I kept going back to Samoa and Heroes vs Villains. That is a giant leap of logic., RELATED VIDEO: Zeke Smith on Jeff Varner Outing Him as Transgender on TV I Really Struggle With Forgiving Him, At that point, Varner began to backtrack: Im just trying everything that I can, he said. I recklessly revealed something I mistakenly believed everyone already knew. Thats so dirty, Jeff., Im not using that as anything negative! insisted Varner. I asked, "Who are you? It was an awful thing to do. In the Drop Your Buffs interview, Richard didnt hold back his disdain for Jeff, telling Sean and Evan, Jeff Probst is horrendous as a human being. These are wonderful people who are not only trying to live their authentic lives, but thrive. All of the other tribemates disregarded their alliances for the evening to admonish Varner and support Smith. Survivor's Shirin Oskooi on Jeff Varner's Cruel Outing of Zeke Smith Many fans praised Jeff for his commitment to inclusivity, but Richard isnt convinced the gesture was sincere. During the show, Varner's luxury item was a coloring book and a set of crayons. Richard appeared on season 1 of "Survivor," where he was crowned. Varner appeared on Survivor: The Australian Outback in 2001. After Angkor lost the next Immunity Challenge on Day 9, Jeff tried to send a message to Kelly Wiglesworth, but was caught by Tasha, who called him out in front of everyone, placing Jeff in hot water with his tribe. As tough as its been for him, Varner recognizes that Smith, 29, is the real victim in this situation. Varner's actions were immediately condemned by his fellow contestants, culminating in Varner's tearful admission of shame and guilt, Zeke's calm explanation of his own journey, and a parting hug between them. I'm trying to argue people: "That's not what I'm talking about!" He also criticized Jeff for being fake. In the season 41 premiere, Jeff asked the cast if they were comfortable with him using the phrase come on in, guys given shifting gender norms in society. However, Angkor was sent to live in hardship, being forced to live in a new camp without the any of the supplies that the two original tribes acquired during the marooning. In May 2007, Jeff left FOX 8 due to what he called "angry and unprofessional management" from the station's news director. 'Survivor' Contestant Zeke Smith Outed as Transgender by Fellow Castaway Jeff Varner This video is unavailable because we were unable to load a message from our sponsors. We have to acknowledge their humanity. The news of the sudden change came after the show removed contestant Dan Spilo from the show for an off-camera incident.. I deserve every bit of it. As best as circumstances allow, I'll manage a swap better. We dont need to vote, hostJeff Probstsaid at the time. I can only profusely apologize. He also caused trouble for Survivor producers in season 8 when he decided to run an immunity challenge in the nude and deliberately rubbed up against his fellow castaway Sue Hawk, Us Weekly reported. He said lots of things and did different things, and I had inklings, and I suspected it very early on for various reasons. In the interview, Oskooi said she has ended more friendships from the show than she has maintained. At Tribal Council, both Varner and Diaz-Twine voted for Trang, but the rest voted against Diaz-Twine, thus sending her out of the game for the first time in her Survivor career. They joined Nuku member J.T. He doesnt understand the game., Richard didnt stop there. Im ready to go, said Varner tearfully. Drawing the Angkor buff. VisitGLAAD.org to read their transgender FAQ, tips onhow to be an ally to the transgender community, and more. However, he revealed at the reunion that he got hired at a new real estate agency. Varner: Kind of. Jeff Varner Bio, Age, Gay, Survivor, Real Estate, Zeke, Australian May 1, 2022. He is most proud of successfully making the transition from small town living to the much faster pace of a big city. On Day 13, he was caught in the middle between the duo of J.T. At Mana's second Tribal Council, he joined the majority in voting out Survivor: Cagayan winner Tony Vlachos. Awful, he told Sean and Evan. Jeff countered by citing that he had already proven his loyalty to the tribe, while Woo had not. Powered by. We won't post to any of your accounts without asking first, In order to view the video, please allow Manage Cookies. Survivor fans have been in uproar after Wednesday night's episode watch the shocking situation unfold here. No one is going to beat me up worse than I have myself.. Prior employment includes work as a website producer, graphic designer and marketing manager for various companies. What this has done is unleash a conversation that will hopefully be good for all of us and lead us in a great direction. Multiple Survivor alums, including Russell Hantz and Parvati Shallow, also spoke out in opposition. At Tribal Council, a desperate Jeff outedZeke as atransgender man, and tried