Maura Higgins says she had a hunch that Rob Roush would ultimately make good on his extravagant promises, even after he betrayed her in the dramatic finale of Traitor Season 4.
In an exclusive interview with SiriusXM’s Page Six Radio, Higgins said she always suspected Roush was serious when he vowed to buy her a Birkin bag as a consolation prize for the gameplay that ultimately helped her win the season.
“He brought it up at the reunion, and I was like, ‘Whatever,'” Higgins recalled. “And when we were[shooting]the Eric Nam music video, he brought it up to me and said, ‘You know I’m definitely going to get you a bag,’ and I was like, ‘Oh, I’ll believe it when I see this.'”
Her skepticism was unfounded. Higgins said some of the other contestants doubted whether the reality star would actually go through with it.
“A lot of the other Castle cast members were like, ‘Oh, Maura, do you believe in this guy again?'” she said with a laugh.
But Higgins insisted he would have a different perspective once the game was over.
“And I thought, ‘Actually, that’s the case — because we’re not in the game anymore,'” she explained. “So, I’m laughing now. Who’s laughing? It’s me!”
Sure enough, Rausch proved her right this week when he presented Higgins with a stunning burgundy Hermès Birkin live with host Andy Cohen on Wednesday night’s “Happens Live with Andy Cohen.”
The expensive handbag, a burgundy Hermès Togo Birkin 30 with gold hardware, is estimated to cost between $16,000 and $22,000.
However, this luxury product did not appear out of thin air. Higgins told Page Six Radio that fellow “Traitors” star Lisa Rinna played a key role in securing Roush the coveted accessory.
“It’s crazy. I call her my American mom now,” Higgins said of the “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” alum. “She’s really rooting for me and cheering me on. It means a lot to me.”
Higgins said she knew how difficult it was to buy a Birkin and immediately suggested that Rausch enlist Rinna’s help.
“You can’t just walk into a Hermès store and buy a Birkin. It’s not easy. You have to make an appointment. Some people are on the waiting list for more than a year,” she explained.
“But obviously Lisa Rinna, I mean she’s the queen, has a lot of connections, a lot of connections,” Higgins added. “So I immediately said to Rob, ‘Talk to Lisa.’
Rinna ultimately helped connect Rausch with luxury goods reseller Madison Avenue Couture, which sourced the bags.
“I told him, ‘Lisa will make it happen,’ and she was like, ‘Of course she will.’ And I knew she would,” Higgins said.
The burgundy bag also happened to be a perfect match for Higgins’ recent look.
“The last one I bought was a cream color, so I said to all my friends, ‘Next time I’m going to go for burgundy,'” she said. “I think the last time I bought one was just a few months ago.”
As it turned out, Rausch achieved exactly what she had in mind.
“The Traitors” is available to stream on Peacock.
