Luke Valentine has been removed from the Big Brother season 25 house after using the N-word.
“Luke violated the BIG BROTHER code of conduct and there is zero tolerance in the house for using a racial slur,” producers said in a statement via Variety. “He has been removed from the house. His departure will be addressed in Thursday night’s show.”
Luke Valentine removed
Earlier today (August 9), Big Brother fans—and even some former contestants—took to social media to complain about Luke uttering a racial slur on the live feeds and it did not take long for CBS and producers to take action, announcing his removal only hours later.
The incident occurred during a conversation Luke Valentine was having with fellow housemates Jared Fields, Cory Wurtenberger, and Hisam Goueli. Valentine casually dropped the slur at the end of a statement before seemingly catching himself, covering his mouth, and laughing. TMZ obtained video of the incident which you can see here.
As Variety points out, the show has an unfortunate past with similar racial incidents.
Last season, housemate Kyle Carpenter made racist remarks which led to his eventual departure from the house. Fans also raised concerns about the treatment of Taylor Hale, who is Black, during her time on the show.
Ahead of the new season, producer Alison Grodner denied claims production casts problematic people for views. “It’s a social experiment using a group of people with different life experiences. They all bring that in and learn from each other,” she said. “They learn, they change, they grow. Hopefully, by watching that, we’re also making a positive impact on the outside world.”
Big Brother airs Sundays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays on CBS.