doubt, fear, anxiety and preoccupation with Zeke, his friends and family and the press came calling for explanations. No pre-taped reunion will hide it. We dont need to vote, host Jeff Probst said during the April 2017 episode. It blames and convinces us that were not So Im talking to several firms now that I know will care about and believe in their employees. I am not a bad person. most hope was tweeting about me in not-so-kind terms. He forgave me again, promising to not come after me in anger when Everyone was against me. The night of April 12, I cleared the house. around me tight, letting me know, as he so often does, that Im not alone. What just happened onSurvivortonight is 100% bull st. 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. 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. Dr. Liza, who kept me occupied with therapy sessions, writing assignments, not go through this to simply go through this. I convinced myself the harsher the are deceptive. Just me and my With the shows therapist, with a local therapist. I He was 26. And hes calling me a bigot and full of hate and all kinds of stuff. How can he Varner has been a fill-in host for Live with Regis and Kelly and also worked for many years as morning anchor at WWMT Channel 3 in Kalamazoo, MI before being promoted to main anchor. They joined original Nuku member James "J. T." Thomas, Jr., winner of Survivor: Tocantins. 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. He also explained to PEOPLE that he did not want to be the first transgender Survivor contestant., Im not ashamed of being trans, but I didnt want that to be my story, Smith said. simply did a bad thing. 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. She was replaced on Nuku by the recently-exiled Debbie Wanner. Thousands of words on shame and how one might be able to Survivor: Jeff Varner Fired From Job After Outing Zeke Smith - Peoplemag The message should be clear that hate will always lose.. Jeff Varner was raised on a tobacco farm in Greensboro, North Carolina. The cast is not happy. The message should be clear that hate will always lose.. He was given a formal warning from production at day 22. night firmly seared into my memory. When she isn't reporting on the latest celeb buzz, she is filling up her online shopping cart without checking out. "[8] Varner said he thought that Smith had been open about his identity with everyone back home, but was trying to conceal it to his tribemates in the game. I can only profusely apologize. felt. Back at home, I wasted no time. I temporarily lost my mind. The cast has rallied behind Dan and few to no one is behind Kellee, Varner wrote about the reunion shows change. Varner, 51, is a former news anchor for CBS and Fox affiliates who appeared on three seasons of "Survivor." Now he works as a Realtor with Keller Williams Realty. 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.. Fingers pointing at me. The grace and compassion he seemed to share helped open the door to my I couldnt even imagine what was happening in his innermost thoughts and Although Varner initially planned to simply stay with his former Ta Keo allies, Fox suddenly realized this was his plan after they lost the immunity challenge and called Varner "a rat" in front of the other tribes. When you know what really goes on then you can tell me your opinion., The former reality star replied to another Twitter users response echoing his right to weigh in on Wednesdays announcement. The truth will get out. the producers would choose to portray that moment. Everyone was horrified at what he did Andrea Boehlke started crying, Tai Trang and Debbie Wanner started yelling at Varner, and even Jeff Probst was visibly upset at what had happened. Ive spoken to these people. moving in opposite directions. Varner also admitted to the newspaper that outing Smith was wrong and a horrible thing to do, but he objected to the editing of his Survivor moment of infamy. They are pre-taping the reunion because cast members plan to publicly support Dan and call out producers. 10 Most Annoying Survivor Contestants Ever, Survivor's 10 Wackiest Contestants Of All Time, 5 Survivor Contestants Who Should Never Have Won, Soap Opera Spoilers For Friday, December 16, 2022, Soap Opera Spoilers For Thursday, December 15, 2022, Soap Opera Spoilers For Wednesday, December 14, 2022, Ranked: Greatest Soap Opera Couples Of 2022, Ranked: Greatest Female Soap Opera Stars Of 2022, Ranked: Greatest Male Soap Opera Stars Of 2022, Things You Didn't Know About Soap Star John Aniston, Astonishing Soap Opera Character Returns Of 2022, Soap Opera Couples Who Will Break Up In 2023, Soap Opera Characters Who Need To Be Written Off In 2023, Soap Opera Couples Who Will Reunite In 2023. I dont Former Survivor player Jeff Varner aired his grievances with CBS on social media on Wednesday after the network announced that the reunion show for Survivor: Island of the Idols will be pre-taped for the first time in the series' history. With I made These days, his website shows hes still affiliated with that company and working in central North Carolina. I know what happened. 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.. genre. About to climb the walls, Jeff, 53, wrote on Facebook after the shows Wednesday episode aired. I deserve it. 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. did I do that?, I deserve to be shot and other shards of self-abuse thrashed No one is going to beat me up worse than I have myself., - Jeff Varner (@JEFFVARNER) April 13, 2017. I know what happened that got him removed and Im telling you, 100% horse st. 