'The Circle' Season 6 Spoilers! Caress Alon Reveals Her Brother's Reaction to Catfishing as Him

Caress Alon

Warning! The interview below contains spoilers for episodes 1 through 12 of Netflix's The Circle season 6, which aired in April. Please do not continue if you do not wish to be spoiled on who was blocked in those episodes.

Perhaps the signs that Caress Alon was going to play The Circle hard began with her choice to catfish as her Billboard-charting brother. Though she wanted to bank on Paul Russell's success and social media clout, she quickly made a name for herself on the show. From the jump, Caress was one of the most intense gamers of the season. She tried to mobilize the men by forming the "Bro Code," and was part of the season's first rivalry with Steffi Hill, a tense relationship full of rap battles and AI accusations.

Though Caress got rid of his nemesis early on, he wasn't necessarily left with friends. As the season went on, everyone grew leery of Paul's constant gaming and lack of personal connections. Even his closest ally Kyle Fuller was wishing at points that Paul wouldn't chat him. They were forced to become tighter, though, when they were paired together as part of the "Ride or Die" twist. Despite Kyle trying to assist, Paul's social game was so sunk that the two ended up the lowest-rated pair. They were then faced with the option for one of them to sacrifice their game for the other to stay, or else they were both blocked. Despite how intense Caress played, her heart was what won out. She chose to sacrifice herself so Kyle could continue, gaining a new "bro" while catfishing as one.

Read on to hear Caress's thoughts on her time in the game. And check out Parade.com throughout The Circle season 6 with the various players and catfishes alike.

Related: The Circle Season 6: Everything You Need to Know

What's your history with The Circle? How did you end up getting on the show?
So casting actually found my brother online as he was on his rise to fame and "celebrityness." And they actually asked him to be on the show. My brother doesn't do a lot of on-camera work. But I've done a lot of on-camera work my whole life. And he was like, "Caress, I think you'd be so much better for this." So he told casting and they reached out to me. And I was like, "Dude, I love this show! I watch it all the time." So I talked to casting, and they were like, "Yeah, let's give you a try. Come on through." So that's actually how it happened. I mean, we're intertwined anyway as brother and sister, and he helped me really get on the show at this point. So it was really awesome.

So, to that point, what led you to decide to catfish as your brother? Was this always going to be the plan when you were confirmed to be on?
To be honest with you, the fact that they found my brother and reached out to him, I was like, "He's somebody. Let's start there." Secondly, he was rising to fame. My brother's got tons of friends on social media. I can't tell you how many times at family functions, I'd be like, "Bro, please help me get some followers." So I knew for a fact that playing him right when things were hot for him was gonna be a much better sitch for me. Because I just don't have too much experience on social media. So I was like, "You know what, bro? I'm playing you." And my brother and I, we play a lot. So it was an opportunity for me to joke around with him, play with him. We don't live together anymore. So it's just a way for us to stay connected as well, just have some good sibling fun. So I took the opportunity. I was like, "Let's go!"

As you mentioned, your brother has had a rise to stardom in the past year, having a song that charted on the Billboard Top 100 in 2023. Were you worried, by catfishing as him, someone may recognize him for his success, and determine Paul wouldn't need the money as much as them?
No, you're absolutely right. My dad was the one who actually put it in my head. My dad was like, "Caress, people might know Paul." And I was like, "Well, this is so weird for me." Because he's still my brother, despite the fact that he's rising up in fame. It hadn't quite clicked to me how famous he actually is. My dad was like, "Somebody might know." And I'm like, "Yo, somebody might know him. We've got to stay clear of that." Because I didn't know enough of what he was putting out there. I don't know who's following him. I don't know all that he's been saying on there. So I was like, "I just got to stay clear. I gotta keep a little distance between that. "So I tried not to mention it. And I don't think anybody really caught on. Which was actually probably good for my game, because they probably would have told in an instant that I wasn't him.

Well let's cut from the beginning to the end of your game. Clearly, you were someone that was hungry to play. So how long were you sitting there before you ultimately made the decision to sacrifice your game for Kyle? And what led to your decision?
I'm gonna be honest with you. I wish we could see some behind the scenes, because I was distraught. I came in, and people constantly are commenting right now that I'm "confidently wrong." But I'm still confident right? Most of the show, if you notice, my spirits are high, dude! Like, I came there to play the game, to win. And so when I was faced with that decision, to be honest with you, it just really brought me back to the life that I've lived. I've been resilient through a lot of things in life. And I've had to make sacrifices. I mean, even being an older sibling, or my younger brother, there's sacrifices I've had to make.

And so in this particular instance, I kind of knew when they said, "It was either one of you, or both of you," I knew right then that, if I had an inkling, a feeling that I was at the bottom, that I wasn't going to take anybody else with me. That's just my integrity. That's just the kind of moral compass that I personally had. And so I sat with it for a long time. I actually even said it. I was like, "This isn't me. The Caress that is here today wouldn't do this." However, the Caress that's here today would move aside if somebody else had a chance. And so I did. And. honestly, I'm so happy about the decision I made. I can literally say that I didn't get blocked. I mean, there you go! [Laughs.]

Talk to me about your relationship with Kyle. What was your reaction when you see the times that he was starting to sour on you due to how sketchy you were coming across early on?
I'm not gonna lie. I was like, "Bro, so that's how you felt like?!" Watching it now, I'm like, "Did I make the right decision in choosing you?" However, I feel like Kyle's responses have been absolutely great. I think that we all know who each other is. And he was really going off the fact that I was playing some moves that were catching people off guard. I'll say that. So I get it. It's not like it came out of left field. It's not like it wasn't planted in something. I get it. I was going crazy. And I think that his responses were valid.

At the same time, too, I see a lot of times when he's like, "Bro, that's my bro!" And every time he calls me "bro" I promise you that makes me giggly on the inside. Because I'm like, "Yes, I'm a bro. I did it." So I feel like we had a really good relationship. We went a little tit for tat. There were moments when I was questioning Kyle. And I think that, all in all, it's really not about the catfish for me. It's about who do you click with? Catfish or not, let's play the game. And I think that Kyle and I, we clicked on a lot of different things. And so we were able to kind of ride that out, despite little slight moments of apprehension. So I think it worked out.

Let's talk about those moves that were catching people off guard. Because people were viewing you as a big gamer. Most memorably, you were having a talk with Kyle where he was asking you about what beach you prefer to go to, to try to catch you as a catfish. In response, you called the chat "stupid" because it wasn't talking strategy. When you end up being the first to message Autumn, you info dump a lot about everyone, which actually makes her wary of you as someone who could throw anyone under the bus. Were you aware of this perception while you were playing?
No, I was not. [Laughs.] I did not know I was being perceived that way, to be honest with you. I felt like I was killing it. I'm like, "Dude, I'm doing it. Look at me!" And now watching it back, I'm like, "Girl, you were so off. Shut up and sit down." And so, honestly, the whole time I was playing, I play like I play in real life. We throw blows, but it's all love. So I saw it as a chance to really spice up the game. We're not gonna sit here and Kumbaya. We're in a competition. So, to be honest with you, if I've got to throw you under the bus to get to the end, I needed every lifeline I could get. So I was like, "Look, if it's be your ally, if it's throw you under the bus, whatever it is, I'm doing it. Because I'm trying to say my behind and I really want to make it to the end." So it's been wild.

Paul seemed to be the most in on the "Bro Code" contingent, consistently trying to get the men to work against the women. Did you feel that was overcompensating due to you being a woman catfishing as a man? How do you look back on those decisions?
I'm gonna be honest with you. I didn't come in feeling like I was gonna "Bro Code" this thing out. It was because of that first ratings. All the guys were at the bottom, and I literally looked at the landscape, and I was like, "Wait a minute, we've got to come together. Some allyship needs to be made between the guys, because we're holding up the rear at this point." So that's actually what determined and sent me down that trajectory.

