I wont go into the detail of that conversation, but after Tonight, on CBSSurvivor, Dan Spilo was kicked off the show for, once again, inappropriate touching. It appears, from social media postings, that Varner had just began working for the company having only posted his first acting listing with the company on April 7. Whats great is that nobody bought it., Its important people see he lost that fight, he added. When Kim learned about his removal from the show, she shared a statement on Twitter. That is a giant leap of logic. 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.. genre. Two lives that would be rocked forever now This producer manipulation is 100% bull shit. The cast is not happy. could hear the tidal wave of contempt heading my way. 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 tweeted on Wednesday. He continually forgives me. Zeke is a wonderful man and I will forever be amazed and inspired by his forgiveness and compassion. the one who did that, and even more difficult to receive their lectures, their He currently resides in Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA. 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 . What I saw on television in that specific episode was not the true experience I lived., Vlachos was still a police officer in New Jersey, at last report, though he told Entertainment Tonight in May 2020after his Winners at War victory made him the shows second two-time winnerthat he had also gotten into investment real estate. 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. 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. As for Varner, not only was he unanimously voted off of "Survivor" that fateful night at Tribal Council, but after the episode aired, he lost his job at a North Carolina real estate agency.. I think he hoped others would believe that trans people are dangerous and fraudulent, he said. What just happened on Survivor tonight is 100% bull shit. I have apologized to him weve spoken several times on the phone. I do not believe transgender people Brittany is a writer who is obsessed with rom-com movies, Gossip Girl, reality television, fashion, and pop-culture. peppered with the predictable Probst declaration, Varner, absolutely apology and pain, I offered the few words I could find. I am not a bigot. Then the MLS association emails to say, Youve been terminated. I didnt even find out from my company, he said. Much has been made the last few weeks over one of the most controversial moments in television history. "What just happened on Survivor tonight is 100% bull st. many a day in that eucalyptus-scented room full of tick tocks reviving my So, any bricks pounded against my face are well-deserved, right? A post shared by Boston Rob Mariano (@bostonrobmariano). One toward a frightening future and the other It was also reported that Spilo is banned from attending the reunion show. Many night firmly seared into my memory. It would sit A Twitter user responded to Varners tweet saying he shouldnt get to weigh in on the controversy, and Varner went off once again about the scandal. no interest in traveling back there ever again. He continually forgives me. An extensive genealogical search discovered that Varner and Edward R. Murrow are related by marriage on Murrow's mother's side of the tree. 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. Jeff Varner: "I think it was an amazing reaction because we as a society in the United States we treat many trans people . 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. I offer my deepest, most heart-felt apologies to Zeke Smith, his friends and life allies, his family and to all those who my mistake hurt and offended, he wrote. I have so much to say and am fuming right now. of life. are deceptive. It I was not OK. For days, I sat in my shame, finding it very difficult to soon I would stop abusing myself and start to forgive. MORE: Jeff Varner's Former Employer Speaks Out on 'Survivor' Outing and Subsequent Firing SECRETS REVEALED The wait for my official scarlet letter was getting shorter. had come to learn our society, blindly trudging through its shame, would rise remember a lot of what I saw happen that night. 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. And it was a tough watch. "Why haven't you told anyone that you're transgender?" nothing. 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. Its a notion I would struggle with for months. As the season began to air I found myself practicing empathy was a moment of weakness that found me suddenly ducking the most hateful emails MORE: Jeff Varner Tearfully Admits to Being in Therapy Since Outing Zeke Smith on 'Survivor'. All Rights Reserved. We won't post to any of your accounts without asking first, In order to view the video, please allow Manage Cookies. With the shows therapist, with a local therapist. "[citation needed], Varner used his communications background to transition into web development, working in developing online properties for Citibank, MCI, Harlequin Romance, and Martha Stewart Living Online. One of the things that breaks my heart the most is that thats one of the stigmas that trans people fight the most, Varner said. Ive spoken to these people. Robert Voets/CBS via Getty; Monty Brinton/CBS via Getty, Jeff Varner Reacts to Being Fired After Outing Fellow 'Survivor' Contestant as Transgender, 'Survivor' 's Jeff Varner: How He Knew Zeke Smith Is Transgender and the 'Shame' He Feels for Outing Him, 'Survivor' 's Jeff Varner in Therapy After Outing Zeke Smith as Transgender: 'This Changed Me Drastically', 'Survivor' 's Jeff Varner Apologizes to Zeke Smith for Outing Him, Says It Was 'The Worst Decision of My Life', 'Survivor' Fans Reactto Zeke Smith Being Outed as Transgender: 'Horrifying & Moving &Beautiful All in One', See the Emotional Moment Jeff Probst Kicks Out Survivor Contestant for Outing Zeke Smith: 'Just Grab Your Torch', Outed as Transgender on Reality TV: 'Survivor' 's Zeke Smith Says 'I Just Wanted to Be Known for My Game', 'Survivor' 's Zeke Smith on Jeff Varner Outing Him as Transgender on TV: 'I Really Struggle with Forgiving Him', 'Superstore' 's Nico Santos and 'Survivor' 's Zeke Smith Get Engaged at GLAAD Media Awards, 22 Years of 'Survivor' : The Reality Show's Iconic Moments, Ricky Gervais Slammed for 'Bigot Comedy' About Trans People in New Netflix Special, 'Survivor' 's Zeke Smith Opens Up to Tribemates After Being Outed as Transgender During Devastating Tribal Council, unanimously voted out of the game by his tribemates. 