They have her back. After Big Brother fans noticed that several season 24 Houseguests had started targeting contestant Taylor Hale, fellow franchise alums have shared their support for her from outside the house.
“The treatment of Taylor in #BB24 is a prime example of why The Cookout was formed,” season 23 winner Xavier Prather tweeted on Sunday, July 10, referring to the all-Black alliance that he helped craft last year. “Members of the black community (especially black women) and other people of color stand no chance in the Big Brother House due to perpetuation of micro-aggressions and unconscious biases which plague our society.”
The Challenge: USA contestant, 28, continued: “I acknowledge my shortcomings during my time on Big Brother and can’t help but feel partially responsible for some of the reprehensible behavior I see being exhibited by current houseguests who consider me one of their ‘favorites.’ For that, I’d like to apologize for being an accessory to any ongoing issues.”
Season 24 of Big Brother premiered earlier this week as Daniel Durston was named the first Head of Household (HOH) while the rest of the group battles for their own safety ahead of the first eviction. Taylor, 27, has seemingly become a target for her many fellow contestants, who’ve criticized her and gossiped about her. Several of the show participants alleged that Taylor was aggressive and would “blow up” if she goes on the block. The personal stylist was later spotted crying during a portion of the live feeds.
Xavier isn’t the only Big Brother alum to vocalize his support for the Michigan native.
“This convo with Monte [Taylor] and Terrance [Higgins] has me FUMING,” Tiffany Mitchell, another member of season 23’s Cookout, wrote via Twitter. “Two black men gossiping and tearing down another black woman who actually did NOTHING to them. Accusing her of being condesending [sic] because she actually has a personality.”
Tiffany, 41, added: “I’m emotional today. … It’s difficult to express how I feel about our season because I am just now realizing that I’m hurt. I do forgive you because I love you and I know your intentions where [sic] not malicious and we are all learning.”
During season 23, The Cookout successfully brought all of its members to the Final 6 — and crowned the first-ever Black winner of the CBS competition.
“To be the winner of Big Brother is already a tremendous honor. So, to be not only a winner of Big Brother but now the first Black winner in BB U.S. history is an amazing feeling,” Xavier exclusively told Us Weekly in September 2021. “I came in the season having my own personal reasons to win, but I also wanted to crown a Black winner for the culture. And to be that person, that representative, for the game and the Black community is amazing. It’s a great feeling and something I’ll never forget.”
Before Taylor, for her part, went into the Big Brother house this summer, she teased her gameplay to Us and noted that she “of course” watched Tiffany and Xavier’s season.
“That’s actually what got me into Big Brother,” the beauty queen told Us ahead of the Wednesday, July 6, premiere, noting she hopes to model her strategy after Danielle Reyes and Janelle Pierzina. “I’m really obsessed with women in this game who are just bold, brazen and just unafraid to go after what they want. … I like that they never sacrificed who they actually are and still played a fabulous game.”
Scroll below to see how former Big Brother have supported Taylor from outside the competition: