CBS Photo Archive / CBS via Getty Images Former Big Brother contestant Mickey Lee has died at 35, her family announced with “profound sadness” in a statement shared on Instagram on December 26. Lee’s relatives had previously confirmed she was hospitalized in “critical condition” after suffering a “series of cardiac arrests” reportedly connected to flu complications . Despite their hopes for her recovery, the family said Lee died on Christmas Day. Lee competed on the twenty-seventh season of Big Brother, the long-running CBS reality TV competition show, this past summer. She was the eighth contestant eliminated from the show. Fellow Big Brother star Rachel Reilly was among the show’s alumnae paying tribute in the comments of her family’s Instagram post, calling Lee “an amazing soul.” In their announcement, Lee’s family remembered her as someone who brought joy to those around her and formed “genuine connections” both on and off screen. The family asked for privacy as they grieve and said details about memorial services will be shared later. In a final message, they wrote that Lee’s “light, legacy, and impact will never be forgotten.” Read it at Entertainment Weekly Read more at The Daily Beast.