to insinuate that Zeke's hiding this aspect of his life showed an ability to be deceitful. About to climb, Posted by Jeff Varner onWednesday, December 11, 2019. I own responsibility in what is the worst decision of my life.. Jeff Varner Reacts to Being Fired After Outing Castmate - People Jeffrey Keith "Jeff" Varner is a contestant from Survivor: The Australian Outback, Survivor: Cambodia, and Survivor: Game Changers. Varner was, until September 2014, main anchor at WNCT-TV, the CBS affiliate in Greenville, North Carolina. Even if I end up in the minority after a swap, I'll make sure there is someone else with me who is more of a target. d.getElementsByTagName('body')[0].appendChild(js); About to climb the walls, Jeff, 53, wrote on Facebook after the shows Wednesday episode aired. American reality television contestant, real estate agent and news anchor, 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=1151912285, Survivor (American TV series) contestants, UNC Hussman School of Journalism and Media alumni, Articles with unsourced statements from April 2017, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 27 April 2023, at 00:55. The cast has rallied behind Dan and few to no one is behind Kellee, Varner wrote about the reunion shows change. None of that's there. Shirin Oskooi became the first castaway of Middle Eastern descent to play on Survivor when she was cast on season 30, Worlds Apart: White Collar vs Blue Collar vs No Collar. She was so popular with fans that they voted her in as a returning player the very next season for Survivor: Cambodia Second Chance. On Day 7, a Tribe Switch occurred that split the tribes from two to three. And hes calling me a bigot and full of hate and all kinds of stuff. I plan to align myself with the big threats. 1:07 After Survivor: Game Changers contestant Jeff Varner outed fellow castaway Zeke Smith as transgender, Varner faced public backlash. The cast is not happy. When you know what really goes on then you can tell me your opinion., Varner then responded to another Twitter users response repeating his right to weigh in on the news. "I feel I need to throw everything at the wall.". The cast is not happy. Im the perfect person to weigh in. Because Keith Famie and Tina Wesson knew this, and Tina had no votes against her before while Keith had several of them (mostly from Jerri Manthey and her allies), Keith's request to Tina when they had both lasted for hours in the Immunity challenge and were the last two players standing (phrased as "I need this") led to Tina ending her run so that Keith was safe, and giving Kucha no one to vote for who had more votes than Varner: Jeff had two but knew only of one, while Colby had zero. Jeff faced a heavy blow on Night 11 when Malcolm was blindsided. 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. Enjoy reading!! This interview just has to be about Zeke. Ugh. You don't really get it. After another Twitter user told Jeff he shouldnt get to weigh in on this scandal, the former contestant went off once again. He belonged to the Kucha tribe and made it to the merge, but not to the core group of nine, due to a tie with Colby Donaldson. Varner, the tribe has spoken, said Probst, putting out the flame. At Tribal Council, Jeff sided with Abi-Maria, Andrew, and Tasha in sending Peih-Gee home. When asked by a cohost if we will see Edge of Extinction again, Probst responds, "Yes, absolutely. Everything horrible. Threats of boycotts. Varner asked Smith at Tribal Council, Why havent you told anyone youre transgender? Varner stated that he believed Smith had been open about his identity with everyone back home but was trying to keep it hidden from his tribemates in the game. Jeff was chosen from a pool of 32 candidates to be one of the 20 castaways to compete on the second chance season, Survivor: Cambodia. Wigler: Did you ever bring any of this up with Zeke privately, before Tribal Council? You're something much more than we think.". 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. Click here to make sure you don't miss a single story, and click here to revisit our massive preseason coverage. Richard isnt the only Survivor alum who feels this way. The truth will get out. I know what happened. By clicking Accept All Cookies, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. 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. Email: 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.. That's where I got the idea to use that secret alliance as a tool. That whole deception card was not about trans. Cant have that on a live mic. The production team gave Spilo a formal warning on day 22. 