Survivor player Jeff Varner lost a lot more than the show's $1 million dollar prize when he made the decision to out fellow tribemate Zeke Smith as transgender in an attempt to paint him as. Varner, who. And I was drawn to apply for Survivor because of the integrity in the storytelling. And I'm excited to embark upon new adventures, and maybe Survivor's part of it down the line, maybe not. Is there anything else you want to say about that Tribal?Zeke: For me, I think what continues to stand out is the reaction of my tribemates. 'Survivor's' Jeff Varner looking for work after outing | CNN We're good friends. 'Survivor': Zeke Smith Outed as Transgender | Guest Column - The In fact, you might not even do as well as you did the last time, but you've got to take it. How were you feeling going into last night's Tribal? But I think I expended a lot of gas that night at Tribal. Information (character deaths/fates, screenshots, etc.) I thought, you're not playing to win. The outing came as even more of a shock because Varner and Smith were shown bonding as recently as last weeks episode, talking strategy on a rocky beach. I own responsibility in what is the worst decision of my life.. In calling me deceptive, Varner invoked one of the most odious stereotypes of transgender people, a stereotype that is often used as an excuse for violence and even murder, writes Smith in a lengthy essay on the incident and his gender identity for The Hollywood Reporter. Zeke has commented on this himself before. And yet I was still blown away by how he handled the entire situation. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. Sarah Lacina was my closest ally, and Andrea, Sarah and Ozzy and I had played the entire game together. Zeke Smith, and transgender people like him, are not deceiving anyone by being their authentic selves, and it is dangerous and unacceptable to out a transgender person, Adams said in a statement. But that didn't happen. Survivor might have just seen the biggest and most unforgivable blindside of all. From l-r: Jeff Varner, Sarah Lacina, Zeke Smith and Debbie Wanner at Tribal Council on CBS' "Survivor. I think he hoped others would believe that trans people are dangerous and fraudulent, Smith told People magazine. All rights reserved. 2023 TV GUIDE, A FANDOM COMPANY. They've been the most impressive part of this entire experience. In April, Survivor aired a moment unlike any in reality-TV history: in an ill-conceived bid to turn his teammates in his favor, Jeff Varner outed his fellow contestant Zeke Smith during. Killed Victims. I saw Jeff Varner turn to Zeke and make what was essentially a statementvaguely disguised as a question: "Why haven't you told anyone here you're transgender?" Strangers starve themselves on an island for our amusement in the hopes of winning $1 million, as host Jeff Probst implores them to "Dig deep! Smith blinked in silence as the rest of the cast exchanged shocked stares. I feel like Ive got to throw everything at the wall.. Highest quality screengrab available. The big question regarding last nights Survivor scandal, in which contestant Zeke Smith was outed. Hiding in Plain Sight As the tide rises and falls, castaways hold their breath to find out who will win the immunity challenge. It is heartening, however, to see the strong support for Zeke from the other people in his tribe. Furthermore, Smith is such a Survivor enthusiast (he literally closes his essay by referring to the show as the worlds greatest game) that you dont get the feeling he has any inclination to criticize the show on which hes now appeared two seasons in a row. or redistributed. But then alliances shifted and Varner began to feel like his back was up against the wall. On one hand, it was such a tiny moment so simple and quiet that I wasn't certain I heard what I heard. Jeff, Im arguing for my life. Outed as Transgender on Reality TV: 'Survivor' 's Zeke Smith Says 'I Just Wanted to Be Known for My Game'. Fly glitterbug, fly! (uhhh. I realized I needed to take on a big challenge to become the man I wanted to be. These are the questions that I think need to be answered to fully understand the ethicality of the situation. I just wanted to be known for my game.. We left on March 28th thinking we were going to play one season, and then threw all caution to the wind and agreed to play another season. Though there are several of thousands of words in Smiths piece, the idea of his agency in terms of how this moment was portrayed and if it would be portrayed at all is never examined. I