right,” LaPrell tells Elite Daily. “When I kept finding out it was just me, it was awkward. It made me look bad because I was the only one, but I thought we all came out here because we had a problem.”

The “problem” in question? Horniness, a defining quality among contestants on Netflix’s most sex-centric reality dating series. THTH asks its cast to refrain from physical intimacy (including masturbation) or risk losing money from the group prize fund — pitting them against each other for who can best suppress their libido.

LaPrell knew the rules going in, but she was there to have a good time. “If people want to talk, that’s fine — I was totally acting thirsty,” she says. “It was a game to me, and it was hilarious. I was just taking a piss out of it.” This self-deprecating humor has become her MO on social media, where she deflects hateful comments with cheeky jokes about her bad behavior.

Still, she insists that she’s been getting mostly love online. Besides, she left the retreat as a finalist with something better than a perfect record: a relationship with Charlie Jeer that’s going strong. “Charlie and I are still together,” LaPrell says. “He is truly amazing, a beautiful human inside and out.”

They now get to relive the origin story of their connection. “Watching the show felt like watching a romance movie,” LaPrell says. “We were with two other people, then we came together at last and were finalists. I think it’s a beautiful story.”

Here, LaPrell reflects on her time on the show, from her “tempting” flirtation with Louis Russell to why she disagrees with viewers who think she’s a villain.

Elite Daily: For the first time this season, the cast knew they were doing Too Hot to Handle — there was no surprise reveal. You knew about the no-sex restrictions… Did you go in planning to break the rules?

KL: I really didn’t, but you saw the temptation I had in front of my eyes. It was hard. Half the time, I forgot about the rules and that I shouldn’t be breaking them. I’d just be like, “Here we are, let’s kiss.”

I definitely wasn’t trying to make enemies. I’m not that kind of person. The last thing I want is drama or for anybody to hate me. I was just being stupid, and I hold myself accountable for my actions. But also, we all knew we were on this show, and we were supposed to be these horny individuals who can’t control ourselves. So why were some people acting like saints?

ED: From the viewers’ POV, you were the initiator in most of your early rule breaks with Louis. Is that how it actually was, or was it more of a two-way street?

KL: Hey, it takes two to tango. It might have seemed like it was me, which I feel bad about because it makes me look desperate, but we were both flirting with each other. We were both tempting each other. There are a lot of things they didn’t air in the show, and I wasn’t the only person initiating things.

ED: Moving on to you and Charlie — you had an initial flirtation, but it wasn’t until the mirror workshop that sparks really flew. What was that moment like?

KL: It truly was as magical as it looked — something just happened, and we felt like we were each other’s person.

Seeing Charlie open up and talk about his feelings made me realize that’s something I really want in a man. I watched it back and could have cried because I could see the love in my eyes looking at him.

I was not trying to ruin anybody’s relationship or be a homewrecker.

ED: The aftermath was a little rocky because it meant Charlie had to end things with Lucy Syed to be with you. Did you worry that would make it look like you two had wanted to be together the whole time and didn’t care about your prior connections?

KL: Don’t get me wrong — we had been with two separate people until the mirror workshop. I tried to get with Charlie in the beginning, but after he rejected me and picked Lucy, I respected that. I wasn’t going to act desperate and keep fighting for him. I was with Louis and I was genuinely trying to make that connection work. I was not trying to ruin anybody’s relationship or be a homewrecker.

ED: After you ended things with Louis, he tried to get with Gianna Pettus right away. Do you think that he genuinely liked her, or was he just playing the game?

KL: It was quick. I don’t want to speak badly about anybody… but I just don’t know how genuine it was. Who knows? Maybe when he was with me, he wanted to pursue stuff with Gianna. I hope he wasn’t just using her as a rebound.

ED: Despite all the initial drama, you two made it to the end as finalists. Were you surprised Bri Balram and Demari Davis won?

KL: I wasn’t surprised. I was the biggest rule-breaker, so why should I deserve to win all that money? Plus, they ended things in an official relationship. They were together from the start. Charlie and I were only together for around five days at that point.

I was really happy for them. They deserved it, and I definitely didn’t with the way I was acting. I felt like a winner, though, leaving there with Charlie.

ED: Tell me about life since the show. What’s your relationship with Charlie like?

KL: Charlie checks off all the boxes and everything that I’ve ever wanted in a man. He’s so intelligent. He always makes me feel safe. I can tell him anything about how I feel, which I was afraid to do in relationships before.

Even though he was acting a fool a little bit in the show, he doesn’t do that with me. We have so much trust in each other and are so honest. There are no insecurity issues, and we don’t fight. I’m truly lucky to have him in my life and be able to call him my boyfriend.

ED: What has it been like watching everything back together?

KL: It was hard to see myself break all these rules with someone else, knowing how much I love Charlie. I felt bad for him having to watch that. But we got over that hump, and I’m happy with how everything came out.

I never watch an episode and see something he did and think, “What the f*ck?” That was in the past. We’re focusing on our future.

ED: You’ve been posting on social media a lot joking around about your behavior on the show. How do you feel about the way you were portrayed?

KL: Honestly, I’ve been getting so much love. It’s like 98% love and 2% hate. If anybody has something bad to say about me, I turn it around and make it a joke. I’m a goofball. I don’t take anything seriously.

Sorry if I acted a fool, but there had to be some excitement.

ED: You were this season’s biggest rule-breaker… but do you see yourself as a villain?

KL: I don’t think I was a villain at all. I can see how some people think that, because of my rule breaks and everything that happened with Lucy, but I handled that situation properly. I was honest.

I also don’t get how breaking the rules makes me a villain. Maybe because I was spending a lot of money — but come on, does Netflix really have a budget of $250,000 for the prize fund? I don’t know.

ED: So basically, someone had to spend the money.

KL: Exactly. I had to make it fun and interesting. Sorry if I acted a fool, but there had to be some excitement. No, I’m just kidding — honestly, I didn’t do it on purpose. I just couldn’t control myself.

This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.