", 'I cannot imagine anyone thinking what was done to Zeke was okay on any level,' says the host about what Jeff Varner did on 'Survivor: Game Changers'. Photo: Robert Voets/CBS 2022 CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved, Cody Assenmacher and Jesse Lopez on 'Survivor 43'. Fan Expo brings thousands to downtown Denver, 'I feel lean and mean': Slimmed down Russell Wilson ready for new season, Warmer, more pleasant weekend ahead in Colorado, 2 tornadoes that are part of same Colorado storm system touch down more than 100 miles apart, outed Smith as transgender during tribal council. I thought that the viewers knew and everybody knew. I still to this day don't know why. 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. this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines. You can find out more about our use, change your default settings, and withdraw your consent at any time with effect for the future by visiting Cookies Settings, which can also be found in the footer of the site. He's just so smart and so well-spoken and I have no doubt he will turn this into a beautiful thing. This week, he gives his on-the-scene and behind-the-scenes insight and reaction to Jeff Varner outing Zeke Smith as transgender. ,Zeke is a massive Survivor fan and his point with us was very clearhe wanted to be seen as a Survivor player. , Varner said he will never get over what he did. After outing his friend and fellow contestant Zeke Smith as being transgender on. Lance Armstrong Criticized for Questioning 'Fairness of Trans Athletes in Sport' After His Doping Ban, 90 Day: Cleo Wonders How Boyfriend Christian Will Fare His First Time Dating a Transgender Woman with Autism, LGBTQ+ Reality TV Stars Who Changed the Game, 'VPR': Raquel Is 'Ashamed' of 'Deceitful' Affair with Sandoval and Admits She Subconsciously Blamed Ariana, Survivor's Matt Blankinship Gushes About Finding 'Fire' with Girlfriend Frannie Marin on Season 44, 'RHONJ': Melissa Says Teresa Has Reached 'Delusional's Highest Level' as They Wonder How To Co-Exist Together, The Biggest Bombshells from the 'Vanderpump Rules' Season 10 Reunion, 'Survivor' Alum Ricard Foy and Husband Andy Separate: 'Still Soulmates, Just in a Different Way', 'Survivor' Winner Nick Wilson Now a State Lawmaker Addresses Backlash for Controversial 'Anti-Trans' Bill, Country Star Zach Bryan Quotes Travis Tritt Song as He Condemns Transphobia: 'Completely Wrong'. 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 Tribal . "If he was just some ignorant bigot you could just write him, off but he's not," Survivor's Zeke Smith says of Jeff Varner. It was like, all right, what are you going to do? Survivor is back in production now. Varner, meanwhile, took to Twitter on Wednesday evening to issue a lengthy apology. But that didn't happen. Club, the Critics Choice and Television Critics Association member has appeared on 'Today,' 'Extra!,' 'Access Hollywood,' 'E! Survivor: Watch the Emotional Moment Jeff Probst Kicks Out Jeff Varner RELATED VIDEO: Survivors Zeke Smith on Jeff Varner Outing Him as Transgender on TV: I Really Struggle With Forgiving Him. Photo: CBS 2022 CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Press service of Concord/Handout via ReutersOn Saturday night, with his heavily armed mercenaries closing in on Moscow, Yevgeny Prigozhin abruptly announced . 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 . READ NEXT: One Survivor Alum Has an Epic Idea For a Legends Season, Zeke Smith Reflects On How Jeff Probst & Survivor Handled His Transgender Outing, Copyright 2023 Heavy, Inc. All rights reserved. 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. And they have nothing but love and support for,eand Im grateful for that., Theyve got two kids who are in the middle of this and they need to choose one or the other, he added. My conscience is in pain. Knowing that he was on the chopping block, Varner started by pointing out that a secret alliance was forming between two contestants: Smith and Ozzy Lusth. That's when Zeke spoke up. [Sobbing again.] I was wrong and make no excuses for it. 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. In an interview with Variety, Santos said that they were quarantining together during the pandemic and he is so grateful to have found Smith. Do you have any regrets about your game this time around?Zeke: I don't have any regrets. This 15-minute moment of television . Suddenly my real estate license was inactive and my current clients [were] left in the dark. I have met with and spoken to several LGBT organizations Ive joined the board of a couple of them this has changed me drastically.. You posted an apology on Twitter after the episode aired. Zeke Smith has spent eight months figuring out how to forgive Jeff Varner for outing him as transgender on Wednesdays shocking and emotional episode of Survivor. Have you spoken to Zeke at all since that tribal council? My heart is open to him today and if he is reacting in any negative way I give him the space to do that I deserve that. So, yeah, I felt pretty instantly I was a goner. Zeke Smith was voted out on Wednesday's episode of Survivor, but says he saw the writing on the wall several days prior. Im not knocking him., It has nothing to do with the game! cried Boehlke. I don't want to go into this whole this, that and the other about how I knew because I don't think that's respectful, not only to Zeke but to other trans people. Pictured (L-R): Tribe Baka: Owen Knight, Sami Layadi, Mike 'Gabler' Gabler and Tribe Vesi: Noelle Lambert, Dwight Moore, Jesse Lopez, Cody Assenmacher. I knew I had that option. 