Julie Chen Poses In Stylish Face Mask Backstage, Explains Why She Took It Off For ‘Big Brother’ Broadcast

Big Brother host Julie Chen Moonves seemingly responded to viewers who complained that she didn’t wear a mask when interviewing the first evicted houseguest on the CBS reality show this week.

Less than 24 hours after a maskless Julie sat more than six feet away from evicted player Keesha Smith to chat with her about her short time in the Big Brother: All-Stars game, the CBS veteran shared an Instagram photo that showed her wearing a stylish, monogrammed mask behind the scenes.

In the photo, which can be seen below, the Big Brother queen bee posed in front of a couch with photos of past Big Brother players in the background. Julie was dressed down from the floral dress she wore on the eviction episode. She wore a white hoodie with a picture of Jesus on it, as well as cropped, flared gray sweatpants, white sneakers, and a fitted black face mask with the initials JCM on it in white lettering.

Fans know that Julie used to go by her maiden name before she added Moonves to her professional moniker as a show of support for her husband, former CBS chief Les Moonves, after he was fired from the network amid allegations of misconduct. The monogrammed mask shows she is still fully standing by her man.

In the caption, the Big Brother host noted that things are “more relaxed” when she’s off stage.

In the comments section, several fans zeroed in on Julie’s outfit and especially her personalized mask, including Big Brother 21 star Christie Murphy.

“Oooohhhhh love this full beat JCM,” Murphy wrote.

“Love ur work JCM,” another added.

“We need that mask for sale,” a third fan chimed in.

While her new facial covering is setting off some “mask envy,” that wasn’t the case earlier this week. On Thursday, Julie was blasted by some viewers when she instructed Keesha to put on a face mask before exiting the Big Brother house for their post-eviction interview yet didn’t wear one herself, as previously shared by The Inquisitr.

All 16 of the Big Brother: All-Stars contestants were required to quarantine in separate residences for two weeks before the new season premiered, and they will continue to be regularly tested for COVID-19 as the 20th anniversary season plays out over the next three months. Julie, meanwhile, is not believed to be quarantined on the premises as the cast and most of the other crew members are, so her lack of a facial covering concerned some fans.

But in a follow-up Instagram post, seen here, Julie assured viewers that the entire production staff – herself included — are taking every measure to keep everyone safe.

“I only remove my mask when talking on TV, and we mitigate risks with social distancing (which is why you see Keesha and I are 12 feet apart).” Julie wrote. “Although it seems at times that wearing a mask and social distancing have turned into political statements for some people, we believe it’s the best way to protect ourselves.”