Big Brother revolves around individuals living inside of a secluded house, while competing to win a cash prize, and some players have left the game early for a variety of reasons. All of these early departures have been unique situations. Some were voluntary, while others were forced. While it is not common for players to leave the game early, to date, there has been a handful of these types of exits.
As longtime viewers of the show know, there are many rules that Big Brother stars must follow while living inside the house. While it may seem obvious, one of the rules is that cast members must remain secluded within the residence, closed off from the outside world. This means that the houseguests are not allowed to leave the house until they are evicted, or win the season. Despite this rule, on very rare occasions, a houseguest will leave the game early, forfeiting their chance at winning the cash prize.
According to ET, the very first player to do so appeared during season 2, when Justin Sebik was expelled from the game. Justin had repeatedly threatened other houseguests while living in the residence. During one of the most shocking Big Brother moments ever on the series, Justin held a kitchen knife up to Krista Stegall while threatening her. Production immediately stepped in and removed Justin from the game. Just two seasons later, Scott Weintraub was also expelled for his explosive meltdown, upon learning that his ex would also be competing inside the house. Despite apologizing to his fellow houseguests, production made the ultimate decision to remove Scott from the game for the safety of others.
The expulsions don't stop there. During season 11, Chima Simone was expelled for not following Big Brother rules, such as wearing her microphone and attending Diary Room sessions. Willie Hantz was later removed from the game during season 14, after getting into a heated confrontation with a fellow houseguest, which left the rest of the house scared and intimidated. In addition to expulsions, some past players have also left by their own choice. Most recently, Paloma Aguilar self-evicted from Big Brother 24. She was lacking sleep while inside the house, which was negatively impacting her mental health. Other past houseguests to self-evict include Megan Lowder, during season 19, and Dick Donato from season 13. Megan was suffering from PTSD stemming from time spent in the Navy, while Dick left due to the news that he had tested HIV-positive.
There is no doubt that living inside the Big Brother house is not an easy task. Although there is a large cash prize on the line, competing in this unique game is not for everyone. Whenever a player does leave the house early, it affects the entire remainder of the game. For example, Paloma's shocking departure changed the course of Big Brother 24. Because she was no longer in the game, the Backstage Pass Twist was ultimately thrown out the door. While these situations do not occur often, as host Julie Chen Moonves always says, "Expect the Unexpected."