Big Brother Season 28 contestant Kamu Kirk is facing significant social media backlash and calls for his removal from the show after a video resurfaced in which he appears to mock the death of George Floyd.
In a video posted to Instagram in December, Kirk, identified as a 32-year-old MMA fighter, recorded himself making light of a person being arrested outside his residence. The person being arrested could be heard shouting, "I can't breathe," as officers attempted to place them in a vehicle. Kirk, filming the scene, chuckled and remarked, "Bro thinks he’s George Floyd," referencing the final words of Floyd, a Black man who died in Minneapolis in May 2020 after then-police officer Derek Chauvin knelt on his neck for nearly 10 minutes.
Momentarily before the video cut off, Kirk grinned and stated, "I am gonna take that spot, though," referring to the parking spot the arrested individual had occupied.
Following the resurfacing of the video, Big Brother fans expressed outrage on social media platform X, with many labeling Kirk's actions as "racist" and demanding his immediate eviction from the house. One user urged CBS Big Brother to remove Kirk, stating, "media backlash is the only way where production would punish Kamu."
Other viewers criticized the casting of Kirk, with one commenting, "This season of big brother is such dogs***. Kamu is a bigoted piece of literal garbage." Another viewer speculated that controversial social media activity might have made Kirk a more appealing candidate for the show's casting.
Screenshots of Kirk's other social media activity have also drawn criticism. Some fans have pointed to posts where Kirk allegedly liked content from individuals identifying as Christian nationalists. Other screenshots appeared to show Kirk liking posts critical of Islam and Muslims. Additionally, a photo of the U.S. Capitol building that Kirk shared in his Instagram highlights, captioned "Who's storming with me?", has been interpreted by some fans as support for the January 6, 2021, insurrection.
Prior to the George Floyd joke controversy, Kirk had already drawn ire from some viewers for comments made on the Big Brother live feeds and on-camera. During a conversation about fellow housemate Jason De Puy, a drag queen, Kirk referred to him as a "zesty bestie" and stated, "Bro, miss me with the drag stuff... I’m still an MMA guy, and I have an image to uphold." This remark, following earlier anti-drag comments, led to criticism.
Frankie Grande, a singer, actor, and former Big Brother contestant, publicly condemned Kirk's remarks. Grande called for Kirk's immediate removal from the house, describing the conversation as "homophobic bigots." He later shared Kirk's George Floyd video, questioning how the contestant remained in the competition.
George Floyd's death in 2020 led to widespread protests and calls for police reform. Derek Chauvin was subsequently convicted of murder and manslaughter and sentenced to 22 and a half years in prison.