Amber Siyavus, the Las Vegas cocktail waitress who played on the eighth season of the CBS reality series “Big Brother,” was found dead at home in Las Vegas on Friday, Oct. 9, 2026, at 46.
The Clark County Office of the Coroner/Medical Examiner in Nevada confirmed the death, which became public Monday, Oct. 12. The office still listed her cause and manner of death as pending as of Wednesday, Oct. 14.
Seventh Place and a $500,000 Vote
Siyavus joined the show for its eighth season in 2007, 19 years before her death. The series sealed a cast of strangers inside a camera-covered house and filmed them around the clock as they schemed, bonded and voted one another out.
She finished seventh, ousted deep into the summer, and made the jury. She voted for Dick “Evel Dick” Donato, the combustible houseguest who won that season, over his daughter Daniele Donato for the $500,000 grand prize.
Her frequent crying earned her the nickname “Whamber.” She was one of the season’s most emotionally transparent players, and her season remains among the most-discussed in the show’s history, with clips of its houseguests still circulating among fans nearly two decades later.
From a Nevada Casting Call
Siyavus worked as a cocktail waitress at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas when the show cast her. Her “everywoman” backstory set her apart in a franchise increasingly stocked with aspiring entertainers.
She told BuddyTV in 2007: “I did it for my family, I saw on TV a casting call down in Nevada, and I went down there and gave my two-minute video message and hoped for the best and being picked as a contestant.”
“RIP Amber your battle is over”
Julie Chen, the longtime “Big Brother” host, posted a tribute on Instagram alongside a video clip of Siyavus from her time on the show. Chen thanked the former houseguest for her candor and said she would be remembered with love.
“Rest in Peace Amber. Hard to believe but I know you are back in our eternal home with our Creator,” she wrote.
Donato offered his condolences in a post on X. He said his last contact with Siyavus came when she had just gotten out of rehab for heroin, and that he reached out on Facebook with encouraging words about staying clean. He ended the post, “RIP Amber your battle is over.”
Two Guilty Pleas in 2020
Siyavus pleaded guilty in February 2020 to attempting to resist an officer with a dangerous weapon. Prosecutors alleged she tried to drive away in Henderson, Nevada, with a police officer partially inside her vehicle.
She received a suspended prison sentence of 19 to 48 months and up to four years of probation. In September 2020 she pleaded guilty to felony forgery involving Western Union money orders, which brought a second suspended prison sentence plus up to two years of probation.
She was ordered to undergo substance abuse and mental health evaluations. She was under no court supervision for either offense when she died, and she was off supervision by 2023.
A Daughter’s Death in Ohio
Siyavus’ daughter, Lexi Tomcavage, died on Jan. 8, 2018, in Ohio at 18, in what investigators looked at as an apparent suicide. The county coroner’s office said at the time that four other teenagers from Perry Township, Ohio, had died in the previous six months.
If you or someone you know needs help, 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 lists resources.