(Fwrd Axis) — Big Brother host Julie Chen Moonves addressed the controversial treatment of houseguest Taylor Hale, which has seen the show make major headlines and receive backlash from fans.
Speaking to E! News, Chen was asked about the microaggressions that are currently taking place against houseguest Taylor Hale.
“Microaggressions are real and they happen. I don’t think most people when they are committing it, that they are even aware of what they’re doing. I think that with the live feeds it is easy,” Chen said. “I think what we need to do is ask ourselves, ‘Who am I — who is anyone — to judge somebody else?’”
“We haven’t been in that pressure cooker situation. And a lot of times when someone is feeling insecure about themselves, or seeing another individual as a threat to their game, that’s when you see classic ‘Big Brother’ ‘I’m going to trash talk someone behind his or her back,’” she continued.
Chen’s remarks come amid an outcry from Big Brother viewers over the treatment of Hale, a Black woman who is currently facing eviction.
In a separate interview with Parade Magazine, Chen said she is surprised by the Twitter responses from fans during the first week of the 24th season.
“What I think has been a little bit surprising is how Twitter and the internet has exploded in really jumping on someone, which I never like. I don’t think any of us are in any position to judge any other human being,” she said. “I can say that if you were to talk to Taylor, I’m not so sure she would feel what everyone is saying, because a lot of things have happened behind her back, which is classic Big Brother.”
“So I think people need to just open up their hearts a little bit more, and show some kindness and some forgiveness. Give someone a chance to change, to see their actions, and learn and grow from it,” she added.
Meanwhile, Thursday night’s eviction episode is up in the air amid rumors houseguest Paloma Aguilar has been removed from the game. Chen told Us Weekly the show has taken some tweaks and the “Backstage Boss” twist has been changed some.
“We are going to reveal more angles of the ‘Backstage Boss’ twist on tonight’s show and we have a new twist coming for the houseguests next week,” she said. “[The houseguests] will have been with each other for a couple of weeks 24/7 and you get to know people. The house guests will have to have “Big Brother bestie.”
“We will have a live competition that is only part one of a multipart competition that will determine power in the house and that’ll play out in the Sunday night show,” she added.
Big Brother airs Sundays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays on CBS and streams on Paramount+.
