Reality star Amber Siyavus, a houseguest on the CBS series “Big Brother,” has died at 46.
Records from the Clark County Office of the Coroner/Medical Examiner in Nevada list her date of death as Friday, Oct. 9, 2026. Her death became public Monday, Oct. 12.
The show’s official account posted on X: “The Big Brother family is heartbroken by the passing of Season 8 alumni Amber Siyavus. Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with her family, friends, and loved ones during this difficult time.”
Julie Chen, the longtime host of “Big Brother,” posted a tribute on Instagram alongside a video clip of Siyavus from her time on the show. She wrote, “Rest in Peace Amber. Hard to believe but I know you are back in our eternal home with our Creator,” in the post. Chen also thanked the former houseguest for her candor and said she would be remembered with love.
Dick “Evel Dick” Donato, the combustible houseguest who won that eighth season, offered condolences in a post on X. Donato said in the post that his last contact with Siyavus came when she had just come out of rehab for heroin, and that he reached out to her on Facebook with encouraging words about staying clean.
A Breakout Summer in 2007
Siyavus competed on the eighth season in 2007, 19 years before her death. The season followed the show’s format, sealing a cast of strangers inside a camera-covered house, filming them around the clock as they schemed, bonded and voted one another out.
Siyavus was a cocktail waitress at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas when producers cast her on the series, and she often spoke about her daughter during her time in the house. Her everywoman backstory set her apart in a franchise increasingly stocked with aspiring entertainers. She lasted deep into the summer before her ouster in seventh place, and she lost out to Donato, the winner of the season’s grand prize.
Her season ranks among the most-discussed in the show’s history, and clips of its houseguests still circulate among fans nearly two decades later. She was one of that summer’s most emotionally transparent players.
Legal Cases in 2020
Siyavus faced legal trouble in February and September of 2020, on charges of resisting an officer with a dangerous weapon and felony forgery. She entered a guilty plea in February 2020 to attempting to resist an officer with a dangerous weapon, according to court records. Prosecutors alleged she tried to drive away in Henderson, Nevada, while a police officer was partially inside her vehicle.
She pleaded guilty in September 2020 to the felony forgery charge, which involved Western Union money orders. She received suspended sentences and probation in both cases, and a court ordered her to undergo substance abuse and mental health evaluations.
Siyavus was no longer under court supervision for her 2020 convictions at the time of her death. She completed supervision for both the resisting-an-officer and felony forgery offenses by 2023, according to court records.
Daughter Died in 2018
Siyavus suffered a devastating loss in January 2018, when her daughter, Lexi Tomcavage, died at age 18. Investigators looked into the death as an apparent suicide. At the time, the county coroner’s office reported that four other teenagers from Perry Township, Ohio, had died in the previous six months. Her daughter’s death came years after her brush with reality television fame.
People seeking mental health support can call or text 988, or chat at 988lifeline.org. Local mental health and crisis resources are listed at dontcallthepolice.com. Outside the U.S., the International Association for Suicide Prevention offers support.
