Former Big Brother contestant Amber Siyavus has died after being found unresponsive in a bathroom in Las Vegas on October 9, according to reports. The 2007 contestant, who finished seventh on the show's eighth US season, has not had her official cause of death confirmed.
Police report details discovery
TMZ obtained a police report from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department describing the circumstances. Police say Amber was found holding what appeared to be a white snorting straw and a lighter. When her body was moved, officers discovered aluminium foil with burnt residue and a small plastic bag containing white powder underneath her. They also found numerous prescription pills in her luggage, along with four Narcan sprays used to reverse opioid overdoses.
Amber's official cause of death has not been publicly confirmed. HuffPost UK reported that both the cause and manner of death were listed as pending. Her passing comes eight years after the death of her daughter, Lexi Tomcavage, who died by suicide in 2018 at age 18.
Aunt's account to investigators
TMZ reported that Amber's aunt spoke to authorities about her circumstances before death. She told investigators that Amber had travelled to Las Vegas to visit her mother and had no knowledge of Amber experiencing suicidal thoughts. The aunt also revealed that Amber had recently been trying to arrange a move to Las Vegas for her son and had previously attended rehabilitation for heroin use and unidentified pills.
The aunt said she first spotted Amber lying sideways in bed around 7 AM but didn't think much of it and went back to sleep. When she checked again around 11 AM, Amber was still in the same position and wasn't responding, prompting her to call police. Emergency dispatchers were told that Amber was not breathing and felt cold to the touch. She was pronounced dead shortly afterwards.
Tributes from Big Brother figures
Amber's death has prompted tributes from those associated with the show, including host Julie Chen, who said: "Rest in Peace Amber. Hard to believe but I know you are back in our eternal home with our Creator. Thank you for your heart and honesty. We will remember you with love."
Dick Donato, known as Evil Dick, who won the eighth season of Big Brother, also paid tribute on X, formerly Twitter, reflecting on their last contact: "This is a shame... The last time I had contact to Amber she was just out of rehab for heroin. I contacted her on FB to give her some encouraging words about staying clean. I hadn't spoken to her since just after the show. RIP Amber, your battle is over."
