Reactions to the weekend announcement range from cheers to condemnation. ET) on CBS. We support how Jeff Probst and the producers handled a very sensitive situation and marvel at the grace Zeke exhibited under extraordinary circumstances. Vanity Fair may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers. Im proud of him. Despite uncertainty in the newsroom over a potential sale, reporters havent been jumping from the airplanes exit, says one. He apologized again on Twitter after the episode aired. How many other of the so-called reasonable Republicans are thinking the same thing? When other contestants reacted with outrage, Varner defended his actions by saying Smith was being deceptive during the game. Owner Barry Diller has always had a very strong soft spot for the Beast, says founding editor Tina Brown. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. ", "But I'm most proud to say that today I do not walk this planet in shame. CBS could have kept the revelation about Smiths identity confined to the setbut the network chose instead to air it. Although it has cost him his job, Varner said he was relieved "that this is finally out there.". But soon enough, another debate emerged: should CBS have aired the clip in the first place? I did a bad thing. I got hit All Rights Reserved. Survivor: Jeff Probst on why Jeff Varner situation hurt Zeke's game ", "But Im most proud to say that today I do not walk this planet in shame. After all, the argument went, Varner outed Smith to only a few people. But then it changed and I was told that the Suvivor fans were shocked and appalled after contestant Jeff Varner outed his tribemate Zeke Smith as transgender in an attempt to paint him as "deceitful" on Wednesday's episode of the CBS. And Im no longer hurt by someone elses. 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. . '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: Zeke Smith Says Being Outed by Jeff Varner Led to Him Being 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. "This has been a very difficult situation for both of us and I don't ever want to talk about my journey without acknowledging the fact that the real victim in this situation is Zeke. Varner outed Zeke Smith in a failed bid to gain his teammates trust. Survivors Jeff Varner is accepting responsibility for outing fellow contestant Zeke Smith as transgender and has issued a lengthy apology. I made a mistake I owned. Immediately following the episode, Varner was criticized for outing Smith, including byLGBT watchdog organization GLAAD. for me. It would have been difficult, but possible, to edit the outing from the episode, and hope fans wouldnt notice any holes. I thought he was really gracious and strong. have always empowered me to speak authentically and to tell my story on my own Was Survivor Wrong to Air the Moment Zeke Smith Got Outed as Trans To be clear, at no time before the airing of the Survivor episode on Wednesday evening was our management aware of his actions on that episode. But this has been very difficult. Ad Choices. EXCLUSIVE: Survivor Contestant Zeke Smith Is Excited to Speak With Jeff Varner at the Reunion, I was really scared because I didnt know what was going to happen to my world. 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. Smith has now spoken about the impact it had on his life during Thursday's episode of Cohen's "For. Vanity Fair may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers. support in mine and it will ultimately be a very good thing., 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 am not a bigot," he wrote. ", EXCLUSIVE: Jeff Varner Tearfully Admits He's Been in Therapy Since Outing Zeke Smith on 'Survivor', "Zeke was able to turn this into an amazing positive, and be that voice for something that really needs a strong, positive voice at this point in our history," he added. mostrar anuncios y contenido personalizados basados en perfiles de inters; medir la efectividad de los anuncios y el contenido personalizados, y. desarrollar y mejorar nuestros productos y servicios. Varner calls his actions a mistakeon Twitterand says hes deeply saddened., First published on April 13, 2017 / 9:36 AM. 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. 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. Zeke Smith Reflects On Being Outed As Transgender By 'Survivor' Co-Star But as some critics have noted, the outing never actually had to air at all. / CBS/AP. Varner said that he has spent the last 10 months educating myself and advocating even more so for the LGBTQ community. The Allen Tate Companies were built on core values of honesty, integrity and respect, read a statement from President and CEO Pat Riley to The Hollywood Reporter. Bryan Cranston and Graham Yost tell the tale of their new series, which had a long, strange journey from network to streaming. See how Smith reacted to his outing the morning after tribal council -- and how he broke the news to the rest of the cast -- in the video below. Jeff Varner (@JEFFVARNER) April 13, 2017, A special message from @zekerchief to Survivor fans. Getty Images/CBS On the seventh episode of CBS' Survivor: Game Changers, which aired April 12, castaway Zeke Smith was outed as transgender by Jeff Varner in a desperate attempt to save. Suffice it to say, Smith, Probst, and Varner's fellow castaways were utterly. ", 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. Varner said to Smithon the episode, There is deception here. As shocking as the moment might have been for some fanscontestants surprise onscreen was palpableCBS had clearly spent plenty of time carefully planning how it would present this moment. Report: After a Bumpy Netflix Run, Ryan Murphy Is Departing for Disney, The writer-producer's Netflix deal, said to be worth a staggering $300 million, yielded big hits with, RFK Jr.'s Town Hall Was Full of MisinformationAnd Barely Covered By the Mainstream Press. We started having conversations all the way back in Fiji nine months ago about the care with which this episode was going to be handled. He continued: I recklessly revealed something I mistakenly believed everyone already knew. Deceptions on levels, Jeff, that these guys don't even understand," Varner said in an attempt to avoid his own elimination. Varner. "And I love and respect Zeke Smith, hoping that he's OK and about to start thriving like never before. stand up and admit your mistakes, own them and turn them into something I came to Jeff and asked if I could write a personal essay about what happened, and he immediately said yes. But this has been very difficult. 