I do not have hate in my heart. In April, Survivor aired a moment unlike any in reality-TV history: in an ill-conceived bid to turn his teammates in his favor,. But then it changed and I was told that the way that I reacted and the way that I handled it -- I've always been taught to stand up and admit your mistakes, own them and turn them into something positive and I did that every minute of every day and I've heard that from everybody," he said. 'Survivor' Contestant Jeff Varner Thought He Was in a 'Good Place' With Zeke Smith After Outing Him This week's episode saw Smith reveal to the rest of his Survivor competitors after the. Survivor 's Jeff Varner is accepting responsibility for outing fellow contestant Zeke Smith as transgender and has issued a lengthy . everybody," he said. "Why haven't you told anyone that you're transgender?" It was a well-spoken answerbut one that did not really explain whether CBS had offered him a choice in whether the outing would be aired. Last week's episode of Survivor: Game Changers was a big moment for Jeff Varner and Zeke Smith, but also one for the rest of the Nuku tribe -- including Ozzy Lusth. 2023 The Hollywood Reporter, LLC. That was developed later in our relationship. I just choose to hope from afar, thank you very much., April 17, 11:50 a.m. network CBS genre Reality Each week host Jeff Probst will answer a few questions about the most recent episode of Survivor: Game Changers. As crucial as it is to scrutinize decisions like these, made by powerful networks on behalf of their comparably vulnerable contestants, it might be prudent in this case to let Zeke speak for himself. That was important for the world to see., Back in April, when The Talks Julie Chen asked Smith if the network had offered not to air the outing, his response was ambiguous. The Moment a Survivor Contestant Got Outed as Trans on National TV Zeke and I did not go through this to simply go through this. All Rights Reserved. Whats great is that nobody bought it.. The reaction to Varners actions went viral as the contestant who was voted off during the episode was criticized for outing Smith. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Subscribe for full access to The Hollywood Reporter. I am not a bigot," he wrote. EXCLUSIVE: Inside Jeff Varner's Decision to Out Zeke Smith at Tribal Council, What Viewers Didn't See, "The reaction was one of shock. All Rights Reserved. Jeff Varner says Zeke Smith was the one to start the "healing" process after his big Survivor reveal. But this experience has shown me is I have so much love in my life. By Laura Bradley May 4, 2017 By Timothy Kuratek/CBS via Getty Images. Varner, 50, tweeted an apology to Smith, 29, following news that Varner had outed Smith as transgender before Smith had the opportunity to reveal the news himself, if he had chosen to do so. Cuando utilizas nuestros sitios y aplicaciones, usamos. "I'm so proud to be part of Survivor and CBS because you have always empowered me to speak authentically and to tell my story on my own terms and I feel like our partnership is the model for how trans stories should be approached in the media moving forward," he said. I am not a bad person. "I But in addition to CBSs statement, theres another, even more important voice standing up for the way the Eye handled things: Zeke Smith himself. "Keller Williams, the No. Wednesday's installment of Survivor brought an unexpectedly intense moment, when Jeff Varner outed fellow Nuku tribe member Zeke Smith in a desperate play to. And I was really proud of how I responded. Jeffrey Neira/CBS Entertainment. After minutes of blank stares, Smith finally responded with an eloquent speech about metamorphosis, and how he hopes the experience is one that viewers will be able to learn from -- something that Lusth applauds. The four-time Survivor player was sitting right next to Varner when he outed Smith as transgender during tribal council, and nearly 10 months later, can still recall the intense "shock" he felt that night. How many other of the so-called reasonable Republicans are thinking the same thing? He told the News & Record that even though the Fiji season of Survivor had been filmed 10 months ago,he wasnt permitted to speak of it until the episode aired on Wednesday night. The episode went viral after it aired on Wednesday, with CBS standing by its decision to broadcast the tribal council moment, which resulted inVarners elimination. hard," he shared, before crediting Probst for warning him that it would get difficult. The reaction from their fellow contestants, as well as host Jeff Probst, was immediate condemnation. Although Smith soon responded to that question in an appearance on The Talk, his answer left some room for interpretation about his true feelings. Varner also spoke about the aftermath of his controversial outing, admitting that his life had been "difficult.". ", "But Im most proud to say that today I do not walk this planet in shame. 'Survivor': Man Who Outed Transgender Fellow Contestant Fired From His Job Varner, who is gay,apologized to Smith on social media following the outcry, saying he wanted to be clear that outing someone is assault.. Zeke Smith outed on 'Survivor': Hannah Shapiro reacts to Jeff Varner's "attack". Varner also spoke about the aftermath of his controversial outing, admitting that his life had been "difficult.". She was so . In this image released by CBS, contestants, from left, Jeff Varner, Sarah Lacina, Zeke Smith and Debbie Wanner appear at the Tribal Council portion of the competition series "Survivor: Game Changers." EXCLUSIVE: 'Survivor' Contestant Jeff Varner In His Own Words: Outing Zeke Smith and the Shame That Followed Varner revealed that he has since gotten a new real estate job after getting. & 2023 CBS Studios Inc. and CBS Interactive Inc., Paramount companies. I think he hoped others would believe that trans people are dangerous and fraudulent. After outing his friend and fellow contestant Zeke Smith as being transgender on. Im not ashamed of being trans, but I didnt want that to be my story, he says. Yep. He's gone through such a crazy transformation, and if he makes it to the end, it's going to be hard not to give him the money, and not to vote him the winner,' so, you know, that's what he has going against him now," he explained. Smith and Varner shared the same stage for Survivor: Game Changers' live reunion show, where they opened up about the controversial moment in which Varner outed Smith as transgender during tribal council, and the aftermath since the episode aired. "Survivor" contestant Jeff Varner outs fellow competitor Zeke Smith as Now, though, it seems clearer that Smith was totally on board with everyone finding out about his gender historyand that he is happy both with how the moment was handled, and how the public responded. 