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. After four months and a ton of work, I knew my Varner was a contestant on Survivor: The Australian Outback, 2001. months digging out of depression and working to understand the forgiveness I A post shared by Jonny Fairplay (@jonnyfairplay). And Ive sat quietly, watching and growing. moving in opposite directions. When we were in pain and we are in fair, we are dangerous people. the shows psychologist. I spent watch it again. It took hours after my press junket to get anyone with the company on the phone to tell me personally, and even longer to calm my clients, all of whom, by the way, are coming with me to my new firm. Jeff Varner was raised on a tobacco farm in Greensboro, North Carolina. What would he say? So pissed. I offer grace and willingness to engage with anyone who wants to work toward something, 1. Its awful. Bankston died in a train derailment in June 2014, according to The Hollywood Reporter. will always call motives into question. forgive me like he did that night when Im struggling so hard to forgive April 12, castaway Zeke Smith wasoutedas This is about Zeke, Varner said. MORE: Jeff Varner's Former Employer Speaks Out on 'Survivor' Outing and Subsequent Firing. 7+ years of experience in traditional and social media, communication strategy, defining messages,. And hes calling me a bigot and full of hate and all kinds of stuff. As of 2022, Jeff Varner's net worth is $100,000 - $1M. fears. I think he hoped others would believe that trans people are dangerous and fraudulent, he said. Probst didnt even have them go off and vote in secret. This is about Zeke, Varner said. Ive worked hard every day to understand why it happened and how I could ever make it right. I had five months before this painful myself? ET) on CBS. the producers would choose to portray that moment. (Robert Voets/CBS via Getty. Suddenly my real estate license was inactive and my current clients [were] left in the dark. Ive stumbled sharing my story for fear discussing it publicly would be poor timing, insensitive to Zeke, the real victim in this situation. felt obligated to torture myself. We say things we dont mean. 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. I know what happened. With the shows therapist, with a local therapist. One of the authors whod offered me the Threats of boycotts. Jeff Varner was born on April 16, 1966 in Greensboro, North Carolina, USA. Jeff Varner (@JEFFVARNER) December 12, 2019. That breezy June night in Fiji, I walked into tribal council At Mana's second Tribal Council, he joined the majority in voting out Survivor: Cagayan winner Tony Vlachos. I have been through, I dont know how much therapy. self-esteem. It can leave scars that haunt for a lifetime. He started The Australian Outback on the famous Kucha tribe; one of the most beloved tribes in Survivor . [I warned the company that headlines might be coming], but apparently not the people who needed to hear it.. had seen in 17 years. and panic. After outing his friend and fellow contestant Zeke Smith as being transgender on. questioning if that life was even worthy of living. anticipated. 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.. He attended Southern Guilford High School, where he was active in student government and theatre arts and editor of the school's yearbook; he later went on to earn a journalism degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.[2]. 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. Ugh. Processing all this has been my most intimate struggle. He has worked as an entertainment reporter for KCBS in Los Angeles then E! hate on its way to me, at the end of the day, had nothing to do with me. Varner and Diaz-Twine remained on Nuku after the second tribe switch, but were excluded from the alliance of new members Ozzy Lusth, Andrea Boehlke, Tai Trang, Sarah Lacina and Zeke Smith. I felt bolts of anger and contempt hit exactly where they were 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. As a result, Varner began to panic and decided to turn on one of his own allies, ultimately voting with the majority to send Law home on Day Nine. In this and other calls wed have over the And that forgiveness, though it was nowhere in I forgive him for that. All Rights Reserved. Contempt is one of those. It was revealed on the Survivor: Australia DVD, in the special commentary section, that it was Kimmi Kappenberg that inadvertently gave away the vote he had against him during the Episode Two Reward Challenge. I convinced myself the harsher the months. Tom Varner is now one of the most well known jazz horn musicians. 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. Hurting for two families who will have to tread water in a flood of uncertainty for whats to happen to their loved ones. I began to realize that all the anger and 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. I couldnt see it yet, but I sleep at all. first steps toward true healing. This producer manipulation is 100% bull st. 10 months trying to make sense of the worst decision of my life. People think trans people are out there deceiving and theyre predators and theyre hiding in bathrooms and stuff thats just not true. He has also been . Weve got to stop that., We have to stop discriminating and minimizing trans people. It was just a year ago when he returned after a 15-year absence to play. It was here that he became one of the show's most infamous villains, intentionally outing Zeke Smith as a transgender man in a vein attempt to prove his "duplicity" (the argument being that Zeke not being publicly out makes him a duplicitous person). strength and restoring my faith this would all be OK. Shame is powerful. 2. If he wants to take swings at me, Im the one to hand him the bat. months, he had this way of easing the fear that his life would be difficult and He went on to describe Zeke as deceptive and then turned to him in front of the council and asked, Why havent you told anyone here youre transgender?, His tactic backfired and led to his removal immediately. When I decided to avoid social media for the next two weeks, as I I knew that within a few weeks, a mans life could be ruined forever and I had caused While we all focus on the victim, circling him in support and love, I take comfort in seeing Zeke thrive while I struggle with some serious demons that wont let me move forward peacefully. I feared for him as he began to process a brave new life he Jeff Varner has appeared on Survivor three times, but Game Changers would prove his last. I have been through, I dont know how much therapy. I have never been more vulnerable than I was in those moments. The three-time Survivor contestant, who first appeared during season two in 2001, told Entertainment Tonight that he was completely blindsided by his firing. didnt choose. away from the game Id given almost 17 years to. When he played on 2017sSurvivor: Game ChangesVarner outed his fellow contestant Zeke Smith as transgender in an attempt to save himself from elimination. The unprecedented decision will mark the first time in Survivor's near . In the Im the perfect person to weigh in. As an involved father and sports fan, you may also know him as "Coach Jeff". Suddenly my real estate license was inactive and my current clients [were] left in the dark. He recently left Tyler Redhead & McAlister Real Estate for Allen Tate Realtors. 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. On the seventh episode of CBS'Survivor: Game Changers, which aired I will never make an excuse for it. never defend what happened on that island. I deserve it. I have no choice but to move forward. When were This season of Survivor, dubbed Game Changers for its 34th installment, had been filmed 10 months ago in the Mamanuca Islands of Fiji though Varner couldnt discuss what happened until the episodes airing. . exclusive column for ET about But nothing gave me more hope 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. I deserve it. MORE: 'Survivor' Contestant Zeke Smith Is 'Excited' to Speak With Jeff Varner at Reunion. Part of that loss, were sorry to report, is the death of his fianc, Caleb Bankston, who competed alongside him on Survivor: Blood vs. Water. I have met with and spoken to several LGBT organizations - Ive joined the board of a couple of them this has changed me drastically.. beginning to feel OK. I know what happened that got him removed and Im telling you, 100% horse st. After an informal public vote, Jeff Probst snuffed Jeff Varner's torch, ending the Season 2 and Season 31 veteran's third (and presumably final) stint on Survivor. Aprs des annes passes New York, Varner vit Seattle o il travaille au Cornish College of the Arts. Ive spoken to these people. While Oskooi doesnt specify what she is referring to, it is most likely what castaway Jeff Varner did on the third time he played the game. For the first time in months I was For about an hour during that tribal And felt. In the real estate world, buyers and sellers want to know theyre signing up with a company that wont dump them or turn their backs on them in time of trial. I have been through, I dont know how much therapy. 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. [5] It was revealed that Varner had been part of a pre-game alliance prior to the start of filming, with three other players: Terry Deitz and Shane Powers of Survivor: Panama, and Kelly Wiglesworth of Survivor: Borneo. As tough as its been for him, Varner recognizes that Smith, 29, is the real victim here. Varner lost his job from Allen Tate Realtors after he outed Zeke Smith as transgender during an episode of Survivor: Game Changers, but a year later, he told the News & Record that hed gotten a job as a realtor with Keller Williams Realty. For this entire situation to ultimately make sense, It took a few days to sink in Maybe. Ten months which did not go well. They love Dan. That's what Jeff Varner kept telling us when we spoke with him in Fiji before the start of Survivor: Game Changers. He would be hurt and no one would be happy. He seemed to understand the situation 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. Id this planet in shame. Prior, he worked as a general assignment reporter for WPIX-11, the CW's flagship station in New York City. They are pre-taping the reunion because cast members plan to publicly support Dan and call out producers. During that time, he said hes done a lot of growing. So pissed. The news of the sudden change came after the show removed contestant Dan Spilo from the show for an off-camera incident..