Big Brother has tried its best to stay controversy-free in recent seasons, but it’s ultimately at the mercy of the occasionally problematic actions of its Houseguests. The series expelled Luke Valentine early on in Season 25 after he used a racial slur during a conversation with another Houseguest. Now, Valentine has spoken out after another Houseguest used a slur, followed by the CBS reality series seemingly turning a blind eye to it.
Those watching Big Brother online with a Paramount+ subscription may have witnessed Jared Fields apologizing to Cory Wurtenberger after he referred to America Lopez using a word intended to disparage people with intellectual disabilities. Many immediately called for the show’s producers to take action, but given the incident occurred over Labor Day weekend, it’s possible there was a delay in decision-makers getting involved.
Now that the holiday is over, though, Jared still seemingly hasn’t faced any punishment. When a fan asked Luke Valentine about the situation and how Jared hasn’t had to answer for his own language, the former Houseguest said the following on his Instagram:
Enforcement of the code of conduct seems rather selective, doesn’t it?
Big Brother confirmed Luke was expelled for a violation of the game’s Code of Conduct, and cited a zero-tolerance policy for racial slurs. Now the question lingers why Jared seemingly went unpunished when Luke was expelled the following morning, and if it’s a great look for a show trying to be rid of its problematic past with multiple controversies.
Is Big Brother Waiting To Punish Jared Fields?
If Big Brother has taken action against Jared, it certainly wasn’t executed on the same level as it was against Luke. Part of this could be because of the context of the game, and how it could impact other elements if Jared was suddenly removed. Jared is currently the HOH, and removing him would cause all sorts of chaos midweek. Compare this to Luke, who wasn’t nominated or a large factor in anything when his controversy happened much earlier in the game.
As such, there’s a possibility that Big Brother is waiting to act on punishing Jared. There’s also the possibility that they’ll let the violation slide, and Jared will remain in the game. If that’s the case, it will no doubt lead to further speculation that Jared received some sort of special exception due to the fact fans are invested in him playing the game with his mother and Survivor legend Cirie Fields.
While Jared may not face an official in-game punishment by Big Brother, his reckoning could also come later on following his eviction. Julie Chen Moonves grilled Season 21 Houseguest Jack Matthews when he was caught on the feeds a number of times using offensive and racial slurs, as have other Houseguests. Season 22 Houseguests even lost sponsorships with brands after they made jokes about Ian Terry’s autism, so it’s hard to imagine Jared won’t face some reckoning down the line.
Big Brother airs on CBS on Sundays and Wednesdays at 8:00 p.m. ET and on Thursdays at 9:00 p.m. ET. Tune in for what should be another wild week, as the latest veto has led to another discussion about another blindside eviction.