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.". Courtesy of CBS Jeff Varner, the " Survivor " contestant who made headlines for outing a fellow contestant as transgender, was fired from his job as a real estate agent in North Carolina this. Jeff Varner Felt 'Shame' for Outing Zeke Smith - People.com Why havent you told anyone that youre transgender?. Smith has now spoken about the impact it had on his life during Thursday's episode of Cohen's "For. And I think we both agree, its rained enough. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement and Your California Privacy Rights. Smith and Varner shared the same stage for Survivor: Game Changers' live reunion show, where they opened up about the controversial moment in which Varner outed Smith as transgender during tribal council, and the aftermath since the episode aired. We make all decisions such as this one with careful consideration of our clients, employees and our agents.. I own responsibility in what is the worst decision of my life., Let me be clear, outing someone is assault, he added. Bryan Cranston and Graham Yost tell the tale of their new series, which had a long, strange journey from network to streaming. They overwhelmingly rebuffed his actions. The Unbelievable True Stories of the Real Indiana Jones, The 25 Best Shows on Netflix to Watch Right Now, The Moment a Survivor Contestant Got Outed as Trans on National TV, As Zeke Smith explained on air, I didnt want to be the trans Survivor player. I wanted to be Zeke, the Survivor player., Survivor Contestant Jeff Varner Fired After Outing Transgender Teammate. He also wrote that he accepted Varner's apology but was still struggling to forgive him. Survivor's Zeke Smith: Outed as Transgender on Reality TV - People.com As Smith sees it, this was a case study in how you should respond to injustice. -- 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 . Nosotros, Yahoo, somos parte de la familia de marcas de Yahoo. Survivor airs Wednesdays (8 p.m. -- and his journey to overcoming the shame he felt over the situation. 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. That reasoning is infinitely worse than him outing me because its the same one used to discriminate against, attack and murder trans people, Smith says. -- and his journey to overcoming the shame he felt over the situation. I am not a bigot," he wrote. EXCLUSIVE: 'Survivor' Contestant Zeke Smith Is 'Excited' to Speak With Jeff Varner at the Reunion, "I was really scared because I didn't know what was going to happen to my world. It is quite another to incense bigotry toward a marginalized minority," said contestant Zeke Smith of the moment. He's been top of mind. Despite uncertainty in the newsroom over a potential sale, reporters havent been jumping from the airplanes exit, says one. Forgiveness requires hope. To revist this article, visit My Profile, then View saved stories. Puedes cambiar tus opciones en cualquier momento haciendo clic en el enlace Configuracin de privacidad y cookies o Panel de control de privacidad de nuestros sitios y aplicaciones. But in a new interview, Smith states his support for airing the scene more definitively. "Growing up in Oklahoma, I didnt always have a lot of friends and even throughout my life up, people havent always stuck by my side through the hard times. Were All at the Whims of Barry: Will the Daily Beast Find a Buyer? Why Survivor's Zeke Smith Wanted CBS to Air the Moment He Got Outed as Jeff Varner outed Smith in a shocking Tribal Council "Survivor: Game Changers" moment. Varner got voted off that night, and got fired from his job soon after the episode aired. 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. In a guest column for The Hollywood Reporter, Smith wrote that he is not "wild" about people knowing that he is trans but is proud of the way he handled his response on the show. Survivor: Jeff Probst on why Jeff Varner situation hurt Zeke's game Survivor's Jeff Varner Apologizes to Zeke Smith for Outing Him - Yahoo After outing his friend and fellow contestant Zeke Smith as being transgender on Wednesdays episode ofCBS Survivor: Game Changers, Varner, 50, was fired from his job as a real estate agent the following day. Survivor's Jeff Varner Apologizes for Outing Zeke Smith - E! Online But as some critics have noted, the outing never actually had to air at all. Youre being a negative nancy if you think its a dark moment or a mar on Survivor history, Smith told T.H.R. Jeff Varner Says Zeke Smith Reached Out to Start 'Healing' Process Deceptions on levels, Jeff, that these guys dont even understand. ", In a statement to ABC News, Pat Riley, Allen Tate's president and CEO, wrote, "The Allen Tate companies were built on core values of honesty, integrity and respect. "Seeds can't take hold and grow without the rain. The Hollywood Reporter is a part of Penske Media Corporation. We support how Jeff Probst and the producers handled a very sensitive situation and marvel at the grace Zeke exhibited under extraordinary circumstances. An Actors Strike Could Devastate StudiosPlus, the Chanting Would Be Cooler, Actors really get into leading chants," a writers strike captain says of recent solidarity, so our picket lines are a lot noisier than they used to be., Report: Trump Has Been Indicted Again, This Time by DOJ for Mishandling of Classified Documents, Trump posted on Truth Social that the Department of Justice informed his attorneys that he is being indicted for the second time. Zeke is a wonderful man and I will forever be amazed and inspired by his forgiveness and compassion. At the end of the day, Ford said she was "really proud" of Smith for how he handled the situation. Subscribe for full access to The Hollywood Reporter. Moments like this prove that when people from all walks of life get to know a transgender person, they accept us for who we are.. Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. EXCLUSIVE: 'Survivor' Contestant Jeff Varner In His Own Words: Outing While I can reconcile the personal slight of him outing me, I continue to be troubled by his willingness to deploy such a dangerous stereotype on a global platform, Smith wrote. 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.. Varner calls his actions a mistakeon Twitterand says hes deeply saddened., First published on April 13, 2017 / 9:36 AM. But soon enough, another debate emerged: should CBS have aired the clip in the first place? 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