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. Zeke and I did not go through this to simply go through this. The star sits down with EW for a deep dive on his blockbuster Netflix franchise, those "overdramatized" retirement reports, the upcomingFuriosa, his hopes to "reinvent" Thor, and more. But this is a unique situation that falls outside the normal boundaries. Its awful. People think trans people are out there deceiving and theyre predators and theyre hiding in bathrooms and stuff thats just not true. ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: Okay, so clearly a lot to unpack here with Jeff Varner outing Zeke as trans on national television. I did a bad thing. Thats personal!, Varner attempted to defend himself, claiming that he argues for the rights of transgender people every day in the state of North Carolina and would never say or do anything to hurt anyone here., Outing somebody you just outed him! shouted Trang in outrage. Was there any part of you that thought what Varner did would impact your chances of winning, and make people not want to take you to the end because you'd be a shoo-in for the million dollars?Zeke: Yeah, I felt pretty instantly that my shot to win was toast, precisely because everyone knew that if I got to the end, I would have a compelling story. Trans people are a highly vulnerable population. This is about Zeke, Varner said. Zeke Smith Talks About His "Work in Progress" Relationship With Survivor Co-Star Jeff Varner Recently voted-off contestant shared his thoughts after being outed as transgender during Tribal Council They know my soul and they know that's not who I am. Survivor fans have been in uproar after Wednesday night's episode watch the shocking situation unfold here. But as a viewer to that moment, I found his ability to still find some level of humanity for someone who had just injured him so severely, maybe his crowning moment. Was Survivor Wrong to Air the Moment Zeke Smith Got Outed as Trans Sarah and I spoke last night about the growth in her world. I knew the six people in front of us didn't know and so it just when it dawned on me that nobody knew at home and he's not out and that I am the reason he is now out, I just came unglued. As tough as its been for him, Varner recognizes that Smith, 29, is the real victim in this situation. You don't see all of that and I understand why you don't, I'm not complaining about the editing at all, but that's what my thinking was: there was no thinking. Highest quality screengrab available. EXCLUSIVE: Jeff Varner Reveals He's Been in Therapy Since Outing 'Survivor' Castmate Zeke Smith This video is unavailable because we were unable to load a message from our sponsors. ', unanimously voted out of the game by his tribemates. ', 'Challenge: Spies, Lies & Allies' Winner Reveals Why They Split the Final Prize the Way They Did, 'We're Here' Drag Star Eureka O'Hara Comes Out as Trans: 'I Know Who I Am Without Question', Jeff Varner outed his tribemate, Zeke Smith, as transgender. Jeff Varner, left, and Zeke Smith, top right, at Tribal Council during episode 7 of Survivor Game Changers. Its unfortunate that you cant see the entire tribal. I have been through, I dont know how much therapy. Zeke is a wonderful man and I will forever be amazed and inspired by his forgiveness and compassion. Robert Voets/CBS via Getty; Monty Brinton/CBS via Getty, Pride Month Spotlight: Louisiana Attorney Nicholas Hite Opened His Own Law Firm to Help LGBTQ+ Clients, LGBTQ+ Reality TV Stars Who Changed the Game, VPRs Raquel Proposed She Be 'an Addition' in Throuple with Sandoval & Ariana: 'Didnt Seem That Far-Fetched', Sandoval and Raquel Admit They're Still in Love as Ariana Obliterates Them at 'VPR' Reunion: 'You Are Nothing', Survivor's Matt Blankinship Gushes About Finding 'Fire' with Girlfriend Frannie Marin on Season 44, TikToks @TherapyJeff Brings Mental Health to the Masses: 'People Are Speaking Up More About Their Needs', 'Survivor' Winner Nick Wilson Now a State Lawmaker Addresses Backlash for Controversial 'Anti-Trans' Bill, '9-1-1: Lone Star' Actor Brian Michael Smith on Fighting to 'Just Be Brian,' Asking Haters to 'Let Me Live', 'Survivor' 44's Bruce Perreault Removed on Day 1 After Gruesome Head Injury, 2 More Players Require EMT Help, 'Survivor' Pair Matt Blankinship and Frannie Marin Are Officially Dating: 'We're Two Dorky Magnets', '9-1-1: Lone Star' 's Brian Michael Smith Says Anti-Trans Political Wave 'Emboldens Me': 'I'm Still Fighting', '9-1-1: Lone Star' 's Brian Michael Smith Loves How His Teacher Wife Denisse Perez 'Affirms Her Children', 'Survivor' Alum Ricard Foy and Husband Andy Separate: 'Still Soulmates, Just in a Different Way', Country Star Zach Bryan Quotes Travis Tritt Song as He Condemns Transphobia: 'Completely Wrong', Tom Sandoval 'Got My Ass Into Therapy Immediately' After First Time Cheating with Raquel Leviss, GOP Lawmaker Slammed After Comparing Transgender People to 'Mutants' and 'Demons', unanimously voted out of the game by his tribemates. She was so . The tribe was clearly all shaken by this incident. But