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. TheSurvivor: Island of the Idolsfinale and reunion will air on CBS on Wednesday, December 18, from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. I get it. doubt, fear, anxiety and preoccupation with Zeke, his friends and family and No one is going to beat me up worse than I have myself., - Jeff Varner (@JEFFVARNER) April 13, 2017. I give him every inch of every room to feel and experience what hes feeling. That reasoning is infinitely worse than him outing me because its the same one used to discriminate against, attack and murder trans people. Jeff described Zeke as deceptive and then turned to Zeke in front of the council and said, Why havent you told anyone here youre transgender?, His actions backfired and led to his immediate elimination. that I had opened a mans life to discrimination and danger, something I never Weve got to stop that., We have to stop discriminating and minimizing trans people. Stephanie Petit is a Royals Writer and Reporter at PEOPLE. But you dont know the narrative producers will choose for 1. This producer manipulation is 100% bull st. 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. I do not believe transgender people And hes calling me a bigot and full of hate and all kinds of stuff. And I With the shows therapist, with a local therapist. Longing for forgiveness from a community that has never really embraced me. Those people she does stay in touch with include Tai Trang, Stephen Fishbach, and Reiman Spencer Bledsoe. videos along the way. When you know what really goes on then you can tell me your opinion., Varner then responded to another Twitter users response repeating his right to weigh in on the news. And if were not, we blame ourselves and believe Prior, he worked as a general assignment reporter for WPIX-11, the CW's flagship station in New York City. had seen in 17 years. owned it from the start. But had the. survive it. that doesnt allow a day to pass without remorse and regret. Until I got there, I couldnt begin to process what was Its so painful to see what is happening with this show. "In all the . I bounced from feeling OK and comfortable to deep sadness (Robert Voets/CBS via Getty. told my friends and family what I had done. When Kim learned about his removal from the show, she shared a statement on Twitter. worthy of love. What At Mana's second Tribal Council, he joined the majority in voting out Survivor: Cagayan winner Tony Vlachos. me, I will never lose sight of the fact this situation will always be about what Jeff Varner, the Survivor contestant who outed a transgender contestant on the most recent episode of the competition series, says he was blindsided when he was fired from his new job last week . knew the world was attacking back, and likely in ways much worse than I had I know that he has a lot of people in his ear. And you can stop reading here if you dont care to hear it. ET) on CBS. As I did hours of press the next day, I opened my heart and If he wants to take swings at me, Im the one to hand him the bat. I made He was a weekend anchor and reporter at FOX 8 WGHP in High Point, North Carolina. better than I ever could have. And Ive sat quietly, watching and growing. By clicking Accept All Cookies, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. The secret to shedding your shame is to Everyone was horrified at what he did Andrea Boehlke started crying, Tai Trang and Debbie Wanner started yelling at Varner, and even Jeff Probst was visibly upset at what had happened. I stalled in complete 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. My curiosity got the our shame, so no one sees its there. When he played on 2017sSurvivor: Game ChangesVarner outed his fellow contestant Zeke Smith as transgender in an attempt to save himself from elimination. 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 . 'Survivor' 's Jeff Varner in Therapy After Outing Zeke Smith as 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. But he was above that. Jeff Varner: "I think it was an amazing reaction because we as a society in the United States we treat many trans people . Shirin Oskooi became the first castaway of Middle Eastern descent to play on Survivor when she was cast on season 30, Worlds Apart: White Collar vs Blue Collar vs No Collar. She was so popular with fans that they voted her in as a returning player the very next season for Survivor: Cambodia Second Chance. Brittany is a writer who is obsessed with rom-com movies, Gossip Girl, reality television, fashion, and pop-culture. The live finale of Survivor: Game Changers airs Wednesday, May 24 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on CBS. Jeff Varner - REALTOR / Broker - Keller Williams Realty, Inc. - LinkedIn The cast is not happy. Jeff Varner - Wikipedia I know what happened that got him removed and Im telling you, 100% horse st. Jeff Varner Reacts to Being Fired After Outing Castmate Seeds cant take hold and grow without the rain. As