Reality star Kamu Kirk criticised for mocking George Floyd death
Big Brother star Kamu Kirk faces calls for eviction after mocking a distressing police arrest online
- Big Brother contestant Kamu Kirk faces severe criticism after a resurfaced video showed him mocking George Floyd's death.
- The reality television personality filmed himself laughing at an arrested individual screaming in distress.
- Viewers and former contestants called for Kirk to be evicted from the Big Brother house.
Big Brother Season 28 contestant Kamu Kirk faced widespread public criticism after a video resurfaced online showing him mocking the death of George Floyd during a police arrest. The 32-year-old mixed martial arts fighter recorded himself in December laughing while a detained individual near his residence repeatedly screamed in distress that they could not breathe.
Page Six reported that the footage remained visible in the profile highlights of the social media account belonging to Kirk. In the video, Kirk mimicked the individual's cries before stating that the person believed they were Floyd, who was killed by Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin in May 2020. Kirk subsequently smiled at the camera and made a remark regarding taking the parking spot previously occupied by the detained individual.
Viewers strongly condemned the reality television star across social media platforms for exhibiting a lack of empathy and laughing at a person experiencing police enforcement. Several fans criticised network broadcaster CBS for casting Kirk on the programme without properly vetting his online activity, while others highlighted additional activity where he liked posts targeting the Muslim religion and identifying with Christian Nationalism.
The television personality previously drew criticism earlier in the season for making controversial remarks directed at fellow contestant Jason De Puy, a drag queen who competed on RuPaul's Drag Race. During live feeds broadcast earlier in the month, Kirk stated in a conversation with Survivor alumnus Rick Devens that he needed to maintain his image as an MMA fighter and told De Puy to avoid bringing drag topics around him. On a recent episode, Kirk referred to De Puy as a zesty bestie, a phrase frequently utilised to mock men perceived as flamboyant or effeminate.
Former Big Brother contestant Frankie Grande publicly urged producers to remove the competitor from the game on Thursday, sharing the footage online and questioning how he remained in the house.