The lights magnified in brightness. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Smith said that he thinks being Probsts Pet was the wrong choice to make in terms of trying to win the game. Cameras would follow me, if not that night, then eventually. In all of the ways that I had gamed out how I would potentially talk about being trans, it was never being so dramatically outed at Tribal Council.. I solved puzzles and tied and untied knots. The 29-year-old, who made his debut on season 33 last fall and returned for the all-star season 34 in March, was visibly shaken by the revelation. Zeke Smith was outed as transgender by fellow contestant Jeff Varner in a shocking episode of Survivor: Game Changers on Wednesday, April 12, 2017. I threw myself into preparation. 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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. Suddenly, I found myself drawn to engage in challenging social situations, run obstacle races and backpack the Grand Canyon. But in calling me deceptive, Varner invoked one of the most odious stereotypes of transgender people, a stereotype that is often used as an excuse for violence and even murder. 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. He'd later come out and began dating actorNico Santos. I cant foresee us sipping martinis together in Fire Island. A persons gender history is private information and it is up to them, and only them, when, how, and to whom they choose to disclose that information, Zeke says in his own words. He is most well-known for his innovative gamesmanship and witty storytelling on Survivor: Millennials vs GenX and Survivor: Game Changers. Gold Derby is a part of Penske Media Corporation. Survivor season 41 begins filming soon with an expected premiere date of late September 2021. Formerly at People magazine and The A.V. We've got to stop that. 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. 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. Better to have acquaintances than no one at all. You make it up as you go along, and I struggled with finding the right time to disclose my gender history to those close to me. To his credit, Varner received some bad breaks during his first two seasons, and in Game Changers, bad luck befell him once again. I mulled over all the scenarios to save him, but each required me to significantly jeopardize my position. While he was technically a Millennial, he admitted in his interview and multiple times throughout the season that he never felt like one.. I spoke as calmly as I possibly could. In reality, by being Zeke the dude, I am being my most honest self as is every other transgender person going about their daily lives. That's when Zeke spoke up. While working for all of those websites, Matthew has been able to cover a variety of subjects he is very passionate about including movies, TV shows, comics, and wrestling. As tough as its been for him, Varner recognizes that Smith, 29, is the real victim here. And it is in that same spirit of ridiculousness that I honestly tell you I would not change a single element of the story Im about to relay, for I loved my adventure and cannot wait to embark upon the next. He began a relationship with fellow Survivor personality Hannah Shapiro. I lost many from my life when I transitioned. As of the time of this writing, more than 40 seasons of Survivor have aired which is a staggering achievement for any show. Hollywood Life, Latest Hollywood Celebrity & Entertainment News. 'Survivor' sparks outrage after contestant outed as transgender on show Honestly, I held the world at arms length. But you cannot control the hazards you face, be they repeated misfortune or the harmful actions of others. I didnt discuss my trans status in my initial video because I wanted the show to desire me as a game player and an eccentric storyteller, not as The First Trans Survivor Player. They did. A month? You exit to the left, into the darkness, what I called The Abyss. Zeke is in my bottom 10 contestants to ever play. Meaning, origin and history of the name Zeke - Behind the Name Beyond his charm and charisma, I thought I recognized a deep-seated insecurity and self-loathing, a glimpse at who I could become were I not careful. Playing with rookies was one thing, but playing alongside my Survivor heroes in a season called Survivor: Game Changers was quite another. : Who will win Survivor: Game Changers? I ended up being pretty good at Survivor. Zeke Smith didn't want to be known as the "first transgender Survivor star.". I applied. One of the most shocking and heartbreaking personal moments happened on Survivor: Game Changers, when Zeke Smith was outed publicly by his tribemate.No one saw this moment coming, and it has changed the course for . A week? What a summer! In the wake of his outing, Zeke led a partnership of Survivor, CBS, and GLAAD to craft a response which would provoke a global conversation about privacy and respect. I know that there are going to be haters out here that are just aren't going to buy anything I have to say. Were I in the hands of a lesser leader, Im sure questions wouldve been peppered my way before I was ready to receive them. But thats not what happened. When Probst snuffs that flame, your life is over. I remember the smug smirk on his face and the gleam in his eye when he turned to me and snarled, Why havent you told anyone that youre transgender? I still have my original notes from that meeting. See, when I got on a plane to Fiji last March, I expected to get voted out third. He was very engaging, gifted in his ability to manipulate with his words, and he wore this crazy Hawaiian shirt and had poofy hair, said Probst, adding, We knew Zeke was a tremendous storyteller