I think I was very clear to the producers who knew I was questioning Zeke’s gender that it wasn’t something that was relevant in the game. So gracious, it makes you angry that he should be so generous in the face of such deplorable behavior. So, how mad should I be? It was from my heart and as genuine as it could possibly be. We have bonded. I’m going home. I’ve been crying all day and that’s not something I want to do. After the initial bomb, the other contestants are uniformly angry at Jeff Varner for this act of cruelty. Ironically, out of all the people at that tribal, Sarah and Debbie have been the most supportive by reaching out. Should this have even aired? © 2021 Vox Media, LLC. He says, “I just want to say that it’s an ugly game, and we can all do good with that if we try.” He then makes a kissing noise at the camera. From left: Jeff Varner and Zeke Smith on Survivor. How did people react? Find out what your cat is trying to tell you with a new cat app, Princess Diana died when Harry was just 12 years old, Engineer Creates App To Translate Your Cat, The Sweetest Photos of Princes Harry with Diana, Sean Connery's Cause of Death Revealed Weeks After He Dies at Age 90. I had no expectation of how this was going to be a tool in the game. It was one of the most shocking moments in Tribal Council history on Thursday's episode of "Survivor: Game Changers," as Jeff Varner outed his own tribe member, Zeke Smith, as transgender. We didn’t have the luxury of watching his first season. Well, was Jeff Varner just reacting in the heat of the moment? Survivor: Jeff Probst explains why the Jeff Varner situation hurt Zeke's game this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines. I think you saw me say on the show that this was not about this game. He also told Us Weekly that he is in therapy now because of his actions. CBS released a statement standing behind its decision to air the episode, writing, “We consulted with Zeke Smith and with GLAAD in advance of the broadcast, including the issue of how Zeke would tell his story after the episode aired.” But really, it’s about what Zeke wanted. What went into writing that?When I came home, I immediately went to my trans friends and I sat them down and I said, “Here’s what I did. Zeke eventually spoke of how it affected him but then his goals as a player and person. I hurt Zeke and that’s something that I’ll never get over. [Sobbing] My God, I’m crying. There was no plot, no plan, no anything. You don’t see Zeke saying, “There is no deception. Moreover, Jeff calls Zeke “deceptive” — an age-old argument leveled against trans people that they are not their “true” selves. I don’t know why. Introducing ... PEOPLE's Products Worth the Hype, Jeff Varner outed his tribemate Zeke Smith as transgender, posted an apology on Twitter after the episode aired. One of the most despicable displays of gamesmanship on a reality-TV competition occurred on last night’s episode of Survivor: Game Changers, when contestant Jeff Varner outed his fellow teammate Zeke Smith as a trans man on national television. I just remember I felt two feet tall and everyone was screaming at me and shaming it. Varner was a 50 year old man when he decided to play the game for a third time that he knew could be so emotionally charged and taxing where everything you do and say could be aired. In hindsight, Jeff Varner would have treated Zeke Smith differently. At the end of each episode, there’s a “tribal council,” where the tribe has to vote one of their own off the island. After his group lost the immunity challenge, he tried to save his skin by creating rumors that Zeke was forming a secret alliance with Ozzy. Everyone is shellshocked, particularly Zeke. In his essay, he writes: When he does speak during tribal council, he’s incredibly gracious. In The Australian Outback, Jeff was an integral member of the Kucha Alliance, which entered the merge even in numbers with their rival Ogakor Alliance. It wasn’t something I went to tribal intending to use. If I have to go to tribal tonight and raise mortal hell, I’m going to do it.”. What were you feeling after watching your actions on TV last night?It’s hard to have lived through that 2-hour tribal and have it condensed to 20 minutes and see how moments were cut out and connected. I was desperate and I was looking for a way out. 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 don’t know and are acting out of fear. BAFTA Nominates Highest Number of Female Directors in Its History. She called me right before tribal. On Wednesday night's Survivor: Game Changers, gay North Carolina realtor Jeff Varner outed fellow castaway Zeke Smith as transgender. “But I think it’s so great that you see his hateful tactics rebuffed with such amazing love and from such a diverse group that responds to him.”