Amber Siyavus, the single mom and cocktail waitress who became a familiar face to CBS viewers during her run as a houseguest on “Big Brother,” has died at 46. She was found dead at her home in Las Vegas on Friday, Oct. 9, 2026.
The Clark County Office of the Coroner/Medical Examiner in Nevada confirmed her death, which became public Monday, Oct. 12. A cause and manner of death are currently listed as pending.
Siyavus competed on the eighth season of the CBS reality series in 2007, 19 years before her death, joining a cast of strangers sealed inside a camera-covered house and filmed around the clock as they schemed, bonded and voted one another out.
Julie Chen Leads the Tributes
Among those who reacted to the news was longtime “Big Brother” host Julie Chen, who posted a tribute on Instagram alongside a video clip of Siyavus from her time on the show. “Rest in Peace Amber. Hard to believe but I know you are back in our eternal home with our Creator,” she wrote. Chen 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, shared his condolences in a post on X. “RIP Amber your battle is over,” he wrote.
In the same post, Donato said the last time he was in contact with Siyavus, she had just come out of rehab for heroin, and he reached out to her on Facebook to offer encouraging words about staying clean.
From a Nevada Casting Call to the House
A Nevada native, Siyavus was a single mother working as a cocktail waitress when she was cast on the series, an everywoman backstory that set her apart in a franchise increasingly stocked with aspiring entertainers. In a 2007 interview with Buddy TV, she said she auditioned for the sake of her family after seeing a televised casting call in Nevada, where she turned up, recorded a two-minute video message and hoped to be picked.
She lasted deep into the summer before her ouster, finishing in seventh place and ultimately losing out to Donato, who claimed the season’s grand prize. Looking back on the ordeal in that same 2007 interview, Siyavus called it a tough stretch and said she walked away with a sharper understanding of herself and of the people around her — an education she valued even after the cameras were switched off.
Her season remains among the most-discussed in the show’s history, and clips of its houseguests still circulate among fans nearly two decades later. For viewers who followed that summer, Siyavus was one of its most emotionally transparent players.
Siyavus’ Daughter Died in 2018
Siyavus had endured a devastating loss years after her brush with reality television fame. Her daughter, Lexi Tomcavage, died by suicide in 2018 at age 18.
Siyavus was 46. Officials have not released further details, and the coroner’s office has yet to determine how she died.
If you or someone you know needs help, call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org for mental health support. Local mental health and crisis resources can be found at dontcallthepolice.com. Outside of the U.S., support is available through the International Association for Suicide Prevention.