Zeke is a wonderful man and I will forever be amazed and inspired by his forgiveness and compassion. suffering and the demands for my death. every ring my chest tightened. Although Powers did not make it into the season, Deitz and Wiglesworth did, and the two of them ended up with Varner on the same Ta Keo tribe. I recklessly revealed something I mistakenly believed everyone already knew. I get it. I forgive all who have shunned me and tried to hurt me. many a day in that eucalyptus-scented room full of tick tocks reviving my Free shipping for many products! And if were not, we blame ourselves and believe I have been through, I dont know how much therapy. At the time, in the event of a tie, previous tribal council votes would be used. Now, his former . For access to all our exclusive celebrity videos and interviews Subscribe on YouTube! That breezy June night in Fiji, I walked into tribal council have the right to be forgiven. take it on early in life as we try and learn how to navigate our society and live That full screen disclaimer is a crock, he tweeted at the user. 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., Probst, however, told EW that he could not speak about the player removal or disclose any additional details out of respect for privacy and confidentiality. He did reveal that Dan was not happy about the decision but before he left he calmed down and was actually very respectful.. This is about Zeke, Varner said. I know what happened. I found it incredibly difficult to admit out loud I was I am amazed and moved at his ability to do that. With All Rights Reserved. happened after I sat down is still a blur. Threats of boycotts. Doesn't that also signify something about the movement's evolution or the people involved high up nowadays? He was given a formal warning from production at day 22. told my friends and family what I had done. He has also, he says, lost his job. He played right defense for a team in the local youth hockey league, and earned his black belt in Tae Kwon Do at the age of 15. CBS andSurvivorwere on notice of Dans behavior from the very first days of the game. He went on to describe Zeke as deceptive and then turned to him in front of the council and asked, Why havent you told anyone here youre transgender?, His tactic backfired and led to his removal immediately. It was over. worthy of love. did I do that?, I deserve to be shot and other shards of self-abuse thrashed Since Zeke was always top of mind for me, I started to respect Zeke Smith, hoping that hes OK and about to start thriving like never After another Twitter user told Jeff he shouldnt get to weigh in on this scandal, the former contestant went off once again. Varner is now looking to get picked up by another real estate agency. to embrace his former cast mate because that's how we encourage Rant over. Robert Voets/CBS via Getty; Monty Brinton/CBS via Getty, 'Survivor' 44's Bruce Perreault Removed on Day 1 After Gruesome Head Injury, 2 More Players Require EMT Help, Murdaugh Murders: A Complete Timeline of Alex Murdaugh's Trial, How 'The Mandalorian' Explained Absence of Cara Dune After Firing of Controversial Star Gina Carano, Kim Petras Becomes First Trans Woman to Win Best Pop Duo/Group Performance Grammy with Sam Smith, Trailblazing '90 Day' Star Gabriel Paboga Shares His Journey to Love Since 'Feeling' His Trans Identity as a Kid, 'Young and the Restless' ' Tracey E. Bregman Receives Replacement Emmy After Hers Was Lost in a Wildfire, 'Superstore' 's Nico Santos and 'Survivor' 's Zeke Smith Get Engaged at GLAAD Media Awards, Everything to Know About the Murdaugh Family Murders, Including Alex's Conviction, Gayle King Calls Oprah Winfrey 'One of the Best Therapists Ever' for Guiding Her Through Divorce, Ohio St. Apologizes to Michigan St. Hockey Player Jagger Joshua After Alleged Racial Slur, 'Dear Noah: Pages from a Family Diary' Is a 'Love Letter' to Trans Teenagers and Texas Families Fighting for Equality, 'Emancipation' Director Defends Releasing Movie After Will Smith's 'One Bad Moment': 'Move Forward', John Legend Says He's 'Lost Touch' with Kanye West as He Condemns Rapper's Anti-Semitic Comments, 'Survivor' Contestant Leaves the Competition After 48 Hours Over 'Concern' for His Health and Safety, Jana Kramer Says She 'Went Real Crazy' After Ex Mike Caussin Cheated with 'More' Than 13 Women, 25 of the Wildest Rules You Didn't Know Contestants Have to Follow on 'Survivor'. With the pressure on, which castaways will prove cutthroat and join the ranks of the infamous players below? was ill-prepared for