Janelle basically confirms that Nicole F. rumor about Derrick’s and Dan’s absences on ‘Big Brother 22’

Daniele Briones and Nicole Franzel, Big Brother 22
CBS

A major pre-season “Big Brother 22: All-Stars” rumor was that Nicole Franzel was the reason former winners Derrick Levasseur and Dan Gheesling aren’t playing this season. And, well, Janelle Pierzina has confirmed that’s the case more or less.

During an early morning chat with Nicole Anthony on Friday on the live feeds, Janelle spilled the tea as she expressed shock that Nicole F. was working with Cody Calafiore, aka Derrick’s Hitmen right-hand man on Season 16.

“Well, it’s very weird that she’s working with Cody because from what Dan told me, she’s the reason that Derrick isn’t here,” Janelle said. “So I don’t know. I don’t get it. Like, what the hell did she do? How did she do that? I’m so confused. But that’s what Dan told me.”

She added that she doesn’t think Cody even knows what Nicole F. did. And honestly, no one at this point except the parties involved know what she did. But the rumor was that Nicole F. was upset she wasn’t asked to return and subsequently made a deal with production to rat out houseguests who were pre-gaming in exchange for being cast. She allegedly infiltrated a group chat that included Dan and Derrick, then told production they were strategizing, and boom, Dan and Derrick are gone.

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Derrick has denied that Nicole F. had anything to do with his absence, but has made it clear that all his not well between the two of them right now.

“I won’t lie — Not happy with Nicole right now. But there was never a group chat that I was involved in,” he tweeted on July 26. “My business with my friends is between us. But I will say this: there is ZERO truth to the rumor that Nicole had anything to do with me not being on the show.. So any supporters of mine: Please don’t blame her. I did what was best for my family.”

Dan has also denied the rumors, tweeting that “none of them are remotely close to the truth.”


via GIPHY

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The truth is probably somewhere in between. The rumor suggests that TPTB axed Derrick and Dan for pre-strategizing, and the thing is, would they really have? These are two legends of the game, and fans have been clamoring for them to play together since Derrick demolished everyone to a win in Season 16. And seeing that both of their sidekicks/runners-up — Cody and Memphis Garrett on Season 10 — are on the show and the fact that Julie Chen Moonves asked Cody if the Hitmen or Dan and Memphis’ Renegades were the better alliance on Wednesday, it feels like the show wanted a Hitmen vs. Renegades face-off. What’s more likely is that Dan and Derrick found out Nicole ratted them out and both decided to peace out.

Let’s hope someone (Janelle?) just asks Nicole about it soon and we can watch her try to squirm her way out of it.

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