Carolyn Wiger, Lauren Harpe, Yam Yam Arocho, Heidi Lagares-Greenblatt, and Carson Garrett on 'Survivor 44', Kane Fritzler and Carson Garrett on 'Survivor 44', Two Dorky Magnets Tribes must snake their way toward the win for immunity and reward. April 13, 2017 2:00pm UPDATED, 2 PM: CBS released a statement Thursday expressing support for the way producers handled Wednesday night's episode, in which a contestant told his tribemates that a. I hope Zeke only gets love, but we know he won't. I will be the first one to admit I like Jeff, Smith said in a confessional last week. And look, I sincerely believe that we should embrace those who've expressed sincere regret, as he has. Pictured (L-R): Karla Cruz Godoy, Mike 'Gabler' Gabler, Owen Knight, Cody Assenmacher, Jesse Lopez, Cassidy Clark and Sami Layadi. 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. News,' 'CNN,' and 'Nightline,' and can be seen frequently on 'Good Morning America.' Hes definitely an old soul. Though Smith was open about who he was during his Survivor audition, he just didnt want to discuss it during filming. ET) on CBS. The message should be clear that hate will always lose.. Survivor's Zeke Smith was outed as transgender in the worst way possible. Each week host Jeff Probst will answer a few questions about the most recent episode of Survivor: Game Changers. Im not ashamed of being trans, but I didnt want that to be my story, he says. I don't really remember a lot about my own feelings in the moments after Tribal. But, you know, I think it was the right move for Andrea, because I certainly was coming after her. Wednesday nights episode of Survivor caused controversy when contestant Zeke Smith was outed as transgender on the show by fellow competitor Jeff Varner. According to EOnline.com, Varner admitted to Survivor: Game Changers host Jeff Probst that he felt he was going home, and then proceeded to out Smith in an attempt to paint him as untrustworthy and perhaps inspire other contestants to switch their votes. I think physically, the game was never super taxing on me. Club. Varner, who. This is how change and acceptance happens. All rights reserved. It is so wrong for you to bring that up, said Tai Trang. Ben Weber, who played Carrie's pal (and Miranda's boyfriend) Skipper, shares his memories from the set of Sex and the City season 1. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. But hopefully he can go back to being Zeke the Survivor playeras he said he wanted to be known after Varner outed himnot the first transgender Survivor star. As his fellow contestants reassured him, Zeke the Survivor player is exactly who he is. I met Zeke in casting and loved him. So Smith was shell-shocked when his competitor Jeff Varner outed him in an attempt to paint him as deceitful in the episode airing Wednesday night. Ive reached out to CBS for comment and will update this post if and when I hear back. Varner, meanwhile, took to Twitter on Wednesday evening to issue a lengthy apology. Zeke Smith was voted out on Wednesday's episode of Survivor, but says he saw the writing on the wall several days prior. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Outed as Transgender on Reality TV: 'Survivor' 's Zeke Smith Says 'I Just Wanted to Be Known for My Game'. In 2017, "Survivor: Game Changers" aired the most shocking Tribal Council ever -- during which Jeff Varner outed costar Zeke Smith as a transgender man in an attempt to get the target off himself . How were you after Tribal Council finished? 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. I tried to do the best I could, but clearly I was not making awesome decisions. Pictured (L-R): Helen Li, Carson Garrett, and Yamil "Yam Yam" Arocho. Smith blinked in silence as the rest of the cast exchanged shocked stares. Transgender reality show contestant responds to being outed on national television Walking Dead Wiki is a FANDOM TV Community. I think those sessions in the days after the event helped Varner as he tried to make sense of everything. Here's everything else you need to know about him. There was only one person I could trust in the merge, and that was Sarah Lacina, and I knew my game hinged upon her. 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. Happy Valentines Day, fianc, he wrote adding #Heke.. ,Zeke is a massive Survivor fan and his point with us was very clearhe wanted to be seen as a Survivor player. I think it speaks to his abilities as a host, that he allowed me to collect myself., Although Smith thought at the time that he was going to have to fight and defend himself, hes grateful that his tribemates rose up and defended me loudly., Asked by co-host Julie Chen if he requested that CBS not air the footage, Smith stated: I love Survivor. Zeke Smith Reflects On How Jeff Probst & 'Survivor' Handled His But we were in touch with the producer on the beach that night to just ensure everything was going okay. 'Survivor' Contestant Outed As Transgender During Shocking - HuffPost And there is another moment that I hope was as inspiring for others as it was for me, and that was when Sarah told Zeke she was glad she got to know Zeke for who Zeke is and would never see him any other way. In 34 seasons of Survivor, I have rarely, if ever, personally commented on what is said or done in the game. Smith was raised in Oklahoma and transitioned while studying religion at Harvard. So for me, I think you can look at that Tribal as sort of a dark moment in Survivor history, but I don't. Also, one castaway will spy something hidden in plain sight, on SURVIVOR, Wednesday, Nov. 30 (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network, and available to stream live and on demand on Paramount+. After reliving Wednesday night's emotional Survivor: Game Changers episode, Zeke Smith is proud of the way he responded to being outed as transgender by fellow contestant Jeff Varner. 'Survivor' Contestant Outed As Transgender By Castmate - Deadline Ever since being on the show together,Hannah Shapiro and Zeke are seriously BFFs. Deceptions on levels, Jeff, that these guys dont even understand, Varner said. This list shows the victims Zeke has killed: Numerous counts of zombies and unnamed people. "One of my favorite stories is of a trans guy in the Air Force," explains Zeke. The 29-year-old debuted on season 33 of the CBS show last fall and returned for the all-star season 34 in March. It was as if he had been preparing for this absolutely unpredictable, completely public, and incredibly vulnerable moment for his entire life. 