. The three-time 'Survivor' player outed Smith as transgender in an attempt to save himself from elimination. The others immediately called that out as not okay and rejected the Freudian excuses he had. He has given me his forgiveness. And I just hope that those kinds of conversations are happening all over the country. I don’t even really remember a lot of it. Coyote Ugly Turns 20: Where Is the Cast Now? Barack and Bruce speak candidly about America’s problems — and stop short of suggesting that America itself is the problem. I think the editing was good. It was the Survivor moment fans will never forget -- and one that Zeke Smith and Jeff Varner rehashed on Wednesday's three-hour finale.. Smith and Varner shared the same stage for … “Trans people are a highly vulnerable population. It was real. I was arguing to everyone at tribal that there was this secret alliance and that they were all being deceived. He released a statement on Twitter saying he’s offering his “deepest, most heart-felt apologies” to Zeke and that he understands that what he did was a form of assault. I knew it was the right thing to say and the right thing to do. How did Zeke react? That’s a great question. Varner expressed remorse and regret to contestant Zeke Smith, to Smith’s family and friends, to the transgender community and to anyone that h… Jeff Varner: Back From Reality Updated Apr … Zeke had a particularly impactful encounter with Jeff Varner that altered Zeke's attitude to the game, leaving him to make the rash decision to turn on his closest allies, Cirie Fields and Andrea Boehlke, leading to his eventual blindside due to his perceived untrustworthiness. Sorry, doesn’t matter if you have the vaccine. He’s just so smart and so well-spoken and I have no doubt he will turn this into a beautiful thing. We have to stop discriminating and minimizing trans people. On Twitter? I didn’t even realize I’d done anything wrong. The RIAA certified “Bodak Yellow” last night. It was a surreal moment that caused a huge online backlash. I couldn’t apologize enough. Varner was a contestant on Survivor: The Australian Outback, 2001. Jeff Varner: “Yes, Zeke and I have spoken several times since we have been back and in all of those conversations, he has been wonderful. On Thursday Zeke went on The Talk to say that it was his decision for the episode to air: “I’ve been granted unprecedented autonomy in how I wanted to tell my story.” We applaud the way Zeke has taken control of the narrative. Nobody should out anybody.” Even the normally evenhanded host Jeff Probst tells Varner: “You didn’t just tell six people; you told millions of people.”. I know that there are going to be haters out here that are just aren’t going to buy anything I have to say. “There’s something about Zeke that nobody knows,” he says. What has the reaction been from other Survivor contestants?I’ve got some wonderful people in my life that have helped me through this moment. So when I go back to camp and am talking to everyone about deception, I wasn’t thinking at all about trans. It’s just so important that that’s where we head. What did you expect the reaction to be?I didn’t have any expectations of how people would react. When did you know Zeke was transgender?I suspected Zeke was transgender from the moment I saw him. He was a member of the Kucha tribe, and made it to the merge, but not the core group of nine, as there was a tie between him and Colby Donaldson. 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. Jeff Varner apologized and seemed distraught from what he did. Don’t get it twisted: Gay men can be transphobic. Zeke was also a main character in Game Changers, where he continued to prove his strategic prowess in successfully voting out Sandra Diaz-Twine. I thought Zeke was out and loud and proud. (Photo by Jeffrey Neira/CBS Entertainment) Make no mistake: What Jeff Varner does to Zeke — outing him as trans without his consent — is no slip of the tongue. “I feel like I know something about Zeke that nobody else has picked up on. [Sobbing again.] I still to this day don’t know why. If you would like to opt out of browser push notifications, please refer to the following instructions specific to your device and browser: this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines. I am a changed, stronger, better man today than I was then.”. We all want Alan Kim to get an Oscar nomination for, Chloé Zhao, Emerald Fennell Among 2021 DGA Nominees. As Smith himself writes in an essay on The Hollywood Reporter, coming out is different for trans people than it is for gay men and lesbians: “When we share our gender history, many see us less authentically — doubting, probing or denying our identities.” What Varner did was reproduce that lie in one of the most craven, violent attacks one contestant could make on another on a reality show. Well, as for Jeff Varner, what he did was rob Zeke Smith of the right to present himself on his own terms. I wrote that statement out of my own heart. Looks like the new voting system did make some improvements. But now her family is sitting down and they are talking about it and they are sympathizing with trans people. So when I was arguing at tribal and I say “I thought everybody knew,” I was talking about everybody at home watching. I thought of his family and his friends watching that moment – I’m sad. They know my soul and they know that’s not who I am. It was not my intention. We’re attacked a lot and I expected a lot more from Varner,” Smith, 29, has told PEOPLE exclusively. Jeff Varner, left, and Zeke Smith, top right, at Tribal Council during episode 7 of Survivor Game Changers. At the time, in the event of a tie, previous tribal council votes would be used. What happens when a show jumps from