Chima Simone played Big Brother 11 in 2009 and left on Day 42, after throwing her microphone into the hot tub. CBS said she was expelled; she has said she quit. Twice before that, the game turned on something she could not control: her week 1 eviction plea was cut from the live broadcast, and her only Head of Household was undone by a Coup d’État that viewers handed to Jeff. Her empty jury seat went to a viewer vote.
- Season: Big Brother 11 (2009)
- Clique: the Brains, with Michele and Ronnie
- Finish: 8th of 13, out on Day 42
- HOH wins: 1 (week 5)
- Nominated: twice (weeks 1 and 6)
- Jury: her seat was filled by a viewer vote, which went to Jordan
Big Brother 11
Chima’s game nearly ended in week 1. She agreed to go on the block as a pawn, and when Russell’s veto pulled Lydia off, Braden went up beside her. The house split 5–5, and HOH Jessie broke the tie to send Braden home. Her live speech before the vote brought up comments Braden had made in the house. CBS cut it from the broadcast, and she told the house afterwards that production had told her so.
She won her only HOH in week 5 and nominated Lydia and Russell, with Russell the target. Kevin won the veto and left the nominations alone. Then, on live eviction night, Jeff played the Coup d’État that America had voted him. He pulled both of Chima’s nominees and put up Jessie and Natalie. Jessie, Chima’s ally, went out 3–2 as the first juror, and Chima’s HOH was over.
Was Chima expelled from Big Brother, or did she quit?
Both accounts are on the record. Michele nominated Chima and Natalie on Friday 14 August 2009. That night Chima refused to wear her microphone, threw it into the hot tub and refused a replacement. In the early hours of Saturday the feeds went dark, and when they came back she was gone. Jeff, afterwards: “..and then there were 7!“
CBS said the same day that producers had removed her for breaking the rules and that she would not be part of the jury. Executive producer Allison Grodner told the remaining houseguests it was for more than one violation. Chima has said she quit a game she felt producers had made impossible to win. Her jury seat went to a viewer vote, which went to Jordan, and Jordan beat Natalie 5–2.
