Puerto Rican actress Maripily Rivera has revealed the reason behind Carlos Antonio Cruz, known as “Caramelo,” being absent from the judging panel of the sixth season of “La Casa de los Famosos.” The news comes as fans speculated about his absence from the popular reality display.
Rivera, who won the fourth season of the reality competition, explained that Cruz may have inadvertently run into a contractual issue with Telemundo after appearing on “La Casa de Alofoke 2,” a YouTube show created by Santiago Matías. The format is similar to the reality television programming produced by the Spanish-language network.
According to Rivera, Cruz’s contract with Telemundo likely included a clause preventing him from appearing on another reality show for a specific period of time. “There are rules, they have their rules that for a certain time you cannot enter another reality show, so you have to finish the race with a flourish and finish your contract as it should be according to the rules that are imposed on you whether you win or not,” Rivera stated.
“So when one wins, I think there is a period of time that you cannot do a reality show, so he won, unknowingly, because Here’s new for Caramelo, he went to another reality show and I think he violated that clause and was lucky they didn’t sue him because when you win a reality show with these types of networks you have to wait a certain time to enter another,” she admitted. The situation highlights the increasingly complex legal landscape surrounding reality television stars and their contracts.
Rivera also revealed she turned down opportunities to appear on other reality shows after her win on “LCDLF” in 2024, due to her existing contract with Telemundo.
“I said no, why? Because there are things you can do and things you can’t do, so they seek to do everything and when they do everything they cut off their path and what is happening happens and it’s a shame because I love Caramelo incredibly much, I supported him at some point, I still support him, I give him very solid advice, even if it comes in one ear and goes out the other,” Rivera said.
Rivera also dismissed speculation that Caramelo’s ex-girlfriend, Manelyk González, had taken his place on the show’s panel.
