Why ‘Big Brother’ Alums Deactivated Their Twitter Accounts After Dick Donato Was Called Out
There has been a lot going on outside of Big Brother house this season. Dick Donato was called out for using the N-word. Alums Rachel Reilly, Bayleigh Dayton and more went on to deactivate their Twitter accounts.
A video of Dick Donato using the N-word was shared
A video of Dick Donato, winner of Big Brother 8, saying the N-word during an interview with Big Brother 13 winner, Reilly and Big Brother 15 houseguest, Elissa Slater was shared on Twitter.
Paul Abrahamian shared the video and tweeted, “‘I have plenty of Black fans that are okay with me saying it’ this openly racist & homophobic piece of sh*t needs to lose his platform, enough is enough YEARS of spreading incessant cyber harassment, fake rumors, & vitriol amongst the reality TV community” on Oct. 16.
Donato responded by tweeting, “It’s been brought to my attention that Paul is posting a 5 second video where I said the N word. I have no clue what context this clip was pulled from, I am assuming it is talking about [Big Brother 15]. Regardless, I’d like to make a public apology for using the word in any context.”
“There is no excuse for it. I know I have said it in the past while quoting what was said before by other people. I also know I have said it trying to be cute saying something like ‘Ni**a please’ So let me once again say that I do sincerely apologize for using the word at all,” he added.
Rachel Reilly and Bayleigh Dayton left Twitter
Reilly looked shocked by Donato’s words in the clip, but seemingly proceeded. Some fans were angry about this. Reilly ended up deactivating her Twitter account after receiving backlash on Oct. 17.
Jodi Rollins from Big Brother 14 did tweet defending Reilly, Donato, and Slater. “Just saw this and I want to say unequivocally that I have met and/or hung out with all three of these people on multiple occasions and they have been nothing but kind and NOT racist —> Rachel Reilly @ElissaReillyS & @EvelDick ! #bb22,” she tweeted with a Screen Rant article about the scandal.
“It’s still not okay for him to use the word… and with the hard ‘er.’ Come on Jodi … Really?” Dayton tweeted. “Dick apologized. What more do we want?” Rollins asked. “Why did he apologize Jodi … because he was called out. You know for a fact he did not mean one once of that apology. Shame on you for publicly defending that trash. I looked up to you,” the evicted Big Brother 22 houseguest tweeted.
Dayton reportedly received backlash for this and it’s believed she deleted her account with this, according to Screen Rant. Her husband, Chris “Swaggy C” Williams also deactivated his account.
Slater also spoke out against the article in this thread. “Hey @screenrant how about not including me in your articles-I don’t want to be tagged in this or featured in your article – I’m not on BB this was from BB16-u [sic] didn’t even post-facts bc [sic] I literally ended that interview-I’m sick of getting dragged into inappropriate conversation,” she tweeted.
Dayton, Reilly, and Williams still have their Instagram accounts. Their recent stories don’t refer to the Twitter drama.
