From reality TV to pro wrestling, Jessie Godderz’s evolution after Big Brother

A true Midwestern boy, Jessie was born in Mason City, Iowa on April 23, 1986 and was raised on a farm in the small town of Rudd. Now 38, Jessie once worked as a conductor for the Union Pacific Railroad when he was 19.

Jessie, 5-foot-10, 220 pounds, got into pro bodybuilding with the World Natural Bodybuilding Federation—he was Mr. Natural Iowa in 2008—and eventually started a career in professional wrestling. He is a big sports fan and likes baseball, football, tennis, and boxing and is very close with his mother.

In 2018 (Jan. 6), Jessie welcomed his first son into the world, Lucas Princeton Godderz, and almost a year later (Jan. 1), Jessie and girlfriend Victoria welcomed his second son into the world, Gabe Elliott Godderz.

Big Brother 10

On Big Brother 10, Jessie was the youngest player in the house (22), and in Week 1, Jessie hit the block, nominated with Renny Martyn by Jerry MacDonald, the oldest player in Big Brother US US history (75). He survived the week, winning the Power of Veto competition, and won the Head of Household in Week 2.

In Week 3, Jessie was again put up on the block for eviction, but again he survived. But in Week 4—nominated by April Dowling along with eventual runner-up Memphis Garrett—the house got him out by a 4-3 vote (Day 31, 10th place).

Big Brother 10 was eventually won by 24-year-old Dan Gheelsing, just two years older than Jessie and also a contestant from the Midwest (Dearborn, Michigan).

Big Brother 11

Jessie returned to Studio City a year later for Big Brother 11 and lasted much longer. Teaming up with eventual runner-up, Natalie Martinez. After living in Iowa the year before, Jessie moved to Huntington Beach, California that year.

A member of the Athletes Clique (with Natalie, Jeff Schroeder, and Russell Kairouz), his team won the opening Head of Household and the now 23-year-old Jessie became the First HoH. He would also win the HoH on Day 19.

Jeff won the Coup d'Etat—although he couldn’t pronounce it—and promptly put up two of his Athletes Clique members Jessie and Natalie for eviction on Day 40. The house promptly voted out, 3-2 and became the first member of the Jury.

Other Big Brother and TV, movie appearances 

Jessie became a show icon after his two seasons on Big Brother and would return several times in surprise visits including Big Brother 12, Big Brother 13, and Big Brother 14 (Pandora’s Box twists). Although he wasn’t on Big Brother 15, Jessie appeared in every Big Brother season from BB16 to BB21. He also appeared on the spinoffs Big Brother After Dark and Celebrity Big Brother.

He has also appeared on a number of TV shows and in some movies including Next, Exposed, The Late Late Show, The Early Show, CAWL To Arms, Tainted Dreams, The Talk, The Price is Right, Snowfall, The Young and the Restless, AOL Build Series, Entertainment Tonight, New Dogs, Old Tricks, TKO: Total Knockout, Wrestlers (Netflix), Whacked Out, and House of Villains.

Pro wrestling career

After leaving Big Brother, Jessie joined Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW) and wrestled there from 2011 to 2013 and then left for IMPACT Wrestling.

But Jessie returned to OVW in 2019 and is a multi-champ there, winning the OVW Television Champion once, the OVW National Heavyweight Championship title twice, and the OVW Southern Tag Team Champion seven times. He made his wrestling debut on March 26, 2010. 

Billed from Hollywood, Jessie was also in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) where along with Robbie E, was a two-time TNA World Tag team Champion. Jessie is trained in the OVW by half-brothers Bubba Ray Dudley and D-Von Dudley.

House of Villains season 2 

Jessie is currently a contestant on House of Villains (E!, Thursdays, 9 pm EST/PST) where he's one of the six remaining villains at the time of this writing, after Larissa Lima (90 Day Fiance 6, 11th place), Richard Hatch (Survivor: Borneo, 10th place), Camilla Poindexter (Bad Girls Club: Las Vegas, 9th place), Victoria Larson (The Bachelor 25, 8th place), and Teresa Giudice (The Real Housewives of New Jersey, 8th place), were all given the upside down-chair-through the wall treatment.

Besides Jessie, Kandy Muse (RuPaul’s Drag Race 13), Larsa Pippen (The Real Housewives of Miami), Safaree Samuels (Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta), Tiffany “New York” Pollard (Flavor of Love 1), and Wes Bergmann (The Real World: Austin) were all also still in the game.