with an amazing ability to take a specific moment from the game or life and give it a universal perspective. You can find out more and change our default settings with Cookies Settings. In the seventh episode of CBS' Survivor: Game Changers, castaway Zeke Smith returning for his second appearance in two seasons was . He played college football at Auburn University where he was awarded the Outland Trophy in 1958. Heres what he had to say. ', Amber Riley Says She 'Didn't Really Know Where I Stood' on 'The Masked Singer' Before Winning, Jennifer Hudson on Her Talk Show, EGOT Win and Facing Fears Head On: 'You Will Always See Me Try', Jeff Varner outed his tribemate, Zeke Smith, as transgender, posted an apology on Twitter after the episode aired. Thats why we asked him back to play a second time.. I forgive him for that. I am amazed and moved at his ability to do that. I couldve made a clean break for it, but I knew there was no running from what had happened. For both, trans people make easy targets for those looking to invoke prejudice in order to win votes. In the seventh episode of CBS Survivor: Game Changers, castaway Zeke Smith returning for his second appearance in two seasons was outed by a fellow contestant as transgender. Dave Quinn is an Editor for PEOPLE, working across a number of verticals including the Entertainment, Lifestyle and News teams. What was appropriate? Yes, castaways still sleep in the dirt and eat only what can be scrounged around the island, primarily coconut. Though he was born and raised in Oklahoma City and currently resides in Los Angeles (where he is tremendously disappointed in the food), Zeke will always consider himself a New Yorker. It was a horrible moment and I was so embarrassed. Binky Felstead finally reveals her newborn son's sweet name two weeks after giving birth to . I lifted weights in the morning, swam at night, and in between acclimated to the heat in the sauna while reading books on mental toughness techniques utilized by endurance athletes. My left leg settled and with it the group. Zeke has not always gone after his dreams. He reveals, Ididnt discuss my trans status in my initial video because I wanted the show to desire me as a game player and an eccentric storyteller, not as The First Trans Survivor Player. They did. And emotionally it just came out. "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.". Responsibility fell upon my shoulders to right the ship that had blown perilously far off course. Zeke Smith has appeared on Survivor: Game Changers twice in two seasons, but he's now making headlines for reasons he's not happy about. Survivor player Jeff Varner lost a lot more than the shows $1 million dollar prize when he made the decision to out fellow tribemate Zeke Smith as transgender in an attempt to paint him as deceitful on Wednesdays episode of the CBS reality competition. The reason for that is at that time both of them had been sharing images on Instagram of the two of them together. Hes the most amazing partner I could have ever dreamed and asked for. Oh, haaayyy @nicosantos. In response to Zeke Smiths tweet, Nico Santos published a tweet of his own that played into the joke that they were one of those celebrity couples with a big age gap. We both love food, so well either go to our go-to restaurants or find a new place, we also love finding new places to eat, or hell cook. No one is going to beat me up worse than I have myself.. During the Survivor's show, he got distracted after seeing his father. You can only control how you respond. The rest of the tribe exits to the right, back to camp with a renewed lease on life. Watch it now! If the pattern holds, it should be premiering its 41st season the third or fourth week of September 2021. Deep into the 39-day adventure, players reach a crossroads where they must decide between starving or eating a handful of coconut and enduring severe gastrointestinal distress. That's when I saw the opening. I like to shine all the time, and winners need to be able to control their shimmer., Interestingly, Probst said something very similar about Smith in a separate interview with Entertainment Weekly conducted four years ago during Game Changers., I met Zeke in casting and loved him. So when I go back to camp and am talking to everyone about deception, I wasn't thinking at all about trans. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your device and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. Even Probst, the most neutral of arbiters, had my back. Its one thing to lie about someone sneaking off at night to search for hidden advantages. It was real. Zeke Smith attends Rising Stars at the GLAAD Media Awards on May 4, 2018 at the New York Hilton. Early life. He thinks he 100 percent has what it takes to win. The first night we huddled together in the mud as the Fijian skies dumped buckets of rain upon us. Zarchy was . Theres no toilet paper. We created a global conversation about privacy and respect, said Smith, adding, Over the past year, Ive met a lot of trans kids. If he wants to take swings at me, Im the one to hand him the bat. Everyones best move was unquestionably to get rid of Varner. I leapt fueled solely by my belief in myself, because, well, nobody liked me very much. Related: These Hollywood Couples Got Engaged, But Never Got Married, Hes just the best. So I woke up every morning and told myself I would win. A week? Next: 'Survivor' Zeke Smith Speaks About His Public Outing And How The Show Dealt With It. During Game Changers, I regret how much I talked to Probst. Ever since being on the show together,Hannah Shapiro and Zeke are seriously BFFs. Survivor airs Wednesdays (at 8 p.m. 'Survivor' castaway Zeke Smith opens up about being - GoldDerby