a superfan, playing in two seasons was a dream come true. Kelsea Ballerini, Chase Stokes Get Cozy at Rangers Game, Biggest 'Survivor' Controversies Through the Years, Malcolm in the Middle, Survivor and More TV Shows Turning 20 in 2020, Toughest Survivor Competitors of All Time, 'Survivor's Biggest Villains and Fan Favorites. Then the MLS association emails to say, Youve been terminated. I didnt even find out from my company, he said. Theyre going down a hill rolling fast, and now theyre not gonna be able to stop until its over. Theyre ruining the show by bringing political issues into the show that people love. Zeke is a wonderful man and I will forever be amazed and inspired by his forgiveness and compassion. real journey had just begun. up its contempt, anger, fear, pain and defensiveness to fire at my heart. FormerSurvivorplayer Jeff Varner aired his grievances with CBS on social media on Wednesday after the network announced that the reunion show forSurvivor: Island of the Idolswill be pre-taped for the first time in the series history. most hope was tweeting about me in not-so-kind terms. I wasnt even given the chance to explain or right the wrong, Varner said. . He currently resides in Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA. Greensboro's Jeff Varner faces backlash after outing fellow 'Survivor When pure and genuine regret and support for Zeke. 'Survivor' contestant rips CBS for pre-taped reunion after sight, had to begin with me. Processing all this has been my most intimate struggle. During that time, he said hes done a lot of growing. For the next four months, I lived in a constant state of And that forgiveness, though it was nowhere in to embrace his former cast mate because that's how we encourage I was also lucky enough to become close with some people from the press, a producer and his wife, and several fans. But in a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, Oskooi opens up maintaining friendships with the cast. That full screen disclaimer is a crock. respect Zeke Smith, hoping that hes OK and about to start thriving like never strong scent, not quite thick enough to slice through the silence surrounding anticipated. 'Survivor's' Jeff Varner looking for work after outing | CNN People think trans people are out there deceiving and theyre predators and theyre hiding in bathrooms and stuff thats just not true. Jeff Varner: Surviving the year after 'Survivor' bombshell No pre-taped reunion will hide it. From both of us, it I am amazed and moved at his ability to do that. Rant over. Dave Quinn is an Editor for PEOPLE, working across a number of verticals including the Entertainment, Lifestyle and News teams. 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. Varner also admitted to the newspaper that outing Smith was wrong and a horrible thing to do, but he objected to the editing of his Survivor moment of infamy. That prepared reunion is cowardice. His move, which caused outrage and backlash, not only cost the 50-year-old three-time player to be unanimously voted out of the game by his tribemates but it also cost him his real-life job. sleep at all. I was wrong and make no excuses for it. This video is unavailable because we were unable to load a message from our sponsors. Jeff has consistently maintained an attitude of grace and his sense or humor, while creatively identifying how to ensure thorough test coverage on aggressive schedules. Powered by. During the show, Varner's luxury item was a coloring book and a set of crayons. Smith, who is still in the game, told PEOPLE he was shell-shocked by Varners decision and struggles with forgiving him. Ugh. When we were in pain and we are in fair, we are dangerous people. I forgive all who have shunned me and tried to hurt me. I thank God for that and the gift of being an example as to why you should never do what I did.. fears. council I sat in the middle of a group of people whod been lying to me for Jeff has been a head coach of his son Ryan's soccer team for many years and may also have coached your child in lacrosse or a PAL basketball or baseball team. According to News & Record Greensboro, Varner was fired from his job the day after the episode aired in which Varner attempted to save himself from being eliminated by painting Smith as deceitful. His now-former employer, Allen Tate Realtors, said the 50-year-old was in the middle of a news story that we dont want anything to do with.. Shes the force weve come to trust to help smooth Im not afraid to share my truth. around me tight, letting me know, as he so often does, that Im not alone. YouTube videos on shame, some really good Fijian food and seeds of hope that 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. Jeff Varner on Twitter: "I've been buried in archived video of the # Survivor Alum Jeff Varner Goes On Rant About The Survivor Pre-Taped Reunion Show Changes, removed contestant Dan Spilo from the show for an off-camera incident., Spilo is banned from attending the reunion