Although most Big Brother houseguests have competed to make it as far as they could to win the grand prize at the end of the game, a few made early exits due to self-eviction or expulsion. The latest houseguest to exit the game early was Paloma Aguilar, who left during the first week of Big Brother 24 before the live eviction due to "a personal issue." Although no specific reason was given, Paloma's mental health seemed to be deteriorating in the Big Brother 24 house, and she was shown crying about her inability to eat and sleep since the game began. She even slept on the Diary Room couch, which was unprecedented. The pressures of the house presumably took too much of a toll on Paloma, and she left for her own well-being. Her exit led to the end of the Big Brother 24 Backstage Twist and kept both nominees safe during the first week.
Big Brother is a difficult game that requires physical, mental, and emotional strength. From competing in challenges to navigating complicated alliances, the game can put a strain on even the strongest of players. The aspect that truly takes a toll on the houseguests is being isolated from the outside world, including their families and friends, for up to three months if they make it to the end of the game. Players only have contact from their families if they win the Head of Household (HOH) competition, and even then, it is only a letter from home. Toward the end of the game, the houseguests receive video messages from their families. Occasionally, Big Brother awards a phone call with a loved one to a lucky houseguest. However, for most of the game, they are on their own to survive in the Big Brother house.
Paloma is not the first houseguest to make an early exit from the Big Brother house. Three other players have made the difficult decision to self-evict. In addition, there have been other instances in which Big Brother has had to intervene and expel houseguests for breaking the rules. Throughout the past 24 seasons, four players have been ejected from the game, three of them due to violence. Paloma joins seven other players who left the Big Brother house early and changed the course of their respective games.
Neil Garcia - Self-Eviction
In 2008, Big Brother 9 houseguest Neil Garcia was the first competitor in the U.S. version of the game to leave voluntarily. He lasted seven days in the house before self-evicting. The reason for his departure is still a mystery, but because it was described as an urgent personal matter, some fans speculated that it might have been due to the sudden and unexpected death of a relative.
Dick "Evel Dick" Donato - Self-Eviction
On Big Brother 13 in 2011, Big Brother 8 winner Dick "Evel Dick" Donato and and runner-up Daniele Donato, who is also his daughter, were two of six returning houseguests. They had previously been estranged from each other and were part of the Big Brother 8 Rivals twist, but they planned to team up with Jordan Lloyd, Jeff Schroeder, Rachel Reilly, and Brendon Villegas when Evel Dick formed the Veterans Alliance in season 13. However, Evel Dick self-evicted after six days when he found out that he was HIV-positive from a blood test conducted by the producers of the show. Evel Dick is still considered to be a Big Brother legend.
Megan Lowder - Self-Eviction
After eight days in the Big Brother 19 house in 2017, Megan Lowder also left the show for a medical reason. When she was a member of the armed forces, Megan was sexually assaulted, and she said that when some of the men in the Big Brother house yelled at her and attacked her, her anxiety became so severe that she became physically ill. After a miscommunication led to her accidentally falsely accuse another houseguest of using a racial slur, Megan had a panic attack in the Diary Room and later went to the hospital. She did not return to the game.
Justin Sebik - Expulsion
During Big Brother 2 in 2001, houseguest Justin Sebik was removed from the game when, after they were kissing in the kitchen, he pretended to bash fellow houseguest Krista Stegall over the head with a broom. The two of them had been drinking heavily. After putting the broom away, he asked Krista if she would be mad if he killed her, and held a knife to her throat. He continued to hold the knife to her neck while they kissed. Krista encouraged him to hold the knife there, and Justin later claimed it was a joke. However, he had also threatened to physically attack other Big Brother players and had destroyed property in the house, and the other houseguests feared for their own safety. After a lengthy conversation with the show's psychologist, producers had no choice but to expel him after ten days. In that season, all of the houseguests voted for the winner, but Justin was not invited back to participate in the vote.
Scott Weintraub - Expulsion
In 2003, Big Brother 4 featured the X-Factor Twist, in which the original houseguests were eventually joined by their exes. When Scott Weintraub found out that his ex-girlfriend Amanda Craig would be living with him in the Big Brother house, he became violent, throwing chairs and breaking furniture, while his fellow houseguests hid in fear. He was forced to apologize, and producers expelled him after eight days.
Chima Simone - Expulsion
After 42 days in 2009, Chima Simone was asked to leave the Big Brother 11 house. When Jeff Schroeder won the Coup d'Etat through an America's Vote and was able to overthrow HOH Chima's nominees, she felt that the producers were manipulating the game. She refused to go to the diary room and wear her microphone, blocked cameras, and threatened to disrupt the live shows. She was finally expelled when she threw her microphone into the hot tub. Chima was not allowed to be a jury member, so her vote was replaced during the finale with the results of a viewers' poll.
Willie Hantz - Expulsion
During Big Brother 14 in 2012, Willie Hantz was expelled after 14 days in the Big Brother house. He is the brother of Survivor villain Russell Hantz and the uncle of Survivor contestant Brandon Hantz. Willie was removed from the game when he head-butted fellow contestant Joe Arvin during a confrontation.
The goal of all Big Brother houseguests is to make it to the end of the game. Unfortunately, a few players have had to leave due to unforeseen circumstances that prevented them from continuing to play. Players have also been ejected from the game for breaking the rules. No matter the reason, the health and well-being of the contestants is always the top priority on Big Brother. Early exits such as these are just another reason why Big Brother houseguests should always "expect the unexpected."
Big Brother airs Sundays and Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET and Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET on CBS.