TORONTO — Two Big Brother competitors have reportedly lost their jobs after making racist and homophobic comments.
Aaryn Gries, who made racist and homophobic remarks in the Big Brother house, has been dumped by her modeling agency, Zephyr Talent.
The Austin, Texas-based company posted a message online to explain its “difficult decision.”
“Zephyr Talent fully supports free speech, but we also know that free speech does not mean free of consequences,” read the statement. “While we disagree with Aaryn’s statements, we defend her right to make them; however, due to their direct conflict with many of the values we hold, we cannot continue to allow her to represent our company, nor do we feel comfortable representing her.”
GinaMarie Zimmerman, who used racial slurs against several Big Brother houseguests, has been canned from East Coast USA Pageant, Inc., where she has worked for about five years.
“We have never known this side of GinaMarie or have witnessed such acts of racism in the past,” read a company statement Wednesday.
The derogatory comments by both women were made during the live stream and were not broadcast on the show.
An online petition to expel Gries from Big Brother has collected more than 7,300 signatures since Wednesday.
“CBS Television Network and the production of Big Brother must take swift action to condemn Aaryn’s remarks, and Aaryn must be expelled,” reads the petition by Ed King.
A Canadian viewer, Selina Swampillai of Thornhill, Ont., posted: “The type of racist comments make me cringe and are in no way entertaining. It makes me not want to visit the states that these contestants live in because they way they behave reflects on the community they come from and I would never want to associate with people like that.”
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