MORE: Jeff Varner 'Devastated' to Be Fired From Job After Outing 'Survivor' Contestant Zeke Smith. Interview after interview, I poured my heart out in Threats of boycotts. Theres no stopping now. Survivor Alum Jeff Varner Goes On Rant About The Survivor Pre-Taped Reunion Show Changes, removed contestant Dan Spilo from the show for an off-camera incident., Spilo is banned from attending the reunion show. Empathy. Im the perfect person to weigh in. Boston Rob, a five-time Survivor contestant and the winner of Redemption Island, is now focusing on home renovation projectslike the one seen in Secret Home Renovationand spending time with his family. Im not afraid to share my truth. Zeke would be exposed to everyone and At the time, in the event of a tie, previous tribal council votes would be used. myself? But Im most proud to say that today I do not walk You may already know the rest of my roller coaster ride. The tribe took a verbal vote and Varner was unanimously sent packing. The grace and compassion he seemed to share helped open the door to my He was given a formal warning from production at day 22. She was so . I am not a bigot. Everyone was sort of interested in what Varner had to say right up until he made it extremely personal and outed Smith without Smiths permission. Survivor contestant Jeff Varner says he was devastated to lose his job as a North Carolina real estate agent following outrage and backlash for outing fellow tribemate Zeke Smith as transgender on the CBS reality competition last week. [6] Early in the game, Varner was seen as a crucial player in the season: He and Peih-Gee Law from Survivor: China were the swing votes who ultimately decided the elimination of Vytas Baskauskas on Day Three, and Varner himself organized the elimination of Shirin Oskooi on Day Six. During that time, he said hes done a lot of growing. after the episode was filmed, Jeff told Entertainment Tonight that the moment was In the real estate world, buyers and sellers want to know theyre signing up with a company that wont dump them or turn their backs on them in time of trial. didnt choose. and painful death. My family was tormented by seeing someone they They are pre-taping the reunion because cast members plan to publicly support Dan and call out producers. Theres no escaping it. During the show, Varner's luxury item was a coloring book and a set of crayons. The castaways colored in the books and signed their autographs in it, and after the show, he sold the pictures on eBay to raise money for charities.[4]. could hear the tidal wave of contempt heading my way. . An extensive genealogical search discovered that Varner and Edward R. Murrow are related by marriage on Murrow's mother's side of the tree. When it was over, I cried a little. That reasoning is infinitely worse than him outing me because its the same one used to discriminate against, attack and murder trans people. Varner, 51, is a former news anchor for CBS and Fox affiliates who appeared on three seasons of "Survivor." Now he works as a Realtor with Keller Williams Realty. He continually forgives me. nothing. I think he hoped others would believe that trans people are dangerous and fraudulent, he said. soon I would stop abusing myself and start to forgive. This season of Survivor, dubbed Game Changers for its 34th installment, had been filmed 10 months ago in the Mamanuca Islands of Fiji though Varner couldnt discuss what happened until the episodes airing. Theyre not going to allow them near a live mic. You know your story in the I also remember falling into the arms of Dr. Liza Siegel, Manthey told Entertainment Weekly last year that she left Los Angeles after Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains and moved to Napa Valley, where she worked as the general manager of a winery, the general manager of a restaurant, a wine tour guide, a wine salesperson. Jeff described Zeke as deceptive and then turned to Zeke in front of the council and said, Why havent you told anyone here youre transgender?, His actions backfired and led to his immediate elimination. Two lives that would be rocked forever now to embrace his former cast mate because that's how we encourage This producer manipulation is 100% bull st. I give him every inch of every room to feel and experience what hes feeling. things from their perspective. what they all must be going through. After outing his friend and fellow contestant Zeke Smith as being transgender on. But he was above that. This is about Zeke, Varner said. Varner was a contestant on Survivor: The Australian Outback, 2001. Zeke is a wonderful man and I will forever be amazed and inspired by his forgiveness and compassion. It was revealed on the Survivor: Australia DVD, in the special commentary section, that it was Kimmi Kappenberg that inadvertently gave away the vote he had against him during the Episode Two Reward Challenge. Many When we were in pain and we are in fair, we are dangerous people. exclusive column for ET about Knowing where my story would eventually end, I became obsessed with how Ugh. And hes calling me a bigot and full of hate and all kinds of stuff. Dave Quinn is an Editor for PEOPLE, working across a number of verticals including the Entertainment, Lifestyle and News teams. The message should be clear that hate will always lose.. [I warned the company that headlines might be coming], but apparently not the people who needed to hear it.. ET) on CBS. Ive spoken to these people. No pre-taped reunion will hide it. My shame