Shocking Controversy Erupts as 'Big Brother' Contestant Uses N-Word on Live Feed: Fans Outraged

Luke Valentine. Sonja Flemming/CBS

Big Brother season 25 contestant Luke Valentine is facing backlash from fans for using the N-word during a recent live feed. The incident occurred on Wednesday, August 9, during a conversation with fellow houseguests Cory Wurtenberger, Hisam Goueli, and Jared Fields. In a clip shared on TikTok, Valentine can be heard saying, "We're in the f—king G's room, n–ga!" He quickly realized his error, covered his mouth, and corrected himself by saying "dude."

Valentine's choice of words surprised Wurtenberger, 21, and Goueli, 45. He then apologized to the group and specifically to Fields, who is Black. "It wasn't what you thought I was going to say. I was going to call him a narwhal [sic]," Valentine explained to Fields, who stated that he was not bothered by the use of the word.

Later, in the live feed, Valentine and Fields jokingly mocked their castmates' strong reactions to the comment. "I should have made you feel uncomfortable right away, like, 'Whoa, bro. What did you just say?'" Fields quipped, adding, "I don't care."

Some fans of the CBS reality series were less receptive to Valentine's language. "He should just leave, I feel so embarrassed for him," one person expressed via X (formerly known as Twitter) on Wednesday. Another individual commented, "As usual, nobody called him out on this show!!!"

In a tweet addressed to the show's official X account, another user questioned, "What will be done about this??????" As of now, neither the show nor CBS have commented on the use of the N-word or its implications for Valentine's future involvement in the series.

Big Brother is well acquainted with having contestants who stir up controversy. In the year 2013, one of the houseguests named Aaryn Gries caused a major uproar by making racist and homophobic remarks on the show, particularly targeting her fellow castmate Helen Kim. Along with telling Kim to "go make some rice," Gries, who is now 32 years old, made a distasteful joke about her own appearance, comparing herself to a "squinty Asian."

Red Utley, Hisam Goueli, Cory Wurtrnberger, Matt Klotz, Jag Bains, Cameron Harding, Jared Fields, and Luke Valentine were mentioned on CBS. Host Julie Chen Moonves, who has Chinese and Burmese heritage, publicly criticized Aaryn's derogatory comments towards various communities during an episode of The Talk in July 2013. Chen Moonves expressed that Aaryn's remarks against Asians, in particular, affected her deeply. She shared that hearing Aaryn describe Asians as "squinty-eyed" and telling them to "go make a bowl of rice" hurt her personally, as she felt personally affected as a human being.

After Chen Mooves called her out on her language during the show, Gries was eliminated and offered an apology as she left the house. "As a Southerner, I understand that there are stereotypes associated with that region, and I unfortunately made comments that were taken out of context and misunderstood. I want to clarify that I never intended to come across as racist," she expressed. "That is not who I am, and I sincerely apologize to anyone who was offended by my words."

In recent years, several other houseguests such as Kaitlyn Herman, Rachel Swindler, Angela Rummans, Jack Matthews, Kyle Capener, and others have faced criticism from fans due to their derogatory and racist remarks made both within the show and on its live feeds.