10 Times A Big Brother Player Got Bad News In The House

For the most part, the houseguests on every season of Big Brother are shut out from the outside world. They don’t get details on what’s happening in the news nor can they communicate with family and friends. The extent of communication is that anytime a player is crowned HoH, they receive a letter from home, though it typically just includes basic well wishes and “missing you” messages, nothing about the game.

Every now and then, however, a player will be pulled aside and notified when there’s a serious issue in their real life outside the game. These instances usually involve a death in the family, illness, or other pressing matters.

10 Dick Donato – Season 13: Health Diagnosis

Every player that enters the Big Brother house must go through extensive testing, including making sure they are medically fit to play. When Dick Donato returned for season 13, fans were excited to see one of the most notorious villains from the game come back. But his game was cut short as he was notified about an urgent personal matter that resulted in his decision to leave the show.

While specifics were kept quiet initially, “Evel Dick,” as he became known during his first season, later revealed that the reason he left was that his medical tests revealed that he was HIV-positive, according to People. Donato had not previously been diagnosed with HIV so had been unaware of his status before his return to the show.

9 Sam Smith – Season 21: Death Of Grandfather

While in the Big Brother house, Sam Smith was riding high on a Power of Veto win only to get terrible news: His grandfather, who had been in the hospital, had sadly passed away, according to OK magazine. Sam delivered a tearful message to the cameras in his diary room session, revealing that he thought his grandfather had made a turn for the better and was going to pull through.

As has happened many times before, the houseguests offered their support and condolences to their bereaved housemate. Sam ultimately decided to stay in the game and keep playing. Fans were grateful because he was one of the more likeable characters on season 21 of Big Brother. However, Sam eventually was voted out before he could make it to the end.

8 Derrick Lavasseur – Season 16: Death Of Grandfather

Despite having received the upsetting news while in the house that his grandfather had passed away, according to Bustle. Derrick powered on and eventually emerged victorious as the winner of his season. But the day he heard the sad news was a tough one for the man who had been trying hard not to show his emotions throughout the game.

Derrick found out about his grandfather just two days after fellow player Frankie Grande received the same news about his own grandfather. Under the circumstances, it was one week within the game where the typical backstabbing, lying, and strategizing slowed down while the houseguests rallied around their friends.

7 Cody Calafiore – Season 22: Death Of Grandfather

Cody knew all too well what it was like to help someone through a trying time when they learned of the death of a family member on the show. He played in season 16 alongside Derrick and Frankie, and was one of the houseguests to offer his support.

But when he played in the latest season, in which he was one of the best Big Brother All-Stars players, Cody got the same terrible news about the grandfather to whom he and his brother Paulie were so close. Despite dealing with his grief surrounding the death of his beloved “Pop-Pop,” Cody used the memory of his late grandfather to give him the strength to eke out a win.

6 Big Brother Canada 8 Cast: COVID-19 Pandemic

While players might be informed of a major event while in the house if it’s big enough to warrant notifying them, the entire cast of Big Brother Canada, which has had some wonderful players so far, got horrifying news while in the house for the eighth season. They were informed about how serious the COVID-19 pandemic had gotten.

Not only were they told about what was going on in the outside world, but the show decided to shut down production and send everyone home to be safe and with their families during the difficult time.

5 Neil Garcia – Season 9: Death Of a Family Member

While the details of Neil’s swift departure were originally not revealed, with producers simply telling viewers and fellow houseguests that he had to leave due to an “urgent personal matter,” it was later confirmed that Neil lost a family member suddenly.

One of Neil’s relatives was reportedly a victim in the Northern Illinois University shooting, according to a commenter on Tivo Community. Understandably, Neil decided to cut his game short to be with his family and grieve.

4 Frankie Grande – Season 16: Death Of Grandfather

Frankie was busy in the house making friends and trying to keep his true identity as the older half-brother of pop star Ariana Grande a secret. But when his grandfather died and Frankie received the news in the house, according to TMZ, he put aside his upbeat and lively personality to grieve.

Both Frankie and his sister were very close with their grandfather, so it’s no surprise that Frankie broke down in tears upon receiving the news. It was so emotional, in fact, that many other houseguests began to cry with him.

3 Monica Bailey – Season 2: Lost Cousin In 9/11 Attacks

Producers felt important to let Monica Bailey, who had made it to the final three in season 2, one of the top must-watch seasons of Big Brother, know about a tragic event while she was in the house: Her cousin was one of the people who was listed as being missing following the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center in New York, according to Entertainment Weekly.

The houseguests were initially told vague details about the attack, informed that there was a tragedy that involved planes in New York. But when Monica’s sister called the show and it became personal, production was forced to reveal more information. Monica decided to stay and finish the game. It was later confirmed that her cousin Tamitha Freeman had indeed died in the attacks, according to the Tengaged.com blog.

2 Josh Moore – Season 9, Big Brother Australia: Death of Brother

Bad news isn’t limited to the North American versions of Big Brother. When Josh Moore learned that his only brother had died suddenly, reports News.com.au, while Josh was in the house, he made a swift exit to be with his family.

His brother, Toby, who was just 32, passed away after suffering a heart attack. Josh, 29, had been a happy-go-lucky ray of sunshine in the house, so the other houseguests (and viewers) were sad to see him go, but his decision to leave was completely understandable.

1 All Houseguests – Season 14: Dan’s Funeral

Dan’s “funeral” wasn’t an actual funeral but rather a very clever and strategic plan within the game, orchestrated by fan-favorite player and previous winner Dan Gheesling. After a twist left him in a solitary room for hours, and on the block, he used his time alone to concoct an elaborate plan to hold his own funeral.

In one of the most shocking moments in Big Brother history, Dan gathered everyone to deliver his self-eulogy, calling out his supposed ally in the game, Danielle, confusing not only her but everyone else. It worked, though, as the shock and sadness from the meeting made everyone emotional and truly believe that Dan had been betrayed. They decided not to evict him. Dan then went on to place second, losing to protege Ian Terry.

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