'Big Brother' Addresses Removal of Luke Valentine After He Used the N-Word on Live Feed

Season 25 houseguest Luke Valentine was shown laughing off his use of the racial slur on Thursday's episode before he was removed from the series

Big Brother is addressing the eviction of houseguest Luke Valentine after he was caught using the n-word on a Paramount+ live feed.

During Thursday's episode of the CBS reality show, host Julie Chen Moonves brought up Valentine's exit, saying the cast learned their fellow houseguest had been evicted the night prior.

"It was an emotional 24 hours in the Big Brother house as the houseguests learned that one of their own broke the Big Brother Code of Conduct and was removed from the game," she said, before the exact moment where Valentine said the racial slur was shown.

As previously reported, Valentine made the slur while chatting with fellow contestants Jared Fields, Cory Wurtenberger and Hisam Goueli. During Thursday's episode, the group appeared to be shocked by his use of the N-word and Wurtenberger and Goueli soon left the room.

After the moment, Fields told cameras: "My reaction in the moment, being the only Black male in this house, I don't know what to say. Anything I do or say can come off aggressive." He later told Valentine, "That should've made you feel uncomfortable. Like, whoa, bro, what'd you just say?"

But Fields also appeared to laugh it off with Valentine as they discussed how Wurtenberger and Goueli left the room after he used the slur. "They just don't know how to handle that, which is so funny to me. In situations that should be uncomfortable for a Black man, White people get more uncomfortable," he said.

"Bro, I'm in trouble now," Valentine joked as the duo continued laughing over the matter.

Later, Valentine was called to a separate room downstairs, where he was seemingly informed of his eviction. (Cameras were not inside the room for the moment.) Shortly after, houseguest Reilly Smedley informed the rest of the cast that Valentine had been "removed from the house" after he violated the Code of Conduct for using a racial slur.

"[He] will no longer be participating in the Big Brother game," Smedley added. "The game goes on and the live vote and eviction will go on as scheduled."

Everyone appeared shocked by the news so Wurtenberger took a moment to clarify what had happened. He explained that it was "directed towards me in a very casual, using it between friends kind of way and I think the reaction was like, 'You've got to go to bed, man.' I walked out like, 'Did I just hear that?'"

Goueli then denied hearing the slur, while Fields told the group, "Listen, I respect exactly what you're saying, Cory, but considering what the situation was, it's not fair to try to have this as a family convo. I've had friends like Luke in the past. It's really weird to try to have that conversation. That's why I didn't tell anybody. I don't associate ignorance with malice. Whether Luke meant it in that way or not, it was rules and regulations and we were told clearly before walking into this house."

"It's hard to help people understand where you're coming from, especially being the only Black man in this house," he added. "With that being said, Luke, I wish you the best, bro. I really do hope it was a learning situation for you."

Related: 'Big Brother' Season 25 Houseguest Luke Valentine Removed from Series After Using the N-Word on Live Feed

The response comes one day after CBS and Big Brother's producers confirmed in a statement to PEOPLE that Valentine had been removed from the series following the incident.

“Luke violated the Big Brother code of conduct and there is zero tolerance in the house for using a racial slur. He has been removed from the house," the statement read, confirming that it would be addressed on Thursday’s episode of the reality series.

Valentine was caught using the n-word on Paramount+'s live feeds on Wednesday. The moment eventually went viral and led to fans and viewers calling for Valentine's removal on social media.

"Production should remove Luke. Set an example. Show current and future players that language like that will not be tolerated,” tweeted Andy Herren, who won Big Brother in season 15. “Hoping they actually do the right thing and address Luke’s comment. The way it so casually came out of his mouth is really upsetting."

Related: 'Big Brother' Season 25 Casts Show's First Hearing-Impaired, Sikh and Australian Houseguests — Meet the Contestants

Big Brother season 21 competitor Kat Dunn wrote, "Big Brother needs to expel Luke, it’s just how it is. At this point, keeping him in the house would be a slap in the face to every person who has stood up for or tried to change the racist allegations that the show has experienced in the past. We’ve come too far for some random dude to come in and ruin it week 1. #BB25"

Valentine’s exit is the latest racially-fueled controversy to hit Big Brother. Last season, houseguest Kyle Carpenter was evicted from the house after making comments about race, according to Variety. In season 22, contestant Memphis Garrett faced criticism after he was accused of calling David Alexander, who is Black, the N-word (an investigation by CBS later determined he had not said the slur), per the outlet.

Season 21 winner Jackson Michie also issued an apology in June 2020 after he was accused of being occasionally racist, particularly following his comments about the nationwide protests over the killing of George Floyd by police in Minneapolis.

Related: 'Big Brother' 25's First Big Twist Is 'Survivor' Alum Cirie Fields — Who's the Mom of a Fellow Houseguest

That same season, fans slammed the CBS reality show for alleged racist remarks and behavior after three contestants of color were eliminated. In a statement to PEOPLE at the time, CBS addressed the backlash and denied that the show's casting was "racially motivated."

“BIG BROTHER is a multi-platform reality competition show about a group of people who live in a house for several months with no contact from the outside world. The audience is able to view the show during the multiple weekly broadcasts as well as on the 24/7 live, online stream, which captures unedited content of the contestants unfiltered moments in the House,” they said. “At times, the Houseguests say things that we do not condone. We share some of the viewers’ concerns about inappropriate behavior and offensive comments, and producers have addressed specific incidents with the Houseguests involved. However, there is absolutely no truth that the casting of the show is racially motivated, that the Houseguests’ behavior is predetermined or that the outcome is controlled in any way.”

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Big Brother airs Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays at 8 p.m. ET on CBS.

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