“Big Brother” Season 28 houseguest Kamu Kirk is facing calls for his removal after an old Instagram video resurfaced showing him joking about George Floyd while recording another person’s arrest. The 32-year-old MMA fighter filmed the December incident outside his residence as officers struggled to place an unidentified person into a police vehicle. When the individual repeatedly yelled that they could not breathe, Kirk invoked Floyd’s name while smiling and narrating the arrest. The clip has now fueled questions about how thoroughly CBS reviewed Kirk’s social media history before casting him on the reality competition.
Kirk, whose full name is Gabriel Xavier Kamuela Kirk, recorded the video while walking away from the scene. The face of the person being arrested was not shown, but they could be heard screaming, “I can’t breathe!” as officers attempted to get them inside a vehicle.
Kirk chuckled and noted that other bystanders appeared to be cheering on the arrest. “He’s saying, ‘I can’t breathe, I can’t breathe, I can’t breathe,’” Kirk narrated, before then making the comment that ignited the current backlash. “Bro thinks he’s George Floyd,” Kirk joked. “People are crazy, man. I’m going back inside.”
Before ending the recording, Kirk smiled and added, “I am gonna take that spot, though,” apparently referring to the parking space previously occupied by the person being arrested.
According to the Daily Mail, the video remained available through Kirk’s Instagram highlights as of Thursday night.
Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man, was murdered by Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin in May 2020. He repeatedly said that he could not breathe while Chauvin pressed his knee into Floyd’s neck for nearly 10 minutes during an arrest. Video of the killing sparked widespread protests against police brutality and racial injustice across the United States and around the world.
Chauvin and the other officers at the scene were fired the following day. Chauvin was later convicted of unintentional second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. He received a state prison sentence of 22-and-a-half years.
‘Big Brother’ Viewers Question CBS Casting Process
Fans quickly began demanding that producers remove Kirk from the competition. Some questioned whether CBS examined his public social media activity before selecting him for Season 28.
Others theorized that his controversial online presence may have made him more appealing to reality television producers seeking a cast member capable of generating conflict. “People shocked Kamu was cast for ‘Big Brother’ after his controversial IG posts. The casting team probably recruited him b/c of that!” one viewer speculated.
There is no evidence that producers selected Kirk because of the posts, and CBS has not explained what its background-checking process revealed before filming began.
The outrage surrounding the George Floyd video prompted viewers to search through Kirk’s other posts and interactions. Screenshots circulated that appeared to show Kirk liking content from users who identified themselves as Christian nationalists and advocated for the United States to become a Christian-ruled country. Other images seemingly showed him liking right-wing posts containing criticism of Islam and Muslims.
Social media likes can signal approval, but they do not necessarily provide complete context for someone’s personal beliefs. Kirk has not addressed the screenshots or explained why he interacted with the content.
Fans also resurfaced a photograph of the U.S. Capitol from Kirk’s Instagram highlights. “Who’s storming with me?” Kirk captioned the image.
Several viewers interpreted the post as expressing support for the pro-Trump attack on the Capitol on January 6, 2021. However, the supplied material did not indicate when Kirk posted the photograph or provide additional context establishing what he intended by the caption.
Frankie Grande Demands Kirk’s Removal
Frankie Grande, who previously competed on “Big Brother,” became one of the most prominent voices demanding action. The openly gay singer and actor initially condemned Kirk over a separate conversation inside the house that he believed was homophobic.
“Um. What the f-ck is this horses?! Get these homophobic bigots out of the fing house IMMEDIATELY. Both of them,” Grande wrote on X. “Ew this conversation makes me sick to my stomach. I’m disgusted. This better be the biggest thing ever when I wake up tomorrow or I’m flipping a table… f-ck. Ew. Gross.”
Grande later reposted the resurfaced George Floyd clip and renewed his call for Kirk to be removed. “You guys. Enough. How is this monster still in the house. WHAT THE F-CK?!” he wrote.
As of now, CBS had not announced plans to discipline or remove Kirk from the “Big Brother” house.