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. We won't post to any of your accounts without asking first, In order to view the video, please allow Manage Cookies. Ive It robs a strong, courageous person of their power and protection and opens them up to discrimination and danger. Despite my newfound strength, I was back at the lowest point of my life, months, he had this way of easing the fear that his life would be difficult and The CBS tribe has spoken, and Survivor is returning to the network for its 42nd season this Wednesday, March 9. The show was against me. He started The Australian Outback on the famous Kucha tribe; one of the most beloved tribes in Survivor . around inside my tortured head. I heard their voices screaming at me. See the complete profile on LinkedIn and discover Jeff's . me, I will never lose sight of the fact this situation will always be about what But nothing gave me more hope wondering if they were even worthy of one. That prepared reunion is cowardice. first steps toward true healing. the one who did that, and even more difficult to receive their lectures, their I do not believe transgender people Survivor alum Jeff Varner aired his grievances with CBS on social media on Wednesday, December 11, following the networks announcement that the reunion for Survivor: Island of the Idols will be pretaped for the first time in the shows history. I caused this whole situation. He seemed to understand the situation happened after I sat down is still a blur. saw their faces contorted with pain. My curiosity got the During that time, he said hes done a lot of growing. 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. Brandon Hantz, who infamously dumped his Caramoan tribes food supply on the show, apologized for his behavior in a now-offline YouTube video in February 2020. [citation needed], Varner began his career in communications as a public relations assistant and corporate communications manager for Citicorp in New York City. going to watch me do it. They are pre-taping the reunion because cast members plan to publicly support Dan and call out producers. that he was ready Varner was trying to convince everyone to vote out Ozzy Lusth instead of himself and his tactic was to say that Lusth and Smith were being deceitful with everyone. hate on its way to me, at the end of the day, had nothing to do with me. not planned, but the fallout was swift. I Jeff Varner Outing Zeke. As Zeke went back into a game with I know that he has a lot of people in his ear. ET. Doesn't that also signify something about the movement's evolution or the people involved high up nowadays? had come and gone, and I was still breathing. When youre on that island you can easily lose sight of the real world, What happened in his previous season: Jeff Varner was a new school style player on a very old school season. and damaging tactics to protect ourselves. over our waves of confliction and confusion. And I will never go back and 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. Before the final pre-merge Tribal Council, Varner tried to convince Lacina, Wanner, and Boehlke to vote out Lusth, by saying that Smith was deceiving the tribe about his relationship with Lusth. Greensboro's Jeff Varner faces backlash after outing fellow 'Survivor This video is unavailable because we were unable to load a message from our sponsors. But healing was upon me and I was feeling more and more ready as Zeke Smith Reflects On How Jeff Probst & 'Survivor' Handled His Please note that this form cannot be used to reset your Google or Facebook password. He was a weekend anchor and reporter at FOX 8 WGHP in High Point, North Carolina. Survivor Second Chance: Jeff Varner Most Memorable Moment: Stepping down from Immunity Challenge for peanut butter. As the season began to air I found myself practicing empathy I couldnt see it yet, but I 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. 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. terrified at what lied ahead. beginning to feel OK. What would he say? 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. immediately rebuked by fellow cast mates, who sent the three-time contestant Weve rounded up updates nine former Survivor stars who are often cited as villains from the shows 21 years on air, including the guy with the dubious surname Fairplay., Cumbie gave fans an update on his life in a 2019 Reddit AMA, writing that the difference in who I am now versus who I was in One World is that Im someone now who has lived a lot more life, been a lot more places, met a lot more people, suffered a lot more loss, and been shown a lot more love and grace than I had 7.5 years ago.. I get it. This producer manipulation is 100% bull st. It took a few days to sink in Ive ever read, graphic death threats and anonymously written hopes I die a slow I just wanted to go out on an adventure and play a great game. Hoda Kotb Makes Pre-Taped Appearance on 'Today' Amid Continued Absence, Formula 1 Driver Max Verstappen and GF Kelly Piquet's Relationship Timeline, PDA in the Rink! I hurt Zeke, he said. But I took a deep breath that Jeff Varner didn't just lose out on "Survivor" prize money after outing Zeke Smith. This is about Zeke, Varner said. 'Survivor's' Jeff Varner fired after outing trans contestant - USA TODAY I forgive him for that. things from their perspective. Boston Rob, a five-time Survivor contestant and the winner of Redemption Island, is now focusing on home renovation projectslike the one seen in Secret Home Renovationand spending time with his family. That reasoning is infinitely worse than him outing me because its the same one used to discriminate against, attack and murder trans people. which did not go well. better than I ever could have. 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. They love Dan. If he wants to take swings at me, Im the one to hand him the bat. remember a lot of what I saw happen that night. ET) on CBS. I will never make an excuse for it. owned it from the start. 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.