Derrick Levasseur
Derrick Levasseur | |
|---|---|
 Levasseur discusses his television program Breaking Homicide in 2018 | |
| Born | February 3, 1984 Providence, Rhode Island, U.S. |
| Occupations |
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| Television |
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| Spouse |
Jana Donlin (m. 2011) |
| Children | 2 |
Derrick Levasseur (born February 3, 1984) is an American television personality, private investigator, and former police officer. He is best known for winning the reality television series Big Brother in 2014.[1]
Reality television
[edit]Big Brother
[edit]Levasseur competed on the sixteenth season of Big Brother USA, a competition show where the contestants, "Houseguests," compete against each other for months while being monitered 24/7. While Levasseur was a undercover detective at the time, he did not tell other houseguests fearing they would evict him for it.
On Day 2, Levasseur formed an alliance and final two deal with fellow houseguest Cody Calafiore called "The Hitmen". Levasseur was also a member of the Team America alliance with fellow houseguests Frankie Grande and Donny Thompson, earning $75,000 by completing tasks as assigned by online voters.
Levasseur won Head of Household (HOH) in weeks 3, 8, 10, and 12. He was the sole HOH for three out of those four weeks. Levasseur was not put up for eviction until the Final Three, making him the first HouseGuest to accomplish this since Danielle Reyes and Jason Guy, both of Big Brother 3.[2]
On finale night, Calafiore won Head of Household and chose to take Levasseur to the final two. Levasseur won the game with a 7-2 jury vote, earning him $500,000.[3] This, coupled with previously earned Team America prize money, resulted in a grand total of $575,000 for Levasseur.
Post Big Brother
[edit]On March 31, 2016, Levasseur confirmed that he would be part of a Martin Sheen-produced series Hard Evidence: Is OJ Innocent on Investigation Discovery.[4] He was one of the hosts on two seasons of Breaking Homicide on Investigation Discovery.[5] Levasseur also co-hosts two podcasts: one about true crime called Crime Weekly with YouTuber Stephanie Harlowe, as well one with fellow Big Brother winner Cody Calafiore called The Winner's Circle where they analyze the current season of Big Brother.[6] Additionally, Levasseur hosts his own podcast called Detective Perspective, which is also available on YouTube.
In 2025, Levasseur competed on the third season of The Traitors.[7][8] He was 'banished' on the seventh episode.[9]
Professional career
[edit]Levasseur is a decorated police sergeant from Central Falls, Rhode Island. Hired at only twenty years old, he was one of the youngest officers in the department's history and worked in both the Patrol Division and the Detective Division. He was later assigned to the Special Investigations Unit as an undercover detective, where he had the opportunity to work with the ATF, DEA, FBI, and US Secret Service, resulting in numerous arrests and seizures. In addition to his experience in the field, he has advanced training in crime scene analysis, interview and interrogation techniques, and undercover operations.[10]
In April 2007, while working patrol, Levasseur responded to a 911 call for help. Upon arrival, he was informed by the caller that Selvin M. Garrido Morales was attempting to stab his friend and girlfriend with a knife. When Levasseur and other officers confronted Morales, Morales proceeded to charge at the officers with a knife. Levasseur shot and killed Morales (Levasseur described it as a suicide by police). He and the other officers involved were cleared of any wrongdoing by a grand jury.[11][12]
Throughout the course of his career, Levasseur received multiple awards, including letters of recognition, unit citations, commendations, and the Medal of Valor, which is the highest honor a sworn officer can receive. In 2017, he was the recipient of the American Red Cross “Hero Award” after saving seven people from a burning building.[13]
Levasseur was a police officer for 13 years. He retired in 2017 to open his own private investigation firm, Break Investigative Group.
Filmography
[edit]Television - as self
[edit]| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014- 2024 | Big Brother | Houseguest | Season 16; 40 episodes |
| Guest | 6 episodes | ||
| 2017 | Is O.J. Innocent? The Missing Evidence | Self | Mini-series |
| 2017-
2019 |
The Dr. Oz Show | Guest | 7 episodes |
| 2018 | Celebrity Big Brother | Guest | Episode; #1.3 |
| 2018-
2019 |
Breaking Homicide | Host | 14 episodes |
| 2019 | Dr. Phil | Guest | Episode: "The Disappearance of Jennifer Dulos" |
| 2023 | ID Special Report: The Long Island Serial Killer | Guest | TV Special |
| 2025 | The Traitors | Contestant | 7 episodes |
References
[edit]- ^ Blackwelder, Carson (September 24, 2014). "Derrick Levasseur Wins Big Brother 16!". Wetpaint. Retrieved June 2, 2015.
- ^ Pucci, Douglas (September 25, 2014). "Why Derrick Levasseur is the Most Dominant Champion in 'Big Brother' History". TV Media Insights. Archived from the original on June 2, 2015. Retrieved June 2, 2015.
- ^ Prudom, Laura (September 25, 2014). "Rhode Island cop Derrick Levasseur wins 'Big Brother'". Boston Herald. Retrieved June 2, 2015.
- ^ @DerrickL (March 31, 2016). "Excited to join @DiscoveryID and the rest of the cast and crew! Can't wait to get started! #HardEvidence" (Tweet). Retrieved March 31, 2016 – via Twitter.
- ^ "'Breaking Homicide' Stars Derrick Levasseur and Kris Mohandie Break Down ID's New Cold Case Series". usmagazine.com. 15 April 2018. Retrieved August 26, 2023.
- ^ "'Big Brother' Fan-Faves Derrick & Cody Launch New Project". Heavy.com. 7 July 2021. Retrieved July 30, 2021.
- ^ Bennett, Tara (2025-01-09). "Detective Chops & Big Brother Champ: Derrick Levasseur Spells Double Trouble for The Traitors". NBC. Retrieved 2025-07-13.
- ^ Ross, Dalton (10 Feb 2025). "Derrick Levasseur responds to being called a 'dirty scumbag liar' on 'The Traitors'". EW.com. Retrieved 2025-07-13.
- ^ Tharp, Sharon (2025-02-19). "Derrick Levasseur on Why He Came Out of Retirement for 'The Traitors'". www.mensjournal.com. Retrieved 2025-07-13.
- ^ "The Team". thebreakgroup.com. Break Investigative Group. Retrieved 2021-09-01.
Throughout the course of his career, Levasseur received multiple awards, including letters of recognition, unit citations, commendations, and the Medal of Valor, which is the highest honor a sworn officer can receive. In 2017, he was the recipient of the American Red Cross "Hero Award" after saving seven people from a burning building.
- ^ Milkovits, Amanda. "In R.I., it is rare that investigations into officer-involved shootings end in criminal charges". providencejournal.com. Retrieved 2021-04-21.
- ^ Levasseur, Derrick (2018). The Undercover Edge. Amazon: Sourcebooks. pp. 225–238. ISBN 978-1-4926-6762-9.
- ^ "Red Cross to Honor Local Heroes". redcross.org. Red Cross. 2017-04-27. Retrieved 2021-09-01.
Emergency Services Hero Award presented to Officer Yomaira Rodriguez, Sergeant Derrick Levasseur, and Officer Bari Cameron of the Central Falls Police Department who saved seven people after a fire in a residential building where fire alarms failed to alert those inside.
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