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Big Brother: Aaryn Gries, Ginamarie Zimmerman fired for racist remarks

Big Brother: Two contestants, Aaryn Gries and Ginamarie Zimmerman, on the reality TV show Big Brother, were fired from their day jobs for racist remarks made on the show.

  • By Tim Kenneally The Wrap

Another contestant on CBS's "Big Brother" has been terminated from her day job due to racist comments made on the reality show's live feed.

GinaMarie Zimmerman has been terminated at East Coast USA Pageant, where she's worked for five years, Lauren Handler, the national director and CEO of the organization said on Wednesday.

In a statement, Handler said that the company was "left in disbelief and shock" after watching Zimmerman make the comments.
Handler didn't specify Zimmerman's "unforgivable behavior," but according to TMZ, Zimmerman referred to welfare as "n----- insurance."

Handler said that the organization is "unable to contact [Zimmerman] at this time," but when she returns from the the "Big Brother" house, she will be terminated "for her unforgivable behavior."

She said that the organization was previously unaware that Zimmerman harbored racist sentiments.

"The East Coast USA Pageant is an outlet for girls and women to gain self-confidence, announce their platform and most importantly to celebrate who they are," Handler's statement reads. "We believe and teach our contestants that beauty comes from within. We celebrate the diversity of our participants, as all ethnicities are beautiful. We have never known this side of GinaMarie or have ever witnessed such acts of racism in the past."

News of Zimmerman's termination comes the same day as reports that her fellow "Big Brother" contestant, Aaryn Gries, was dropped from her modeling agency, Austin-based Zephyr Talent, for disparaging comments about her castmates. Gries told one Asian American contestant that she should "shut up and make some rice," and referred to a gay contestant as a "queer."

CBS distanced itself from the comments in a statement, saying, "We certainly find the statements made by several of the House guests on the live internet feed to be offensive."

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