Smith is extremely pleased that his tribemates quickly admonished Varner for his actions. ", EXCLUSIVE: Zeke Smith 'Surprised' by Media Support After Being Outed on 'Survivor': 'I Feel a Lot More Love'. April 13, 2017 / 9:36 AM / CBS/AP. I thought of his family and his friends watching that moment I'm sad. And I think it's not just that I would have a compelling story. I was also very impressed with the compassion Zeke showed Varner. Survivor fans have been in uproar since watching Jeff Varner out Zeke Smith as transgender on Wednesday night's episode and if you missed the shocking moment, you can watch the entire. Varner, 50, outed Smith, 29, during a tribal council in attempts to paint the Brooklyn-based asset manager as deceitful and therefore worthy of being voted out. He has been working at the brand since 2016, and is the author of the No. I was expending some energy trying to stay focused, and I just didn't have all of my faculties that I usually had in my hand in that merge. Zeke seems to take more offense to the reasoning you presented about transgender people than he did about you outing him. I thank God for that and the gift of being an example as to why you should never do what I did.. Formerly at People magazine and The A.V. A couple of weeks after I got back from Season 34, we went out to Provincetown. During that time, he said hes done a lot of growing. Survivor player Jeff Varner was fired from his job as a real estate agent at Allen Tate Realtors on Thursday due to backlash from an episode of the CBS show in which he outed fellow player. '9-1-1: Lone Star' 's Brian Michael Smith Says Anti-Trans Political Wave 'Emboldens Me': 'I'm Still Fighting', Raquel Leviss's 'VPR' Costar Calls Her 'Sick' for Acting Like a Friend to Ariana Madix During Tom Sandoval Affair, Rob Lowe Shares 2 Secrets to His 31-Year Marriage: 'Forgiveness' and 'You Gotta Keep the Heat', 'Survivor' 44's Bruce Perreault Removed on Day 1 After Gruesome Head Injury, 2 More Players Require EMT Help, All About Dwyane Wade's Daughter Zaya Wade. This season of Survivor, dubbed Game Changers for its 34 outing, had been filmed 10 months ago in the Mamanuca Islands of Fiji though Varner couldnt discuss what happened until the episodes airing. It's just so important that that's where we head. 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 forgive him for that. Survivor's Jeff Varner: How He Knew Zeke Smith Is Transgender - Yahoo Sex and the City turns 25: A conversation with Skipper, Carrie's nice-guy pal from season 1. If he wants to take swings at me, Im the one to hand him the bat. But then, after the Varner stuff, I just knew that I really didn't have much of a shot to win. When you spoke with Zeke before his first season during the interview process, did the subject ever come upin terms of whether he planned to tell players he was trans and how he would handle it if someone brought it up? April 13, 2017. I just wanted to be known for my game.. Were you surprised Andrea turned on you so harshly? No one is going to beat me up worse than I have myself.. "Survivor" star Zeke Smith spoke to Andy Cohen about being outed as a transgender man during a 2017 episode of the show. So I told myself, "Whenever you feel the itch to make a big move, don't scratch it. It can leave scars that haunt for a lifetime. It wasn't something I went to tribal intending to use. Jeff Varner Reacts to Being Fired After Outing Castmate - People.com There is no deception." ", 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 fired -- "cowardly, I'd like to say." I have been reading and working a lot with Dr. Bren Brown, who is the shame expert in the world, and she's helped me understand that vulnerability is the antidote to shame. By joining TV Guide, you agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy. I recklessly revealed something I mistakenly believed everyone already knew. In the latest episode of Survivor: Game Changers, Jeff Varner outed fellow castaway Zeke Smith as transgender. We shattered stereotypes. Bret and I are really good friends. -- 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. It can leave scars that haunt for a lifetime. And emotionally it just came out. I dont think he hates trans people. I love Bret. What has the reaction been from other Survivor contestants? 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. And then the other concern was Jeff Varner. Survivor's Jeff Varner: Zeke Has Every Right to Hate Me Varner reveals he wasn't "100 percent sure" about his bombshell Liz Raftery April 13, 2017, 10:00 a.m. PT I think part of that is, after the Varner incident, I made the decision to keep playing and to sort of buck up and forget what happened to the best of my ability, and just focus on playing. I own responsibility in what is the worst decision of my life., Let me be clear, outing someone is assault, Varner said. I love Zeke so much. I do wish him the best, I just think I wish him the best from afar.. I do not believe transgender people are deceptive. JEFF PROBST: I'm pretty sure my reaction was the same as viewers watching at home. Debbie sort of set me up. The game continues. 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. His composure was astounding. I am amazed and moved at his ability to do that. "Survivor" contestant Jeff Varner outs fellow competitor Zeke Smith as