And then when I got down that trajectory, I started realizing I'm still the girl who likes to play around and try to be cool with everybody, despite the fact that I made these "Bro Code." So that's probably where some of the play came in, where I'm throwing one of them under the bus, or playing a game. Because it wasn't game, it was about who you knew, and the girls were dominating. So I had to do the "Bro Code" thing. And I had to try and make sure that I had a little something solid, so I can kind of say my mind.

Now, you did try to build a relationship with one woman in the form of Lauren. But that was complicated, to say the least. You built a good rapport early on, but then she admits to you that she thought you were the AI. You drew her as two-faced in one challenge. You connect before you leave, where you're planning to lull her into a false sense of security and lead her along. And in your face-to-face meeting with Kyle, you tell him that she had been using similar terms in both of your private conversations with her. Talk to me about that dynamic.
Let me just say this. I love the fact that Kyle spilled the beans and told me she was two-timing. Because I felt she was two-faced. I drew the picture of her with two faces. And I felt that. To be honest with you, as a girl, it's a little bit easier for me to read when someone's really not feeling you. And I promise you, I could tell through those messages. I'm like, "She's just pacifying me right now." I had to play the game as Paul, but in the back of my head is Caress. And because of that, I'm like, "Girl, I see you coming from a mile away." So for me, I immediately sensed that she was just kind of playing me, calling me "my guy" and all these little things. I was like, "This is so lame! Girl, bye." So that was the thing with me and Lauren. As Caress, I saw right through everything she was doing. As Paul, I really had to just kind of play it like, "I'm a little clueless. And I just want to be your guy." So I was trying to kind of ride the sense of the middle. Was that successful? Not so much. But hey, that was the game plan. [Laughs.]

What was your reaction to Steffi going after you in the rap battle early on, then continuing to target you in the AI twist? Did that change your gameplay in any way?
Absolutely. I'm telling you, it didn't matter how much strategy I thought I was gonna have coming into this game. I got thrown curveballs daily. And those curveballs actually determined my next trajectory, my next few steps I was gonna play. There was there was no strategy after that when Steffi threw me under the bus. I'm the type of chick in real life where I'm like, "Oh, we're going there? Let's go there. You want to play a game? Let's play a game."

So when Steffi did that, I was like, "Oh, okay. No more Mr. Nice Paul. I'm coming after you. And I'm coming hard." And honestly, I kind of liked it a little bit. It drove me, I'm not gonna lie. I'd kind of get up and be like, "What's she gonna say next? Do we have a rivalry?" Honestly, that was the best part of the competition in my book. I had a good time going back and forth, because it kept me on my toes and kept me on my feet. And that's honestly what I needed to keep my energy high. So it was great. I really enjoyed it. And I really enjoyed one-two punching her here and there. Any chance I got, I was taking it.

We started this interview talking about your brother. It's fitting we end with it. What has been his reaction to watching you use his likeness to play The Circle?
[Laughs.] Oh my god. So my brother is the kind of brother who knows I'm gonna do something stupid. We've done this dance so much in our life. So he was actually looking forward to seeing how like crazy I was gonna be. But he's actually posted a reaction video last week. And he was all like, "I can't believe she's embarrassing me. She fumbled the ball. She's completely tarnishing my name!" Honestly, I think it's super funny.

As a big sister, we have that brother/sister relationship. I've always made fun of him. I've always tried to embarrass him every chance that I get. So this was an opportunity to do so. He's feeling it, and he's having a good time watching it. I'm eating it up. I think it's super, super great. He and I are just getting closer and closer just talking about it right now. And I feel like it was just an awesome opportunity. Any big sister would have jumped on something like this. And I got the chance to, so I'm loving it.

Next, check out our interview with Cassie Saylor, who was eliminated in The Circle Season 6 Episode 7.