Big Brother is a social experiment as much as it is a game, and putting Houseguests from all walks of life into a house is part of what has made the show a lasting success. Unfortunately, there are times where the social experiment can collapse, and producers must step in and expel a Houseguest for one reason or another. So far, there are five instances of that happening in 25 seasons, with each situation being wildly different than the previous.
Below, we’ll get into all of the times Big Brother was forced to expel a Houseguest, as well as provide the moment viewers can check out the drama with their Paramount+ subscription. Let’s dive in, and revisit these unfortunate moments where “expecting the unexpected” turned out to be a very bad motto.
Justin Sebik, Big Brother 2
The second season of Big Brother set a precedent for what was not OK in the house. Justin Sebik was expelled on Day 10 of the 2001 season due to violent behavior -- including smashing glass bottles and a chess set, urinating on a window, and threatening to punch another houseguest. Many of those things would be worthy of expulsion in modern Big Brother, but reality television was a different time in its infancy. The final straw was an incident with fellow houseguest Krista Stegall, when they were both under the influence of alcohol. They had just been kissing, when he put a knife to her throat and said, "Hang on, I'm going to slash your throat. Would you get mad if I just killed you?" Justin later said he was just "joking," but it was enough to get him kicked off the show.
CBS spokesman Gil Schwartz told the Washington Post that Justin had engaged in "violent talk" with other contestants and had previously been warned about his conduct. "He was evicted because the producers felt ... he was engaging in activity that could be interpreted as threatening. The producers wanted to err on the side of safety." Paramount+ subscribers wanting to check out the full situation can start out by watching Season 2, Episode 4, for a recap of all the events.
Krista later sued CBS over the incident, claiming the network should've done a better job screening Justin before casting him and also should've ejected him sooner. That was a pretty obvious instance of going too far, but ever since then there's been debate on where the line is.
Justin was arrested following his expulsion following an altercation with an ex-girlfriend that resulted in her breaking her ankle and having choke marks around her neck according to Huron Daily Tribune. Anecdotal reports online have since noted that Justin changed his ways, but he doesn’t have a huge social media presence for much confirmation (via The Cinemaholic).
Scott Weintraub, Big Brother 4
Big Brother's 2003 season included the X-Factor twist, with the surprise addition of houseguests' exes in the game. Scott Weintraub was not happy to see his ex-girlfriend Amanda Craig enter the house. He went off about it. He was also intimidating to other houseguests and threw chairs around the house. Those looking to see the eviction can watch Season 4, Episode 4 on Paramount+.
Former CBS chairman and CEO Les Moonves weighed in on Scott's expulsion, saying it was because he was violent and throwing chairs, and "people were afraid for their safety." The only reason Moonves -- host Julie Chen's husband -- weighed in (via Reality TV World) was to deny rumors that Scott was removed from Big Brother because he had a previously undisclosed STD and that was what houseguests were more upset about.
Scott Weintraub’s expulsion is a case of a Big Brother twist gone wrong, as clearly, casting his ex was a large catalyst to this massive blowup. Scott was ultimately responsible for his own actions, but there are definitely risks taken by the production team when deliberately casting two people who may not be on good terms.
Chima Simone, Big Brother 11
The expulsion of Chima shows that you don't have to get physically violent to be expelled from Big Brother. Chima habitually blew off instructions from Big Brother on the speaker, among other things. She was especially upset after Jessie's eviction due to a twist. She felt the producers were manipulating the game and started blowing off rules. This included frequently ignoring production’s request for her to go to the diary room to record her sessions, as well as refusing to put on her mic pack at various points in the day.
Things came to a head when Chima joined the other HGs in the backyard for a practice comp run. Big Brother came over the speakers to ask Chima to please put on her microphone. She ignored that and said she didn't give a bleep. Her fellow HGs went and got her mic for her and handed it to her. She took it, then threw it across the backyard, where it landed in the pool. Chima's friends in the house still tried to get her to just put on a mic. She eventually did it, then took it off again. Later she refused to go to the Diary Room, and EP Allison Grodner herself got involved to kick Chima out. Paramount+ subscribers can rewatch the whole incident by watching Season 11, Episode 18.
Chima clearly disrespected the rules of Big Brother, but it's still interesting to see what's considered OK. Several houseguests have broken rules since that point, and they have not been expelled. And several houseguests have acted inappropriately with touching and threats and not been expelled.
Willie Hantz, Big Brother 14
We knew Willie was trouble when he walked in. He's the brother of Survivor villain Russell Hantz and uncle of Survivor's – just as controversial – Brandon Hantz. Willie was the first Head of Household winner in the 2012 Big Brother Season 14. However, he was expelled on Day 14, right after his HoH tenure ended. Willie threw pork rinds at Janelle Pierzina, and called people nasty names, but what got him thrown out was his physical fight with Joe Arvin.
The fight started with Willie muttering, to no one in particular, "Bunch of pussies in this bitch." Joe, who had just walked by, casually replied, "You're the only pussy I see, bro." Willie jumped up to follow him and confront him, yelling, "What's that? What'd you say? Hit me! Hit me!" But Willie was the one to charge Joe and push him.
Joe called it a headbutt, but you can see in the video that Willie basically chest-charged him. Those looking to see how it all played out can revisit the episode by checking out Season 14, Episode 5 over on Paramount +. It’s certainly worth a watch, especially for fans who want a rare cameo from Big Brother producer Allison Grodner.
Luke Valentine, Big Brother 25
After years of controversy, specifically, those involving accusations of racism, Big Brother decided to make a change. A pledge for increased diversity resulted in fewer seasons with a white majority of Houseguests, and a zero-tolerance policy for racism was implemented for all Houseguests. Use of racial slurs would result in immediate expulsion, but that wasn’t needed until Season 25 with Houseguest Luke Valentine.
Luke casually uttered the n-word during a conversation with Houseguests late at night. The following morning, Big Brother pulled him from the game. Luke later posted memes about the incident on his Instagram page but later removed his social media. Those looking to revisit the moment will need to check out Season 25, Episode 4.
Those are the five expulsions the U.S. version of Big Brother has seen in 25 seasons so far. As much as they can impact and change the original plans of the season, sometimes it’s for the best.
Check out Big Brother episodes past and present over on Paramount+. Here’s hoping that Houseguests can behave properly in the future, and these will be the only expulsions happening on the show going forward.