your earbuds to your TV. People think trans people are out there deceiving and they’re predators and they’re hiding in bathrooms and stuff that’s just not true. And there were clues here and there throughout the whole thing. We didn’t know who Zeke was when he showed up. Why did you choose to out Zeke at tribal council?There is no why. It was a horrible moment and I was so embarrassed. EXCLUSIVE: Inside Jeff Varner's Decision to Out Zeke Smith at Tribal Council, What Viewers Didn't See "The reaction was one of shock. Publicly, he’s contrite. He’s a veteran contestant, having competed on two prior seasons — Australian Outback and Cambodia — before this one. The fact that Jeff Varner was the only other castaway in two seasons that knew about it, highlights that it wasn’t just a matter of being “deceptive”, it was a matter of it being something that Zeke was uncomfortable disclosing to others because he didn’t want it to define who he was; especially not on a television show where millions of viewers are commentating on his every move. It was a heinous act, and you should be mad as hell. James Acaster Hates How Much He Needs You to Love Him. It’s awful. "I hurt Zeke and that's something that I'll never get over," says Survivor contestant Jeff Varner. Jeff Varner outed someone. *Sorry, there was a problem signing you up. Let’s just be friends and chat and tell me what’s going on” — he opened up and shared with me that he was in a secret alliance with Andrea and Zeke. He tells other contestants that they can’t really trust Zeke, because they don’t really “know” him. [Editor note: Season 34 began filming before season 33 aired.] You'll get the latest updates on this topic in your browser notifications. I have been reading and working a lot with Dr. Brené Brown, who is the shame expert in the world, and she’s helped me understand that vulnerability is the antidote to shame. It was not something I ever saw as something that would be part of this game. Suvivor fans were shocked and appalled after contestant Jeff Varner outed his tribemate Zeke Smith as transgender in an attempt to paint him as … Survivor: Jeff Probst reacts strongly to Jeff Varner outing Zeke as transgender this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines. ET) on CBS. “‘Metamorphosis’ is the word of the episode. I just sat down and wrote it one day. Why We Watched Oprah Interview Meghan and Harry. In this season, there are two teams, named Nuku and Mana. It helped the healing begin, but it really couldn’t start until last night. All rights reserved. Who comes on a reality show not once but twice with a secret like that and nobody knows? “I think I’ve been fortunate to play Survivor as long as I’ve been playing it and not have that label, and one of the reasons why I didn’t want to lead with that was because I didn’t want to be the trans Survivor player, I wanted to be Zeke the Survivor player,” he says. His new comedy special makes self-loathing surprising and hilarious. Move over Wendy Pepper, there’s a new villain in town. That was my messed up thinking at the time. Varner’s not telling the truth. Zeke Smith was outed as transgender by fellow contestant Jeff Varner in a shocking episode of Survivor: Game Changers on Wednesday, April 12.Watch … It was never my intention. The Obama-Springsteen Libcast Is One Long Dialogue That Can Only Say So Much. Already a subscriber? So what happened exactly? Just opening yourself up and being honest and genuine helps wash that shame away and it’s just been so beneficial to me. The Directors Guild says women can compete for awards, too. However, there are some other troubling things. Well, as for Jeff Varner, what he did was rob Zeke Smith of the right to present himself on his own terms. Even if he feels the need to for whatever reason to do it at my expense. Alongside Gina Rodriguez and Jonathan Groff. I’m really angry at myself and I’m profusely sorry to everybody I offended, to Zeke, all the people out there who are hurting because of me. Contestant Jeff Varner outed his tribe-mate Zeke Smith as transgender in an attempt to save himself from being voted out. Now, through tears, Varner, 50, speaks to PEOPLE about the events leading up to the outing, the “shame” he’s been coping with since the event and what good he hopes will come from the “horrible” situation. Cardi B Is the First Female Rapper to Have a Diamond Song. Survivor airs Wednesdays (at 8 p.m. Have you spoken to Zeke at all since that tribal council?We’ve been dealing with this since last July and being unable to talk about it has really been the worst. The editing doesn’t show that Ozzy — when it was all said and done and I said, “I’m done. I think they did a good job with what they had to work with, but it’s just very difficult. I thought that the viewers knew and everybody knew. There is no deception.” [regarding the secret alliance.] Zeke Smith and Jeff Varner Reunite at 'Survivor' Reunion Show -- See What They Said! Verzuz Sold to Triller; Timbaland and Swizz Beatz Now Shareholders. As bad as this is and as bad as I feel, I’m glad that’s what’s happened as a part of this. He was fifty years old when he decided it was a good idea to reveal Zeke was Trans and maliciously use transphobia as a way to advance himself further in the game.