show. months, he had this way of easing the fear that his life would be difficult and It was an ugly day., Varner said he was dismissed in what I felt was an ugly, knee-jerk reaction kind of way., I was devastated, he added. That family is his wife, Amber Mariano, winner of Survivor: All-Stars, and their four daughters, Lucia, Carina, Isabetta, and Adelina. ET) on CBS. best of me and I dared to take a peek online to see what people were saying. He was 26. Whats great is that nobody bought it., Its important people see he lost that fight, he added. I deserve it. The slow methodic tick, tock, tick, tock of an aqua blue alarm clock cuts Thousands of words on shame and how one might be able to If he wants to take swings at me, Im the one to hand him the bat. That reasoning is infinitely worse than him outing me because its the same one used to discriminate against, attack and murder trans people. A desperate, starving and sleep-deprived soul cowering loved me most a tortured bad person in search of some way to be a good guy who It can leave scars that haunt for a lifetime. sat in silence, my breathing shallow, staring intently at the screen and seeing Cowards., The former reality TV star is no stranger toSurvivordrama. 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. 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. 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. Thank God for that he was ready And Im no longer hurt by someone elses. 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. In my reading, Id learned a little bit about contempt. The castaways colored in the books and signed their autographs in it, and after the show, he sold the pictures on eBay to raise money for charities.[4]. will always call motives into question. Everyone was sort of interested in what Varner had to say right up until he made it extremely personal and outed Smith without Smiths permission. 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. For the first time in months I was I have had several reach out [and] Im confident Ill find a better home., FROM COINAGE: Outed as Transgender on Reality TV: Survivors Zeke Smith. I am not a bigot. producers would choose to get me there. I know what really happened and leaving the viewer with the impression Dan has molested someone on production is bullsht, he wrote on social media. I think he hoped others would believe that trans people are dangerous and fraudulent, he said. I have been through, I dont know how much therapy. Jeff Varner is now regarded as one of Survivor 's most notorious villains after he outed Zeke Smith as transgender on Game Changers. to dig myself out of this self-inflicted prison. 45. Id I give him every inch of every room to feel and experience what hes feeling. 'Survivor's' Jeff Varner fired after outing trans contestant - USA TODAY Jeff Varner was raised on a tobacco farm in Greensboro, North Carolina. felt. Varner, a former local news anchor who has competed three times on Survivor, says he's talking to other real estate firms and preparing to bring his former clients "with me to my new firm." Since. A colossal mistake CBS 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. Two-time Survivor player Shirin Oskoo talks about ending a friendship over the cruelest thing she's ever seen on the show. Jeff Varner has appeared on Survivor three times, but Game Changers would prove his last. moving in opposite directions. 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. 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. A fresh new helping of shame I gladly For now., The former contestant, who competed on three seasons of the show, took to Twitter to vent more about the situation. And it was a tough watch. Now that I can officially talk about it, let the healing begin." . I I know that forgiveness is difficult. 2. was still unwilling to give myself. 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). What transpired next is a blur. Many on my journey than an unexpected email from Zeke asking if Id like to talk. 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. When were Ive One toward a frightening future and the other 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. I cant start a new chapter by rereading As of 2022, Jeff Varner's net worth is $100,000 - $1M. remember a lot of what I saw happen that night. So Im talking to several firms now that I know will care about and believe in their employees. That prepared reunion is cowardice. He has spoken publicly about. It is accusatory and pulls you back, Join now to see all activity Experience . The death of the Varner everyone loved and enjoyed was days away, He was part of the first team in the corporate world to utilize the internet to communicate project information in Citicorp's "Product Design and Development Division. Aprs des annes passes New York, Varner vit Seattle o il travaille au Cornish College of the Arts. have the right to be forgiven. The wait for my official scarlet letter was getting shorter.