and I eventually became best friends. That reasoning is infinitely worse than him outing me because its the same one used to discriminate against, attack and murder trans people. the last one. Ive away from the game Id given almost 17 years to. That breezy June night in Fiji, I walked into tribal council Jeff Varner hit the beach of Survivor: Cambodia Second Chancerunning at a. READ NEXT: Survivor Star Goes Off About COVID on Social Media, Why A Survivor Alum Severed Ties With Castmate, Please review our privacy policy here: https://heavy.com/privacy-policy/, Copyright 2023 Heavy, Inc. All rights reserved. storm that hit the Fiji shore the moment I turned to Zeke Smith and asked, Why CBS the press came calling for explanations. Before the final pre-merge Tribal Council, Varner tried to convince Lacina, Wanner, and Boehlke to vote out Lusth, by saying that Smith was deceiving the tribe about his relationship with Lusth. A Twitter user responded to Varners tweet saying he shouldnt get to weigh in on the controversy, and Varner went off once again about the scandal. simply did a bad thing. typhoon of emotion tossing and thrashing me about and made it through. View Jeff Varner's profile on LinkedIn, the world's largest professional community. However, he revealed at the reunion that he got hired at a new real estate agency. In the interview, Oskooi said she has ended more friendships from the show than she has maintained. Jeff Varner (@JEFFVARNER) December 12, 2019. He was 26. Brandon's notorious uncle, who appeared in three American Survivor seasons and one in Australia, now hosts The Russell Hantz Show on YouTube. Cowards., The former reality TV star is no stranger toSurvivordrama. And Im no longer hurt by someone elses. The production team gave Spilo a formal warning on day 22. Prior, he worked as a general assignment reporter for WPIX-11, the CW's flagship station in New York City. people to change and turn adversaries into allies. Ahead of the live finale, not planned, but the fallout was swift. comparison to the reaction America would soon deliver. The night of April 12, I cleared the house. with Dr. Whitney, digging through shame, amassing a small library of books and which did not go well. Varner said one of the sub-districts in School District 5 has six board members who live near each other in the southern part of that district, leaving residents in the northern part without fair . TheSurvivor: Island of the Idolsfinale and reunion will air on CBS on Wednesday, December 18, from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. They love Dan. Fairplay returned to the spotlight in December 2020 when he was arrested for larceny and accused of stealing furniture and a necklace from his grandmother, the same grandmother Fairplay claimed was dead on Survivor: Pearl Islands. I forgive all who have shunned me and tried to hurt me. According to News & Record Greensboro, Varner was fired from his job as a real estate agent on Thursday his now-former employer Allen Tate Realtors saying Varner was in the middle of a news story that we dont want anything to do with.. Stephanie Petit is a Royals Writer and Reporter at PEOPLE. A faint smell of eucalyptus wafts under the door. That prepared reunion is cowardice. CBS andSurvivorwere on notice of Dans behavior from the very first days of the game. Varner took to Twitter on Wednesday evening to issue a lengthy apology. Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Kroger's new e-commerce fulfillment center is now open and its employees have started making . Smith explained that he "was checked out for about 45 minutes to an hour" after Jeff outed him. reach out and touch it every day as I worked to chip away at that shadow deep It is a mess of my own making felt. A fresh new helping of shame I gladly I have been through, I dont know how much therapy. Im proud of him. MORE: Inside Jeff Varner's Decision to Out Zeke Smith at Tribal Council and What Viewers Didn't See on TV. I know what really happened and leaving the viewer with the impression Dan has molested someone on production is bullsht, he wrote. Survivor airs Wednesdays (at 8 p.m. I know that forgiveness is difficult. Since then, Ive accepted genuine, heartfelt apologies from fellow castaways, but Ive continued to feel disappointed by how this pattern of behavior was allowed to occur for so long.. MORE: Jeff Varner Tearfully Admits to Being in Therapy Since Outing Zeke Smith on 'Survivor'. Survivor airs Wednesdays (at 8 p.m. Jeff has consistently maintained an attitude of grace and his sense or humor, while creatively identifying how to ensure thorough test coverage on aggressive schedules. I have spent 10 months stewing in this awful, horrible mistake I have made, Varner told EW Morning Live (Entertainment Weekly Radio, SiriusXM, channel 105) on Thursday. I I have been through, I dont know how much therapy. again. What right do I have to even hint that in this storm of fear, anxiety and excruciating anticipation, Im struggling -- hurting for the pain and terror Ive forced another human to endure. VISIT, Survivor Star Goes Off About COVID on Social Media. That shame circle in Fiji would pale in At Tribal Council, Varner asked Smith, "Why haven't you told anyone you're transgender? Survivor player Jeff Varner lost a lot more than the shows $1 million dollar prize when he made the decision to out fellow tribemate Zeke Smith as transgender in an attempt to paint him as deceitful on Wednesdays episode of the CBS reality competition.