Big Brother's three fifteenth-season finalists -- winner Andy Herren, runner-up GinaMarie Zimmerman and Spencer Clawson -- have weighed-in on the racial and homophobic slurs made in the house this season and apologized for any participation.
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"I didn't realize the magnitude it was happening and how it was offending so many people. When it did happen, I did not take it lightly. I pulled [black contestants Howard Overby and Candice Stewart] aside a couple times and told them, 'I don't condone the things that have been said to you, I do not condone the actions that have been displayed towards you and I'm sorry that it happened,'" Herren told Zap2It.
"It sounds like people are ostracizing [us] for not speaking up when we were in large groups, but my goal was to never put a target on myself or be in the middle of trouble, so I think it was just as effective to pull them aside and more reflective of the type of game player I was. Any comments that offend people or come from a place of hate is not something I condone whatsoever and I apologize that I've even been associated with it."
Zimmerman bluntly apologized for anything insulting she said, as it had previously been reported she was caught referring to welfare as "n--ger insurance" on Big Brother's 24/7 live-feeds.
As a result of such comments, Zimmerman was fired from her job of five years as a pageant coordinator for East Coast USA Pageant, Inc.
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"I'm really sorry, I really do apologize if anything I said offended people. I didn't mean to. I hope people can accept my apologies. I know it was pretty much wrong for me to do," Zimmerman told the website.
As for Clawson, who made some jokes about child pornography this season that weren't well-received in addition to allegedly calling Herren a "f-g" and using the word "c-nt" to describe women in the house, he sincerely apologized as well.
"Unfortunately, I said some things that were inappropriate and ugly comments to have said about people. I can't make any excuses for it. Sometimes I try to say things joking and I just make bad jokes. It was in poor taste, some of the comments I made. I'm terribly sorry if I offended anybody. If you know me... I'm not a hateful person, I'm not an ugly person," Clawson told Zap2It.
"The things that I said, I hope they didn't cause a black eye on the show 'cause I do love the show. I find it unfortunate that sometimes I just ran my mouth and would've done better to keep it shut... Some of the racially-charged things I didn't hear first-hand. I'm not using the game as an excuse, but if you know the game, you know it's better if there's an argument that doesn't really involve you that you just kind of stay out it."
Clawson said when Overby took some discriminatory comments to heart, Clawson privately sought him out to chat.
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"With Howard, who was one of my best friends in the game, I know he was offended by some racially-charged comments, and I would say, 'Dude, I'm so sorry that stuff was said.' I would try to handle it on my own without putting a target on my back," Clawson added. "Actually, the stuff that has gotten the most attention is stuff that I was not even around for."
Another person who stood out in the house for making waves and causing drama was Amanda Zuckerman, who, as a member of the season's jury, had been sequestered from the media until last night's finale took place. In a separate interview with The Los Angeles Times, Zuckerman touched upon her harsh attitude and behavior this season.
"I am really sorry for anything I may have said that offended anybody," Zuckerman told the newspaper. "There was never any malicious intent by me or anybody else."
About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski