‘Big Brother’ Houseguest Cassandra Waldon Dead at 56 After Car Wreck

Big Brother alum Cassandra Waldon has passed away suddenly, according to a new report by TMZ. The former reality star was injured in a car accident overseas, and passed away while trying to recover. She was 56 years old.

Waldon was injured in a car accident in Rome, Italy, according to the report. She was there working for the United Nations, and a source at the organization told TMZ that she was hit by a car about two months ago. After several weeks in the hospital, she passed away on Sept. 25, never having regained consciousness since the crash.

Waldon suffered an unspecified head injury in the crash. After her reality TV career, she went back to her work as the Director of Communications for the International Fund for Agricultural Development at the U.N. She was in Rome on official business when she was hit, but she will now be returned home to Maryland. A funeral will reportedly be held next weekend.

Waldon was a legend in the world of reality TV. Not only was she in the cast of the first season of Big Brother, she was the first contestant ever to enter the house in the pilot episode in July of 2000. As die-hard fans know, this makes her the first victim of the “first to enter curse.”

In all its years on the air, no one who has entered the Big Brother house first has ever won in the U.S. or Canada versions of the show. Waldon was no exception. She finished in sixth place out of 10 guests on her season, yet she was still fondly remembered.

Big Brother host Julie Chen posted a heartfelt message to Waldon on Instagram on Friday as news of her passing circulated. It included a photo of her invitation to Waldon’s funeral, as well as an older picture from Waldon’s time on the show.

“Rest In Peace Cassandra,” Chen wrote. “Your light will continue to shine in this world because of the way you lived your life: with class and grace. May your family and loved ones find solace and peace. Thank you for bringing your intelligence, warmth and wisdom to the Big Brother house Season 1. You are in my thoughts and in my prayers. May God Bless your soul.”

In her introduction on Big Brother, Waldon took fans through her world-traveling, high profile job. She explained why she felt drawn to the series, and what she was leaving behind in the real world.

“My work is very, very challenging, and rewarding, but I needed something exciting in my life,” she said. “I’ve got to try this! I’ve got to see if I can do it!”

“I have a lot of friends who are very supportive of me in my life, and I’m going to miss them,” she added. In the clip, Waldon’s friends and family told the camera that they though she was “crazy,” but that it was just her style to become fixated on a strange pursuit and follow it through to the end.

Waldon’s season of Big Brother is available to stream on CBS All Access.