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. Survivor airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on CBS. "Seeds cant take hold and grow without the rain. Zeke Smith and Jeff Varner Reunite at 'Survivor' Reunion Show -- See . I mean, as far as I know, people just took him as he presented himself to be," she continued. ", By signing up, you agree to our "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. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement and Your California Privacy Rights. Zeke Smith Talks State of His Relationship With Jeff Varner - E! Online A wild exclusive excerpt from the new book. Smith told ET earlier this month that he was ready to forgive Varner, and thought that other people should forgive him too. If we let it, our pain will reveal our purpose," he continued. got a new job," he said. I have hope for Jeff Varner. But having the episode air, there is a sense of relief that now the true healing can begin.. Si no quieres que nosotros ni nuestros socios utilicemos cookies y datos personales para estos propsitos adicionales, haz clic en Rechazar todo. "I'm gonna beat myself up over this," he added, before sitting for the rest of the council with his . 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 revealed that since the episode has aired, he has partnered with GLAAD and is actively using his platform to speak about his experience. This has been a very difficult situation for both of us and Nosotros, Yahoo, somos parte de la familia de marcas de Yahoo. Ad Choices, The Unbelievable True Stories of the Real Indiana Jones, The 25 Best Shows on Netflix to Watch Right Now. Before the tribal meeting in Wednesday's episode of Survivor: Game Changers, Varner . Hope that whatever torments his soul will plague him no more. 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. I do not get through this without them.". Nearly three decades ago, Owens and her family may have been entangled in a killing that eerily echoes throughout her best-selling novel. "As much as he's happy with the love in his life, I'm thrilled with the support in mine and it will ultimately be a very good thing. Although Smith soon responded to that question in an appearance on The Talk, his answer left some room for interpretation about his true feelings. "As much as hes happy with the love in his life, Im thrilled with the "Why haven't you told anyone that you're transgender?" It is quite another to incense bigotry toward a marginalized minority," said contestant Zeke Smith of the moment. 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.. Subscribe for full access to The Hollywood Reporter. Zeke Smith, and transgender people like him, are not deceiving anyone by being their authentic selves, and it is dangerous and unacceptable to out a transgender person. Smith tells PEOPLE he did not want to be the first transgender Survivor contestant, in the current issue of the magazine. 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." By signing up, you agree to our 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. Why havent you told anyone that youre transgender?. We started having conversations all the way back in Fiji nine months ago about the care with which this episode was going to be handled. From comedy classics to underseen dramatic gems, your next binge is waiting. 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. And I thought Zeke was a good target, Zeke or Ozzy, but no one was really open to Ozzy. "Varner and I, we've spoken a couple of times," he said. "We need to all reflect, as human beings, on how we treat each other. be approached in the media moving forward," he said. I'm proud of him. EXCLUSIVE: Inside Jeff Varner's Decision to Out Zeke Smith at Tribal Council, What Viewers Didn't See, "The reaction was one of shock. And I had a chat with Jeff Probst in which we agreed if, how, and when Im gonna talk about this part of my lifeits going to be up to me, as opposed to being outed by a fellow contestant being the exception. Apparently It's Tomato Girl Summer: How to Juice TikTok's Viral Trend, Amazon Has So Many Crocs on Sale Just in Time for Summer, Kendra Scott 4th of July Sale: Save 20% on Celeb-Loved Jewelry, Shop the Best Travel Gear for Summer Vacations, Save Up to 50% On NuFace, Dyson, Kate Somerville and More at Sephora, outed Smith as transgender during tribal council, EXCLUSIVE: Zeke Smith Says Jeff Varner 'Should Be Embraced' After Outing Him on 'Survivor'. Example video title will go here for this video. 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 Council. And I was really proud of how I responded. 