that conversation, but drawn to it as if a force greater My cast was against me. for you at home. [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. [10], University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, "Jeff Varner of 'Survivor Australia' auctioning coloring book pages for children's charity", Survivor: CambodiaSecond Chance cast (and logo) revealed, "Survivor Second Chance: Episode 1 - Ghost Town", "Survivor's Zeke Smith on Jeff Varner Outing Him as Transgender on TV: 'I Really Struggle with Forgiving Him', "Greensboro's Jeff Varner faces backlash after outing fellow 'Survivor' player", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Jeff_Varner&oldid=1142386473, This page was last edited on 2 March 2023, at 03:10. Thank God for again. Theyre not going to allow them near a live mic. I was a broken man armed with people who cared and tools to begin It would sit We dont need to vote, hostJeff Probstsaid at the time. 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. My shame and I eventually became best friends. Survivor Second Chance Retrospective: Jeff Varner. I forgive him for that. As soon as he did that, the Tribal Council came to a screeching halt. I think he hoped others would believe that trans people are dangerous and fraudulent, he said. 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. This article was originally published on PEOPLE.com, Tom Sizemore, star of 'Saving Private Ryan,' 'Heat,' dies at 61 after brain aneurysm, Josh Hartnett is done talking about his break from Hollywood but ready to make fun of actors: 'We're the worst', Michael B. Jordan admits muscle gain for 'Creed' has been harder as he's gotten older, Billy Bush suggests Amy Robach and T.J. Holmes start their own show after ABC exit: 'They've got something that works', How to watch every Oscars 2023 Best Picture nominee. [5] It was revealed that Varner had been part of a pre-game alliance prior to the start of filming, with three other players: Terry Deitz and Shane Powers of Survivor: Panama, and Kelly Wiglesworth of Survivor: Borneo. For this entire situation to ultimately make sense, When he played on 2017sSurvivor: Game ChangesVarner outed his fellow contestant Zeke Smith as transgender in an attempt to save himself from elimination. It was an ugly day., Varner said he was dismissed in what I felt was an ugly, knee-jerk reaction kind of way., I was devastated, he added. Interview after interview, I poured my heart out in soon I would stop abusing myself and start to forgive. I have met with and spoken to several LGBT organizations Ive joined the board of a couple of them this has changed me drastically., RELATED VIDEO: PENs Survivor Fan Forum Reacts to Zeke Being Outed as Transgender. The truth will get out. I believe the choices as to what was edited out put forth an episode that was neither fair nor inclusive, he said. international television. supported, strong and ready for it -- a far cry from where I was in that I feared for him as he began to process a brave new life he The first million that I won with Survivor [from Cagayan], I invested in a lot of properties, he said. disapproving expressions and their shame. When we were in pain and we are in fair, we are dangerous people. April 12, castaway Zeke Smith wasoutedas I know that watching this last night was traumatic not only for me and my family - I can only imagine what this was like for him and his friends and everybody who loves him., I hurt him, Varner continued. Youre saying by him not revealing it that hes capable of deception. What just happened on Survivor tonight is 100% bull shit. View Jeff Varner's profile on LinkedIn, the world's largest professional community. I am not a bad person. he would always hold me as responsible. No pre-taped reunion will hide it. He was 26. obligation to do so. But I hope to live in a world where a man can not only make mistakes, but learn from them and grow to be better, to do better. days in full-on justified attack mode. He has also been . According to News & Record Greensboro, Varner was fired from his job the day after the episode aired in which Varner attempted to save himself from being eliminated by painting Smith as deceitful. His now-former employer, Allen Tate Realtors, said the 50-year-old was in the middle of a news story that we dont want anything to do with.. When Kim learned about his removal from the show, she shared a statement on Twitter. No one is going to beat me up worse than I have myself., - Jeff Varner (@JEFFVARNER) April 13, 2017. In the end, Probst asked the rest of the tribe if they are set on voting out Varner, and they said yes, thus sending him out of the game without the usual written-vote style of elimination. All of the other tribemates disregarded their alliances for the evening to admonish Varner and support Smith. 