The Big Brother alum was constantly shipped with Frankie Grande, Ariana Grande’s brother, while they were on the show’s 16th season back in 2014.
In an exclusive interview with Us Magazine in 2020, Zach came out as bisexual and admitted to having slept with Grande during Ariana Grande’s Halloween Party.
Big Brother fans labeled the duo “Zankie” and have even gone on to make fan accounts of the two.
Image via X (@ZankieMoments)
An entire decade later, overly passionate fans are hounding Zach for not ending up with Frankie after leaving the Big Brother house. In a YouTube vlog titled “cry for help,” Zach sits in front of the camera to explain what has been going on in the “Zankie” part of his life recently:
“I have been getting harassed non-stop, incessantly, for the past 10 years since ‘Big Brother’ aired in 2014. I’ve received extremely specific and vulgar emails about myself and my family. These messages contain direct threats, not only to my life but also to the lives of my family and friends. It was time for me to come forward, discuss what’s going on, and ask for your help.”
Zach recalls that the fans who were upset about the failed romance started to send spiteful messages in 2015 since his personal phone number and email address got leaked. He would get “mean and rude messages” that were addressed not only to him, but also his family telling them that Zach was, “being homophobic, a closeted gay man.” This then started to gain traction because the stories and hate messages were being posted and reposted in popular platforms such as Twitter (now referred to as X), Tumblr, and Pinterest.
Image via X (@oomfabelle)
The amount of hate Zach was receiving was insurmountable, he says of the messages he’s been getting:
“It got to the point where I didn’t really know what to do, and I was scared that whoever was sending these emails might physically harm me or my family.”
Here is an example of an email his mom Jill received:
“I swear on my life, I don’t care about prison because at least I’ll be happy that I got rid of your son permanently, and you’ll live suffering. If he marries any girl, he’ll be killed.”
The Ironman athlete has an inkling of where he has to start looking, but doesn’t know who exactly these people are, so he’s come out on YouTube and asked his viewers for help:
“We’re highly confident that some of you in these subgroups or small communities on social media know who this person is. We have no idea who this person is, but I’m confident that one of you involved in the Zankie world and atmosphere might be familiar with them. Even if you don’t know their exact name, please reach out to us—we’re looking for anyone willing to help.”
Zach adds that they have exhausted all of their resources:
“Please send us any details. This has impacted my life negatively in so many different ways—it’s affected my mental and emotional health, my relationships with friends and family, and it’s even impacted me financially.”
It has been a decade since his time on Big Brother concluded. Zach only hopes that Zankie-shippers would stop stalking him and bullying him.
It pays to be nice, and it pays even more to not be a bully or a stalker.
You can go check out Zach’s video if you want to reach out–nicely, or listen to his story.
Sources: Us Magazine, Zach Rance YouTube