“Big Brother” contestant Aaryn Gries, whose racial and homophobic slurs have sparked a firestorm — and high ratings — for the CBS reality show, has at least one ally — her mother. Just days after Gries was evicted from the “Big Brother” house, Elizabeth Owens is speaking out in a statement to The Times, chastising her daughter but declaring that the remarks are not reflective of Gries’ upbringing or her true character.
“While I love and continue to support my daughter Aaryn, words cannot describe my disappointment in some of her comments made on ‘Big Brother,’” Owens wrote. “These inappropriate comments certainly do not represent the value system under which her father and I have raised her. Aaryn is a young 22-year-old college student that has spent 70 days living in a fishbowl and making mistakes for America to see.”
Gries was kicked out of the “Big Brother” house during the live weekly episode in which houseguests vote off a contestant. She has been fired from her job at a modeling agency as a result of her remarks but is not aware of the fallout because she remains isolated as part of a jury of ousted contestants who will determine the winner on the season finale on Sept. 18. Many of Gries’ remarks came in the early weeks of the contest and were shown on a 24-hour live Webstream.
Referring to African American houseguest Candice Stewart, Gries said, “Be careful what you say in the dark, might not get to see the bitch.” In one episode, she flipped over Stewart’s mattress and mocked her while adopting a stereotypical black accent.