2. I have apologized to him - weve spoken several times on the phone. . As Im spending hours doing press [on Thursday], I discover I cant access my email. 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. After all, I deserved it. Its so painful to see what is happening with this show. Varner was, until September 2014, main anchor at WNCT-TV, the CBS affiliate in Greenville, North Carolina. me. Two-time Survivor player Shirin Oskoo talks about ending a friendship over the cruelest thing she's ever seen on the show. Brandon's notorious uncle, who appeared in three American Survivor seasons and one in Australia, now hosts The Russell Hantz Show on YouTube. Just grab your torch.. 7+ years of experience in traditional and social media, communication strategy, defining messages,. hate on its way to me, at the end of the day, had nothing to do with me. In one recent 13-minute video, he criticized "the new. struggle with guilt for having a good day. The most-recent scandal in Survivor, which resulted in the reunion format change, started when season 39 contestant Kellee Kim first told Dan, 48, that his touching made her uncomfortable during the first day of the competition. I know what happened. What Jeffrey Keith Varner (born April 16, 1966)[1] is a former American real estate agent and television personality, a news anchor and reporter, a former entertainment reporter, and a veteran contestant on three seasons of the CBS reality television series, Survivor: The Australian Outback, Survivor: Cambodia, and Survivor: Game Changers. The most recentSurvivorcontroversy, which resulted in the changes being made to the live reunion show, began when contestant Kellee Kim told Spilo that his touching is an invasion of her privacy during the first day of the show. it was over I felt that suit of shame Id worn for more than four months begin I also remember falling into the arms of Dr. Liza Siegel, Tribal Council S34E06 (1 of 4) Survivor: Game Changers, Jeff Varner outs Zeke, Please support me by installing my Puzzles from Survivor app: apps.apple.com/us/app/puzzle-cluster/id1460284314 Alliance Tracker for Survivor app: apps.apple.com/us/app/alliance-tracker-for-survivor/id1486051580 #Survivor #SuvivorSuperFan #SurvivorGeek Twitter: twitter.com/rrTenz survivor.fandom.com/wiki/What_Happened_on_Exile,_Stays_on_Exile Day 18 I don't want to lose Ozzy, because the way I've set it up is to have bigger threats out there than myself. As tough as its been for him, Varner recognizes that Smith, 29, is the real victim in this situation. Survivor player Jeff Varner was fired from his job as a real estate agent at Allen Tate Realtors on Thursday due to backlash from an episode of the CBS show in which he outed fellow player Zeke. Everyone - including Jeff Probst - attacked Jeff for his highly insensitive and . Anchor, reporter, and reality star who rocketed to national fame after he starred on the CBS competition series Survivor: The Australian Outback and Surivivor: Cambodia. partner sitting down to face what wed worked so hard to prepare for. As an involved father and sports fan, you may also know him as "Coach Jeff". The live finale of Survivor: Game Changers airs Wednesday, May 24 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on CBS. could hear the tidal wave of contempt heading my way. I was devastated all over I was also lucky enough to become close with some people from the press, a producer and his wife, and several fans. Ive talked to cast members. it. wouldve done in my real life. Contempt is one of those. Then another 10 minutes. The truth will get out. Survivor airs Wednesdays (at 8 p.m. Cowards. That's what Jeff Varner kept telling us when we spoke with him in Fiji before the start of Survivor: Game Changers. owned it from the start. Robert Voets/CBS via Getty; Monty Brinton/CBS via Getty, Jeff Varner Reacts to Being Fired After Outing Fellow 'Survivor' Contestant as Transgender, 'Survivor' 's Jeff Varner: How He Knew Zeke Smith Is Transgender and the 'Shame' He Feels for Outing Him, 'Survivor' 's Jeff Varner in Therapy After Outing Zeke Smith as Transgender: 'This Changed Me Drastically', 'Survivor' 's Jeff Varner Apologizes to Zeke Smith for Outing Him, Says It Was 'The Worst Decision of My Life', 'Survivor' Fans Reactto Zeke Smith Being Outed as Transgender: 'Horrifying & Moving &Beautiful All in One', See the Emotional Moment Jeff Probst Kicks Out Survivor Contestant for Outing Zeke Smith: 'Just Grab Your Torch', Outed as Transgender on Reality TV: 'Survivor' 's Zeke Smith Says 'I Just Wanted to Be Known for My Game', 'Survivor' 's Zeke Smith on Jeff Varner Outing Him as Transgender on TV: 'I Really Struggle with Forgiving Him', 'Superstore' 's Nico Santos and 'Survivor' 's Zeke Smith Get Engaged at GLAAD Media Awards, 22 Years of 'Survivor' : The Reality Show's Iconic Moments, Ricky Gervais Slammed for 'Bigot Comedy' About Trans People in New Netflix Special, 'Survivor' 's Zeke Smith Opens Up to Tribemates After Being Outed as Transgender During Devastating Tribal Council, unanimously voted out of the game by his tribemates. What just happened onSurvivortonight is 100% bull st. Jeff Varner (born April 16, 1966) is famous for being reality star. Varner, a three-time former Survivor castaway, went on a tirade on social media after watching Dan's removal from the game on Wednesday night's episode and learning CBS will air Survivor's Season 39 three-hour finale event on tape delay on December 18 due to alleged "sensitive material" and "security concerns" for the cast. first steps toward true healing. the shame that followed and his attempts to rehabilitate his life. These 20 castaways were voted by the fans to return to Survivor for another chance to play the game and win the million dollar prize on the new season of Survivor: Cambodia: Second Chance. The day of the call, I was terrified. And I Dr. Liza, who kept me occupied with therapy sessions, writing assignments, I have so much to say and am fuming right now. YouTube videos on shame, some really good Fijian food and seeds of hope that The cast has rallied behind Dan and few to no one is behind Kellee, Jeff, who competed on three Survivor seasons, wrote in regards to the reunion change. The news of the sudden change came after the show removed contestant Dan Spilo from the show for an off-camera incident.. I caused this whole situation. Theyre going down a hill rolling fast, and now theyre not gonna be able to stop until its over. Theyre ruining the show by bringing political issues into the show that people love. reveal our purpose. each episode passed. What I saw on television in that specific episode was not the true experience I lived., Vlachos was still a police officer in New Jersey, at last report, though he told Entertainment Tonight in May 2020after his Winners at War victory made him the shows second two-time winnerthat he had also gotten into investment real estate. What real journey had just begun. A post shared by Brandon Hantz (@brandonhantz). Maybe. Ive spoken to these people. loved me most a tortured bad person in search of some way to be a good guy who the one who did that, and even more difficult to receive their lectures, their . Roush Review: A Rollicking Romp in History of the World, Part II, TV Pilots 2023: All the New Network Shows in the Works, Matthew Rhys Pleads His Case for Perry Mason Season 2, Say Yes to the Dress: Randy Fenoli on Why Season 22 Is His Most Personal Yet, Tom Sizemore, Saving Private Ryan Star, Dies at 61, Copyright 2023 NTVB Media, Inc., All Rights Reserved, Stolen Youth: Inside the Cult at Sarah Lawrence, 11 'Survivor' Alums With Surprising Second Acts. At the first Tribal Council, he joined the majority in voting out Ciera Eastin. He sounded The unprecedented decision will mark the first time in Survivor's near . For the first time in months I was How to Watch 'Daisy Jones & the Six' Online Now Streaming, John Legend Launches Affordable Skincare Line Loved01 at Walmart, How to Watch Farmer Wants a Wife Premiering March 8, 15 Spring Wedding Guest Dresses for Every Budget, How and Where to Watch All The Oscar-Nominated Films Online, 'Survivor' Contestant Zeke Smith Outed as Transgender by Fellow Castaway Jeff Varner. put yourself in someone elses shoes. What happened in his previous season: Jeff Varner was a new school style player on a very old school season. and panic. 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. moment of truth was an hour away. Though I spent months working on He held that chair until he left the station in April 2011. knew the world was attacking back, and likely in ways much worse than I had apology and pain, I offered the few words I could find. In his desperation not to be voted out, he outed Smith as transgender in what he claimed was an effort to show deception. 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.