think those sessions in the days after the event helped Varner as he tried to make sense of everything. The final shot of the episode showed Varner, his head in his hands, crying. I will be the first one to admit I like Jeff, Smith said in a confessional last week. Thats personal!, Varner attempted to defend himself, claiming that he argues for the rights of transgender people every day in the state of North Carolina and would never say or do anything to hurt anyone here., Outing somebody you just outed him! shouted Trang in outrage. It didnt quite hit until I looked at Jeff Probst and Jeff Probst looked away from the tribe and he never takes the tribe out of his eyesight and thats what, to me, signaled the worst had happened, Smith said on the talk show. 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In a tweeted statement of his own, he said, Dont out people.. You didnt have to do that, Andrea Boehlke said. Always play. (Jeff Probst has loosely suggested that he was, though we have no details.) He also added that he chose to forgive Varner for the move. Midway through the episode, he suggested that he might have an ace-in-the-hole: I know something about Zeke that nobody else knows. (In a February interview with XFinity, Varner said, Zeke, when I first saw him I thought, thats a lesbian with a mustache.) A few minutes later at the tribal council, it became tragically apparent what exactly Varner thought he knew about Smith. Zeke Smith outed as transgender on 'Survivor' - CNN He was eliminated on Day 33, but definitely made a huge impact on the game. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. So, it wasnt much of a surprise when he returned for season 34,GameChangers. When you tell people youre trans, you get two reactions: Either they look at you funny and pull back, or they go, Aww, that must be so hard. Im a goofy, fun-loving guy, so neither of those reactions work well for me, he says. 'Survivor' castaway Zeke Smith opens up about being - GoldDerby Was there a possibility of not airing it, perhaps merely hinting it or doing one of those hatchet editing jobs so common on reality TV? The star sits down with EW for a deep dive on his blockbuster Netflix franchise, those "overdramatized" retirement reports, the upcomingFuriosa, his hopes to "reinvent" Thor, and more. Can you offer any insight into why she did that?Zeke: Yeah. In 34 seasons of Survivor, I have rarely, if ever, personally commented on what is said or done in the game. I didnt want to be the first transgenderSurvivor star, Zeke Smith toldPEOPLE. Zeke Smith | Survivor Wiki | Fandom He clearly didn't find it necessary . The message should be clear that hate will always lose.. 'Survivor' Contestant Outed As Transgender During Shocking - HuffPost That reasoning is infinitely worse than him outing me because its the same one used to discriminate against, attack and murder trans people. He thinks he 100 percent has what it takes to win. At 28, Zeke joinedSurvivor: Millennials Vs. Gen X. So, suck it up and go play, bud. Now, because of Varners unexpected outing, fans know that Smith is transgender as well. Please be aware that spoilers are not allowed on the wiki and a violation of this policy may result in a ban. We knew we were doing Millennials vs. Gen X as a theme and we wanted him on the Millennials tribe immediately. We're both New Yorkers. In 2020, Zeke Smith took part in a virtual panel on LGBTQ identity on Survivor that was organized by the Soul Survivor Organization and hosted by Rob Has A Podcast and The A.V. Send it to The Daily Beasthere. Related: I still have my original notes from that meeting. "One of my favorite stories is of a trans guy in the Air Force," explains Zeke. He also began retweeting supporters, including one who wrote (I) know ur not intentionally malicious., Shortly after the episode aired, he released a statement on Twitter offering heart-felt apologies and stating, let me be clear, outing someone is assault., As for Zeke Smith, the world now knows he is transgender. I wonder if some people will say he shouldn't have hugged him or shouldn't have forgiven him. Rich Juzwiak Published April 13, 2017 Comments ( 260) If you care about LGBT issues, trans rights and media representation, or reality TV, you probably have heard by now that on Wednesday night's. That momentwhen a police officer from a conservative Midwest background without much exposure to the "gay and lesbian and transgender world" realized her own growth, her own metamorphosis, it completed the circle. Granted this happens to be a pretty severe one, but as you saw even with Zekethere is hope that something good can come from this. Survivor's Zeke Smith: Outed as Transgender on Reality TV - People.com I was also very impressed with the compassion Zeke showed Varner. And I think we've seen two strong strategic players in Jeremy and Adam, who also were able to have compelling stories [and won]. There was only one person I could trust in the merge, and that was Sarah Lacina, and I knew my game hinged upon her. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Ive reached out to CBS for comment and will update this post if and when I hear back. Here's everything else you need to know about him. During an Ask Me Anything on the Survivor subreddit last year, however, one user called him one of my few gay idols and Varner responded: Im humbled. I argue for the rights of transgender people every day in the state of North Carolina, Varner said. Neither Sarah and I felt comfortable with Cirie or Andrea any longer, and we went to Debbie and said, "We want to turn on them. The Best Early Prime Day 2023 Deals Available Now, You can Stream Are You There, God? The networks statement reads: After the tribal council scene in last nights Survivor was filmed, we consulted with Zeke Smith and with GLAAD in advance of the broadcast, including the issue of how Zeke would tell his story after the episode aired. Survivor's Jeff Varner: "Zeke has every right to hate me". Please support me by installing my Puzzles from Survivor app:https://apps.apple.com/us/app/puzzle-cluster/id1460284314Alliance Tracker for Survivor app:https. At the start of tonights episode, Varner seemed hurt that he had been cut out of the loop but Smith tried to smooth things over. We may earn a commission from links on this page. 'Survivor': Zeke Smith Outed as Transgender, Voted Off Interview - The RELATED VIDEO: Tune in to PEN Fan Forum: Survivor with current Survivor contestant Andrea Boehlke for her thoughts on Wednesdays episode. Zeke Smith was outed as transgender by Jeff Varner on Wednesday night's episode of "Survivor: Game Changers." CBS Photo Archive via Getty Images Smith, who identified as a gay man in both seasons he's appeared on "Survivor," but who had not come out as trans, was blindsided by Varner's comments. Smith, a 29-year-old asset manager from Brooklyn, New York, said he never wanted his trans identity to play a part in how he was seen or treated during the competition. He would be returning to Ponderosa, where voted-out contestants go, after making one of the worst decisions of his life. Im not ashamed of being trans, but I didnt want that to be my story. I think the response from the tribe, as it so often does, mirrors what the vast majority of society will feel. (CBS) Wednesday night's episode of "Survivor" caused controversy when contestant Zeke Smith was outed as transgender on the show by fellow competitor Jeff Varner. #survivor. My brain had to rewind and play it back. I think he hoped others would believe that trans people are dangerous and fraudulent. 10 Times Survivor Tackled Deep Issues - Screen Rant But this is a unique situation that falls outside the normal boundaries. Game Changers was clearly incredible for Zeke, as he revealedon Instagram that he actuallydonated to Sandras Reality Rally campaign and the queen sent him an autographed photo! Part of HuffPost News. To get Survivor contestant and PEOPLE Now host Andrea Boehlkes take, tune in to her PEN Fan Forum: Survivor show immediately after the reality show airs. from episodes released early on AMC+ may not be added to the wiki until the episode officially airs at 9pm EST on the Sunday it is scheduled for. We knew Zeke was a tremendous storyteller with an amazing ability to take a specific moment from the game or life and give it a universal perspective. I did not expect it. Survivor host Jeff Probst said in an interview with Entertainment Weekly: I cannot imagine anyone thinking what was done to Zeke was okay on any level, under any circumstances, and certainly not simply because there was a million dollars on the line. '9-1-1: Lone Star' 's Brian Michael Smith Says Anti-Trans Political Wave 'Emboldens Me': 'I'm Still Fighting', Raquel Leviss's 'VPR' Costar Calls Her 'Sick' for Acting Like a Friend to Ariana Madix During Tom Sandoval Affair, Rob Lowe Shares 2 Secrets to His 31-Year Marriage: 'Forgiveness' and 'You Gotta Keep the Heat', 'Survivor' 44's Bruce Perreault Removed on Day 1 After Gruesome Head Injury, 2 More Players Require EMT Help, All