around inside my tortured head. And that forgiveness, though it was nowhere in MORE: Jeff Varner's Former Employer Speaks Out on 'Survivor' Outing and Subsequent Firing. , Varner said he will never get over what he did. 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. The It would be massive. dispersed a team of close allies to manage the wave, deleted the calls for my We have to acknowledge that humanity and their dignity and lift up their voices and never reduce them to the disgusting things all these bigots do and all these people who just dont know and are acting out of fear. 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. So Im talking to several firms now that I know will care about and believe in their employees. talk about what had happened without breaking down. of life. I knew that within a few weeks, a mans life could be ruined forever and I had caused A post shared by Boston Rob Mariano (@bostonrobmariano). safe and have our needs met. He has also been . 2. I am profoundly sorry. before. 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. . MORE: Jeff Varner 'Devastated' to Be Fired From Job After Outing 'Survivor' Contestant Zeke Smith. [7] After their tribe lost again on Day 11, Varner was eliminated in a unanimous vote, placing 17th in the overall competition. the shows psychologist. Weve got to stop that., We have to stop discriminating and minimizing trans people. What would he say? did I do that?, I deserve to be shot and other shards of self-abuse thrashed He has worked as an entertainment reporter for KCBS in Los Angeles then E! He sounded would require a strength and resolve I could see, but couldnt quite grasp yet. had seen in 17 years. That reasoning is infinitely worse than him outing me because its the same one used to discriminate against, attack and murder trans people. moment. Jeff Varner (@JEFFVARNER) December 12, 2019. 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. I have no choice but to move forward. You lived it. Upon learning of his removal, she shared her thoughts on Twitter. It robs a strong, courageous person of their power and protection and opens them up to discrimination and danger. 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. Varner was a contestant on Survivor: The Australian Outback, 2001. take it on early in life as we try and learn how to navigate our society and live TheSurvivor: Island of the Idolsfinale and reunion will air on CBS on Wednesday, December 18, from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. and damaging tactics to protect ourselves. Keep up with your favorite shows delivered to your inbox! Bankston died in a train derailment in June 2014, according to The Hollywood Reporter. That shame circle in Fiji would pale in About to climb the walls, Varner posted to Facebook after the shows episode aired. CBS knew the world was attacking back, and likely in ways much worse than I had exclusive column for ET about About to climb, Posted by Jeff Varner onWednesday, December 11, 2019. But the following March, the larceny case was dismissed, with Fairplay telling TMZ that the allegations came from a disgruntled family member. In an emotional interview with PEOPLE on Thursday, Varner broke down saying his biggest regret was playing into the deceitful stereotypes many have about transgender people. Per Showbiz Cheat Sheet, he said in the video that he was a silly kid with an undeveloped mind during his Survivor runwhich also included South Pacificand said that he had since become more financially stable and had married a woman named Erica, with whom he had a son named Noah. What just happened onSurvivortonight is 100% bull st. Stephanie Petit is a Royals Writer and Reporter at PEOPLE. Its awful. didnt choose. Varner, along with Sandra Diaz-Twine, Malcolm Freberg, Aubry Bracco, and Michaela Bradshaw were then switched to Nuku. It took a few days to sink in Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Perfectly Imperfect, Elle Varner - (Compact Disc) at the best online prices at eBay! In the He continually forgives me. I know what happened. Dave Quinn is an Editor for PEOPLE, working across a number of verticals including the Entertainment, Lifestyle and News teams. Those people she does stay in touch with include Tai Trang, Stephen Fishbach, and Reiman Spencer Bledsoe. wondering if they were even worthy of one. On February 8, 2017, it was revealed that Varner was one of 20 contestants who would be competing on Survivor: Game Changers, the show's 34th season. Would love your thoughts, please comment. 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. From both of us, it This is about Zeke, Varner said. From medication to meditation, I spent the next several The slow methodic tick, tock, tick, tock of an aqua blue alarm clock cuts FormerSurvivorplayer Jeff Varner aired his grievances with CBS on social media on Wednesday after the network announced that the reunion show forSurvivor: Island of the Idolswill be pre-taped for the first time in the series history. And hes calling me a bigot and full of hate and all kinds of stuff. I finally hit the phone, heart pounding. Ive talked to cast members. I can only profusely apologize. We dont need to vote, host Jeff Probst said during the April 2017 episode. edit, the harder the fallout. If we let it, our pain will I convinced myself the harsher the And in 2021, she filed for divorce from Survivor: Samoa alum John Fincher. Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Deceptions on levels, Jeff, myself? 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. What That is a giant leap of logic. We won't post to any of your accounts without asking first, In order to view the video, please allow Manage Cookies. If you dont remember, it happened at the final pre-merge Tribal Council. The wait for my official scarlet letter was getting shorter. 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. I deserve it. I had five months before this painful While Dans dismissal has validated the concerns that I raised from the beginning of this season, I wish that no one else had to be subjected to this type of behavior,she wrote via Twitter on Wednesday. If he wants to take swings at me, Im the one to hand him the bat. On her website, Shallowthe winner of Survivor: Micronesia and one of the ruthless players of the Villain tribe on Survivor: Heroes vs. Villainssays shes an internationally recognized yoga teacher and an executive coach who help[s] other people build solid foundations of self-reliance so that they become the authority in their lives. Shes also a published author, having cowritten the 2020 childrens book Om the Otter. that changed everything. My closest friends range from across a bunch of different seasons and include non-players who are also a formative part of the experience. 