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. Was there anything about your strategy that you changed up this time around?Zeke: Well, actually, interestingly enough, I did take from 33 that I sort of started swinging for the fences too early. Physically, how much harder was this season, having just played one not too long ago?Zeke: Well, the decision to play look, I got my torch snuffed in Season 33, and I did my final interview to camera and looked over my right shoulder, and Jeff Probst was there and said "Come here," and asked me back. When the contestants of CBS hit reality series gathered around the fire at Tribal Council, Varner, in a final attempt to prevent himself from being voted off the show, turned to rival Smith, who was standing by his side, and declared, There is deception here. The thing I'm most proud of my Survivor experience is that I never stopped playing. 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. Im not ashamed of being trans, but I didnt want that to be my story. My confidence was obliterated, and I was afraid to dream, Smith says of being depressed during and after his transition. -- Jeff Varner, who outed his fellow contestant Zeke Smith during an emotional tribal council on "Survivor: Game Changers" last week, was fired from his job at the Allen Tate real estate company in North Carolina. I had about 48 hours in which to make that decision. Also, one castaways paranoia and overconfidence risks leading them to their downfall, on SURVIVOR, Wednesday, Oct. 12 (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network, and available to stream live and on demand on Paramount+. Lagoona Bloo Gives The Venga Boys' Nostalgic '90s Hit the Cover It Deserves, 'This Is Not a Light Time to Be a Queer Person: On Pride History and Saturdays Dyke March, Marisa Davila Says Rise of the Pink Ladies Is Even More Blunt Than Grease, was widely condemned by contestants and fans of the show, Outing a transgender person is an act of violence. My story with Zeke goes like this. Survivor's Zeke Smith Reflects on Being Outed as Trans During - TooFab Im ready to go, said Varner tearfully. Please support me by installing my Puzzles from Survivor app:https://apps.apple.com/us/app/puzzle-cluster/id1460284314Alliance Tracker for Survivor app:https. I also think Andrea's rage towards me colors that story. And, even though she voted for me three of the four Tribals we were at, we were always friends. I do believe he wishes he could take the entire event back. Fly glitterbug, fly! (uhhh. 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. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, Clearly, he proved that the first time, since he was brought back for another season. 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! From here on in, I shoot with this girl on my hip. Manage all your favorite fandoms in one place! 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?" But as the other contestantsand even Survivor host Jeff Probstpressed on what Probst called the giant leap of logic behind the suggestion that Smith not being out as transgender somehow proved that he was deceptive, Varner began to break down. I just wanted to go out on an adventure and play a great game. What Varner did was horrible & wrong but he did it while being mentally exhausted. (Full disclosure: TVGuide.com is owned by CBS.). 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. Transparent actress Trace Lysette tweeted the commonly held sentiment by those who care about trans rights: Outing a transgender person is an act of violence. Varner, who is gay, apologized on Twitter. 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? Let's start with your initial reaction when Jeff said that at Tribal Council. 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. 'Survivor' Castoff Lost His Job for Outing Transgender Contestant Can you say anything about the project you're working on?Zeke: Well, I think if you follow #Heke then you know that we've got a wedding in the works. ET) on CBS. Transgender 'Survivor' Contestant Zeke Smith Outed on National Television Survivor's Jeff Varner: "Zeke has every right to hate me". 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. RELATED: Survivor: 10 Most Heartbreaking Moments In The History Of The Show From racism to sexual assault, death, LGBTQ+ topics, self-confidence, and mental health, there are times when the show goes well beyond the surface purpose of mindless entertainment. And while they were sharing their feelings with Varner, I was still running it in my head. 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. 'Survivor' alum Zeke Smith reflects on being outed as transgender on the show Smith, whose gender identity was revealed in 2017 by a fellow contestant, said that he was "treated afterwards with. With the entire cast still reeling with emotion, Probst moved onto the next step. Fortunately, we have a full-time psychologist on staff who knows all of the contestants and is there to help them through any of the many things that come up on Survivor. I wanted the world to see how much Id grown and I also thought by showing what happened, maybe it wouldnt happen to someone else. I can't say right now. I was re-forming relationships with Brad and Troyzan and Michaela to come after her. Varner attempted to clarify his position, claiming hes an ally of the transgender community. 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. Smiths history with the series is shorter. It is heartening, however, to see the strong support for Zeke from the other people in his tribe. ", Gwyneth Paltrow sunbathes topless with husband Brad Falchuk while vacationing in Italy, 'Boy Meets World' original Topanga actress says she was fired for not being 'pretty enough', Joan Collins, 90, says the Hollywood parties she attends now are 'dull' due to cancel culture, Meghan Markle, Prince Harry officially vacate Frogmore Cottage after King Charles eviction, Kevin Spacey labeled 'sexual bully' by prosecutors during London criminal trial, Dolly Parton reveals why Mick Jagger refused to record duet on her upcoming rock album. He was outed as transgender during season 34. Smith admitted that there was this primal instinct in me which just said run. Always play. And I'm excited to embark upon new adventures, and maybe Survivor's part of it down the line, maybe not. 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. He was out to some people especially people who've known him a long time, as they could have been there throughout his transition, but other people had no idea. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Do you have any regrets about your game this time around?Zeke: I don't have any regrets. Despite Varner disclosing a very personal part of Smiths life to the world, Smiths mission was to focus on the positives. 05, 2017 1:00AM ET LGBT people can all be harmed by non-consensual outing but transgender people are especially affected by the idea that not being out is inherently deceptive. Thats why GLAAD discourages the use of terms like stealth, due to its connotations of deceitfulness: When transgender people are living as their authentic selves, and are not perceived as transgender by others, that does not make them deceptive or misleading., A handful of people on Survivor forums and websites had speculated that Smith might be transgender but without any confirmation.