'Big Brother 25' Player Luke Valentine Speaks Out After Racial Slur
Big Brother 25 contestant Luke Valentine, who was ejected from the game last week for saying the N-word during a conversation with fellow houseguests, has broken his silence for the first time since his removal from the house.
The illustrator from Florida emerged from his social media hiatus on Instagram, where he appeared to post mid-workout, thanking fans for their support and seemingly admitting no remorse for the incredibly inappropriate thing he said that caused his ejection in the first place.
"Hey, guys. Just letting you know, I'm alive, I've arrived and you gotta keep the flames stoked until next time," he said. "We can't burn out, no, no, no, the fires of love will continue to burn, baby. So thank you for all the memes, thank you for all the support, the kind words."
Related: Everything to Know About 'Big Brother' 25
Valentine was caught saying the slur late night on August 8 when describing a conversation he was having with another houseguest. He said, "We're in the [expletive] cheese room, [N-word]." After quickly covering his mouth, he smiled while correcting himself and said, "Dude." He tried to later explain to fellow houseguest Jared Fields that he meant to say "narwhale."
In the hours following the conversation, fans clipped out the scene and spread it across the internet, immediately calling for Valentine's suspension. They consistently cited a statement made by CBS back in 2020, when the network responded to another alleged incident of racism by saying, "Hate speech will not be tolerated, and those who violate the policy will be removed from the Big Brother House."
The next day, Valentine was called into the Diary Room and never returned. The live feeds went down as the other houseguests were informed by production, "Due to violating the Big Brother code of conduct by using a racial slur, Luke has been removed from the house and will no longer be participating in the Big Brother game." CBS also issued a statement to the fans, saying Luke was removed and "there is zero tolerance in the house for using a racial slur."
Next, Every 'Big Brother' Houseguest Who Has Quit or Been Ejected From the Show