100% horse st! University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill About Real estate broker specializing in residential. Jeff Varner, Self: USA's Cannonball Run 2001. I did a bad thing. At the time, in the event of a tie, previous tribal council votes would be used. I am not a bad person. spoke in the truth Id worked so hard since Fiji to embrace and own. As tough as its been for him, Varner recognizes that Smith, 29, is the real victim here. [I warned the company that headlines might be coming], but apparently not the people who needed to hear it.. All Rights Reserved. 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. When we were in pain and we are in fair, we are dangerous people. I have apologized to him weve spoken several times on the phone. I 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 wont go into the detail of that conversation, but after 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. that he was ready Threats of boycotts. moving in opposite directions. That full screen disclaimer is a crock. I have apologized to him - weve spoken several times on the phone. My shame and I eventually became best friends. Jeff Varner knows he crossed the line on Wednesday's Survivor when, in an effort to save himself from elimination, he outed fellow contestant Zeke Smith as transgender insinuating Smith's. It keeps us stuck. That prepared reunion is cowardice. Its a notion I would struggle with for months. Part of the a360media Entertainment Group. Shame teaches us that we have to be good to get love, to feel Varner, 50, is a former news anchor for CBS and Fox affiliates, who now works locally as a real estate agent. View Jake Varner's profile on LinkedIn, the world's largest professional community. After years of living in New York, Varner lives in Seattle working at the Cornish College of the Arts. ET) on CBS. I made me, I will never lose sight of the fact this situation will always be about what watch it again. She doesnt stay in touch with very many people from the show, and she even stopped being friends with someone whom she says did one of the cruelest things ever done to another contestant in the shows now multi-decade history.. 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. was cowardly fired from my job the day after the episode. More recently, she started a soup company, got a job as a private chef, and started hosting a podcast called Hit the Ground Running With Jerri Manthey. respect Zeke Smith, hoping that hes OK and about to start thriving like never And I love and worthy of love. council I sat in the middle of a group of people whod been lying to me for Ive blocked most of it out and have It is a mess of my own making happening. And you can stop reading here if you dont care to hear it. Many were in tears as the Tribal Council played out, and even Jeff Probst came to Smith's defense. I Processing all this has been my most intimate struggle. Thank God for Powered by. I told my transgender friends, 2023 System1 OpCo, LLC. He and Oskooi became friends on the Ta Keo tribe during Cambodia Second Chance, but when Varner returned for Survivor: Game Changers, he was unanimously voted out of the show after outing Zeke Smith as transgender. 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 . They love Dan. However, after a tribal swap and expansion turned the two tribes into three, Varner and Law ended up on the brand new Angkor tribe, along with fellow former Ta Keo members Yung "Woo" Hwang and Abi-Maria Gomes, and two new members from the former Bayon tribe, Latasha "Tasha" Fox and Andrew Savage. I thank God for that and the gift of being an example as to why you should never do what I did.. Despite apologizing on air and realizing his error, Varner was unanimously eliminated without a formal vote and was condemned after the episode aired for outing Smith and was fired from his job as a real estate agent as a result of the controversy. Id that doesnt allow a day to pass without remorse and regret. I was devastated all over During that time, he said hes done a lot of growing. After outing his friend and fellow contestant Zeke Smith as being transgender on. anything better. to the slowly arising reality that this is not just a game. I can Zeke and I did He was part of the first team in the corporate world to utilize the internet to communicate project information in Citicorp's "Product Design and Development Division. 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. preventing you from growth. Youre saying by him not revealing it that hes capable of deception. which did not go well. 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. So pissed. I know what happened. And I will never go back and real journey had just begun. I know that forgiveness is difficult. Everyone was against me. It came from all directions, tearing down the walls Id spent For access to all our exclusive celebrity videos and interviews Subscribe on YouTube! sat in silence, my breathing shallow, staring intently at the screen and seeing Many 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. 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A colossal mistake I do not have hate in my heart. days in full-on justified attack mode. Jeff Varner was raised on a tobacco farm in Greensboro, North Carolina. It can leave scars that haunt for a lifetime. didnt you tell everyone youre transgender?, like he somehow had an I think he hoped others would believe that trans people are dangerous and fraudulent, he said. April 17, 2017, 8:41 AM 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. doubt, fear, anxiety and preoccupation with Zeke, his friends and family and I was standing before the people who 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.. In fact, CBS teases that this go-round will be one of the most intense versions of the reality competition, with scarce food and minimal supplies testing the mettle of the seasons 18 castaways. videos along the way. The truth will get out. Despite Zekes forgiveness, I still Survivor airs Wednesdays (at 8 p.m. We dont need to vote, hostJeff Probstsaid at the time. I deserve every bit of it. I stood up proud that Ive walked through a In one recent 13-minute video, he criticized the new woke Survivor, calling out host Jeff Probst for no long referring to groups of Survivor contestants as guys., They opened a can of worms, he said. beginning to feel OK. He has also, he says, lost his job. Its so painful to see what is happening with this show. When he was on 2017s Survivor: Game Changes he outed fellow contestant Zeke Smith as transgender in an attempt to save himself at tribal council. The cast is not happy. They love Dan. I can only profusely apologize. 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. Many Im the perfect person to weigh in. VISIT, Survivor Star Goes Off About COVID on Social Media. This video is unavailable because we were unable to load a message from our sponsors.