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. Born and raised in Greensboro, North Carolina, Varner currently lives in Manhattan, New York. The former 'CNN This Morning' co-anchor said that while the departure was a surprise, it's behind him now. At Tribal Council, Varner asked Smith, "Why haven't you told anyone you're transgender? I hate that that's what's coming out of this, because that's not what I meant. It was hard to watch. You see us buddy-buddy, and that we're partners, but it wasn't the reality. #Survivor.. We push them back into a closet. It was the Survivor moment fans will never forget -- and one that Zeke Smith and Jeff Varner rehashed on Wednesday's three-hour finale. The message should be clear that hate will always lose.. We LGB spent decades proving we weren't trying to convert children. As a superfan, playing in two seasons was a dream come true. That's one of the stigmas that the trans community faces most, that people think they're deceptive and awful humans who are lying to everybody. 'Survivor' contestant rips CBS for pre-taped reunion after Wife: Not Available: Sibling: Not Available: Children: Not Available : . Today's a day for me to send that message: trans people are wonderful, and we should never, ever, out anybody. I honor it and I acknowledge it. Kimmi Kappenberg accidentally gave away the vote he had against him during the Episode Two Reward Challenge, according to the special commentary section of the Survivor: Australia DVD. Season 2: Australia, Finished 10th out of 16 & Non-Jury I dont see or talk to most of these people nearly often enough, but they all have my heart, said Oskooi. Jeff Varner is an internet project manager, having most recently worked as Director of People and Process for a Manhattan start-up company. Smith has opened up PEOPLE exclusively about the experience, saying he was shell-shocked by Varners decision and still struggles with forgiving him. Varners luxury item on the show was a coloring book and a set of crayons. I'm more physically fit, less emotional, and smarter. The others are. I have been through, I dont know how much therapy. CBS andSurvivorwere on notice of Dans behavior from the very first days of the game. What skills do you bring to Survivor that will make you a useful member of the group and what skills have you been learning since you last played? Mandi is an experienced writer on various topics with a passion for telling stories with words. Editing doesn't help me in that arena, and that's unfortunate. I feel horrible., Soon enough, Varner started crying as the gravity of his actions hit him: Im shocked, he said. (Choking up.) How will you play differently this time? Jeff Varner (@JEFFVARNER) / Twitter He's absolutely fantastic. When you know what really goes on then you can tell me your opinion. So pissed. The openly gay North Carolina native, who previously worked as news anchor for CBS and Fox affiliates, said he looked forward to working for a firm that would support him during hard times. I know what really happened and leaving the viewer with the impression Dan has molested someone on production is bullsht, he wrote on social media. Emotional. Jeff Varner was fired from his real estate job this week, due to the public backlash generated when he outed fellow castaway Zeke Smith on last Wednesday's Survivor: Game Changers. Just grab your torch.. Smith and Varner shared . About to climb the walls, Varner posted to Facebook after the shows episode aired. I'm involved in doing stuff. This producer manipulation is 100% bull st. I have to rely on the fact that the people who truly know me and love me know that. There he developed and managed the technical and interpersonal aspects of a Human Resources/Operations hybrid system for a staff of 30. Facebook: thebiographyscoop When Nuku lost immunity again, Jeff tried to convince Zeke again to get rid of Ozzy, but Zeke was conflicted due to his strategy of keeping larger targets in the game as shields. This resulted in a deadlock between Jeff and Colby Donaldson at Tribal Council, which saw Jeff eliminated when the tiebreaker took into account previous votes. Richard Hatch Says Jeff Probst Is Ruining 'Survivor' - Heavy.com He was assigned to the Mana tribe at first. Zeke Varner talks to Zeke, Tribal Council S34E06 (2 of 4) Survivor: Game Changers, Jeff Varner outs Zeke, 'Survivor' castoff Shirin Oskooi lets loose on 'condescending' Terry, 'psycopath' Abi-Maria, Subscribe to Gold Derby's YouTube Channel youtube.com/subscribe_widget?p=GoldDerby GoldDerby.com offers celebrity interviews and expert predictions to track who's ahead to win the Oscars, Emmys, Grammys, "American Idol," "The Voice," "Survivor," "Amazing Race," "Dancing with the Stars" and more. I couldn't even think about me and my life for months after it was over with. Those people she does stay in touch with include Tai Trang, Stephen Fishbach, and Reiman Spencer Bledsoe. No matter how good of a game you're playing, drawing the wrong buff can change everything. . I get it. This producer manipulation is 100% bull st. What are you most proud of from the last time? I offer my deepest, most heart-felt apologies to Zeke Smith, his friends and life allies, his family and to all those who my mistake hurt and offended, he wrote.