About Dwyane Wade's Daughter Zaya Wade. He stumbled, contradicted himself again, and ultimately apologized to Smith several times before being voted out unanimously by his teammates. Pictured (L-R): Tribe Baka: Owen Knight, Sami Layadi, Mike 'Gabler' Gabler and Tribe Vesi: Noelle Lambert, Dwight Moore, Jesse Lopez, Cody Assenmacher. I didnt want to be the first transgender Survivor star, Smith told People in an exclusive interview. Market data provided by Factset. Were there conversations behind the scenes of how to present this footage sensitively? This just happened. Update 2: CBS, per Vulture, has alsoresponded. Survivor: Zeke Smith Says Being Outed by Jeff Varner Led to Him Being Keeping your gender history private is not the same as a gay person being in the closet. The only people who need to know are medical professionals and naked fun time friends.. Zeke Smith is known for making some big moves on 'Survivor,' but the bravest thing he's done wasn't so public. 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Rowling Backlash: 'Give Her More Grace', Childhood BFFs Fall in Love and Marry After One Comes Out as Transgender: 'I Love His Big Heart,' Says Wife, Sam Smith Says 'Changing' Their Pronouns 'Felt Like Coming Home' but Had Its Challenges, 'We're Here' Drag Star Eureka O'Hara Comes Out as Trans: 'I Know Who I Am Without Question', Amy Schneider Wins 'Jeopardy!' Smith praises his cast mates for rebuking the fear tactic and standing by him. Witnessing that moment was so powerful because from my seat at Tribal, I could see it all. Thats so dirty, Jeff., Im not using that as anything negative! insisted Varner. Deceptions on levels, Jeff, that these guys dont even understand, Varner said. Robert Voets/CBS. On it, Jeff Varner outed Zeke Smith as a transgender man at Tribal Council and was voted off unanimously after being blasted for blurting out something that was Smith's story to tell. "There was a new commander, and he'd been called in to see. And I have to imagine the Nuku tribe will still be decompressing from what just happened. Do you regret that move, or does it tie into what you just said about making big moves?Zeke: Well, I think it does relate to wanting to make big moves. Whats great is that nobody bought it.. Hes BFFs with Hannah from season 33. The issue of outing, though, is different because it necessarily involves the dissemination of privileged information, something a national network has far more capacity to amplify than a single man amongst a handful of peers on a shows set. They heard it but had to process it and then once it landed they responded quite vocally. Zeke Smith Was Outed as Trans. Now He's Out of 'Survivor' "The message should be clear that hate will always lose," says Survivor contestant Zeke Smith. Wake up to the day's most important news. Survivor airs Wednesdays (8 p.m. The other contestants erupted in outrage, calling Varners comment inappropriate and irrelevant to the game. Deception on levels, Jeff, that these guys dont even understand theres more., Host Jeff Probst asked Varner to explain himself, at which point Varner turned to Smith in front of the entire group and demanded: Why havent you told anyone youre transgender?. When Zeke Smith was cast on Survivor in 2016, the Brooklyn-based asset manager didnt necessarily plan on sharing that he was transgender. 'Survivor' Castoff Lost His Job for Outing Transgender Contestant It seems everyone on the tribeTai, Andrea, Ozzy, Debbie, Sarahhad their moment of telling Jeff in very strong language that what he did was completely unacceptable. I was wrong and make no excuses for it. In a video filmed for the 2016 season of the long-running reality show, the Harvard graduate revealed that he is gay, noting that he told the world at age 15. Why havent you told anyone here youre transgender? Varner pointedly asked Zeke, in front of their team at the tribal council, where they were about to vote to eliminate one of their number from the show. Often, the opposite is true for trans people. The message should be clear that hate will always lose.. Jeff Varner told his tribe and the rest of the world that Zeke Smith is transgender during a shocking tribal council in the beloved reality TV shows 34th season. I would say our relationship, it's a work in progress right now, and probably best to not play it out in the press. When he said what he said, he changed both of our lives forever. But Survivor will be back next week and someone will be voted out.
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