Featured Image Credit: CBS
Topics: Film and TV, Viral
Emily Brown
Big Brother has addressed the removal of contestant Luke Valentine from the show after he dropped the 'N-word' during a 24 hour livestream.
Valentine and his other housemates were being broadcast live on a Paramount+ feed when he used the racial slur while in conversation with Jared Fields, Cory Wurtenberger and Hisam Goueli on Tuesday night (7 August).
The clip was widely shared on social media after being broadcast, and showed Valentine, who is white, saying: “We were in the f**king (inaudible) room, n****."
He attempted to catch himself and replace the slur with the word 'dude', but Valentine was ultimately removed from the house as a result of his comment.
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On Thursday's episode of the reality show, host Julie Chen Moonves addressed his departure, explaining how the cast had learned that Valentine had been evicted the night before.
"It was an emotional 24 hours in the Big Brother house as the houseguests learned that one of their own broke the Big Brother Code of Conduct and was removed from the game," she said.
The show featured a clip of Valentine's conversation with his housemates, who had appeared to be shocked by his usage of the word.
Shortly after he said the slur, Wurtenberger and Goueli left the room.
Fields, who is Black, responded by telling Valentine: "They just don't know how to handle that, which is so funny to me. In situations that should be uncomfortable for a Black man, white people get more uncomfortable."
However, Fields was also seen telling cameras: "My reaction in the moment, being the only Black male in this house, I don't know what to say. Anything I do or say can come off aggressive."
Valentine appeared to make light of the matter as he told Fields he was 'in trouble now', and he was later called to a separate room with no cameras present.
Afterwards, contestant Reilly Smedley told the housemates Valentine had been 'removed from the house', saying: "[He] will no longer be participating in the Big Brother game. The game goes on and the live vote and eviction will go on as scheduled."
After Valentine's departure, Fields indicated he held no ill will against his former housemate as he said: "It's hard to help people understand where you're coming from, especially being the only Black man in this house.
"With that being said, Luke, I wish you the best, bro. I really do hope it was a learning situation for you."
CBS and Big Brother's producers previously confirmed Valentine's departure in a statement to People, saying: "Luke violated the Big Brother code of conduct and there is zero tolerance in the house for using a racial slur. He has been removed from the house."