'Survivor' alum Zeke Smith reflects on being outed as transgender on She was so . Jeff Varner: Surviving the year after 'Survivor' bombshell Zeke and I did not go through this to simply go through this. I was wrong and make no excuses for it. Jeff Varner Felt 'Shame' for Outing Zeke Smith - People.com Harry Potter star Jason Isaacs boards the Starship Discovery. "We knew we would. "No [his being trans wasn't a conversation after he shared the news], not really. It saysit worked with CBS and Smith on how to properly respond. I have to admit I read that and I was like, Go mom, laughs Clea Newman Soderlund, speaking about her fathers posthumous memoir. I got hit hard," he shared, before crediting Probst for warning him that it would get difficult. Deceptions on levels, Jeff, that these guys dont even understand. Were All at the Whims of Barry: Will the Daily Beast Find a Buyer? It was an ugly day. 'Survivor' Contestant Fired From Job After Transgender Outing - Variety GREENSBORO One year ago Thursday, Jeff Varner dropped a bombshell on national television that changed lives. EXCLUSIVE: 'Survivor' Castaway Jeff Varner 'Devastated' to Be Fired From Job After Outing Fellow Contestant Zeke Smith, "I think it speaks to how much we just think of Zeke as a person, that him being transgender had nothing to do with the vote. I just choose to hope from afar, thank you very much., April 17, 11:50 a.m. Hope that he understands the injury he caused and does not inflict it upon others. This week's episode saw Smith reveal to the rest of his Survivor competitors after the merge that he was transgender -- but Lusth said that being transgender didn't so much make him a target for elimination as his amazing story. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Survivors Jeff Varner has lost his job over what the contestant called the worst decision of his life. Those fundamental beliefs led us to end our relationship with Mr. Varner, a real estate agent who had become affiliated with our firm just 17 days earlier. ", Varner told "ET" that he had warned the company there would be headlines "but apparently not the people who needed to hear it. April 13, 2017 10:10am. Survivor's Jeff Varner Apologizes to Zeke Smith for Outing Him - Yahoo The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Cond Nast. GLAAD also criticized the outing of Smith. 'Survivor': Zeke Smith Outed as Transgender, Jeff Varner Apologizes I dont ever want to talk about my journey without acknowledging the fact that Jeff Varner Says Zeke Smith Reached Out to Start 'Healing' Process That was my plan. Heres everything you need to know about the controversy. Jeff Varner was fired after he outed Zeke Smith. Being unable to talk about it was challenging, Varner told the paper. In a column for ET on Wednesday, Varner got candid about the way he revealed Smith was transgender -- "There is deception here. "And I love and respect Zeke Smith, hoping that hes OK and about to start thriving like never before. And I think we both agree, its rained enough. 1 real estate agency in the country hired me and I'm so proud of them. 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In April, Survivor aired a moment unlike any in reality-TV history: in an ill-conceived bid to turn his teammates in his favor,. Im not ashamed of being trans, but I didnt want that to be my story, he says. I just wanted to go out on an adventure and play a great game. Hannah Shapiro was a runner-up on Survivor season 33: Millennials vs. Gen X. She'll be recapping Survivor season 34 . My former boss told me that I was in a news story they wanted nothing to with. "Keller Williams, the No. 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. It can leave scars that haunt for a lifetime. 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Deceptions on levels, Jeff, that these guys don't even understand," he said, looking at Smith. The move was slammed by a major LGBT rights group, as well as the other contestants and the host of the show, Jeff Probst. ", "I think Cirie is a nurse, and she could tell by scars, but [none of us had any idea he was trans]. 1 real estate agency in the country hired me and Im so proud of them. This week, he gives his on-the-scene and. 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.. ", 'I feel lean and mean': Slimmed down Russell Wilson ready for new season, City council president has concerns over migrant response outsourcing plan, 2 tornadoes that are part of same Colorado storm system touch down more than 100 miles apart, outed Smith as transgender during tribal council. By Zach Johnson Apr 13, 2017 5:05 AM Tags. Bill Barr: Trump Is an Egomaniac Who Repels Voters and Is Unfit for OfficeAnd Id Totally Vote for Him in 2024. I didn't know what the reaction was going to be," Smith said. How Sneaky Pete Transformed from a CBS Procedural to a Bingeable Amazon Drama. "It's one thing to lie about someone sneaking off at night to search for hidden advantages. "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. April 13, 2017 / 9:36 AM 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. I very much wanted it to air, Smith told The Hollywood Reporter. "Survivor" contestant Varner who outed fellow competitor Smith as transgender on April 12, 2017, episode of the CBS reality competition has been fired from his real estate job. 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. 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. He claimed one moment didnt make it to final air that Smith said to him, There is no deception, Im not deceiving anybody, whichVarnersays prompted him to follow up by outing him as transgender and that CBS paid for therapy for both Varner and Smith afterwards. That was developed later in our relationship. Varner also spoke about the aftermath of his controversial outing, admitting that his life had been "difficult.". All told, its hard to imagine how CBS could have packaged this moment more sensitively and compellingly. "And sadly, that's going to be something that's going to be really hard to overcome.".

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