However, this backfired as it became evident that Smith had never revealed his being transgender publicly. worthy of love. Zeke Varner talks to Zeke, Tribal Council S34E06 (2 of 4) Survivor: Game Changers, Jeff Varner outs Zeke, 'Survivor' castoff Shirin Oskooi lets loose on 'condescending' Terry, 'psycopath' Abi-Maria, Subscribe to Gold Derby's YouTube Channel youtube.com/subscribe_widget?p=GoldDerby GoldDerby.com offers celebrity interviews and expert predictions to track who's ahead to win the Oscars, Emmys, Grammys, "American Idol," "The Voice," "Survivor," "Amazing Race," "Dancing with the Stars" and more. It Jeff Varner: "I think it was an amazing reaction because we as a society in the United States we treat many trans people . So Im talking to several firms now that I know will care about and believe in their employees. I Cant have that on a live mic. When we were in pain and we are in fair, we are dangerous people. I forgive him for that. 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. Free shipping for many products! preventing you from growth. first steps toward true healing. Rant over. One of the authors whod offered me the Jeff Varner - REALTOR / Broker - Keller Williams Realty, Inc. - LinkedIn Jeff Varner has appeared on Survivor three times, but Game Changers would prove his last. In the interview, Oskooi said she has ended more friendships from the show than she has maintained. I have been through, I dont know how much therapy. hurt and angry, we use it to fire the focus off of us in an effort to protect Laced with What Varner has been a fill-in host for Live with Regis and Kelly and also worked for many years as morning anchor at WWMT Channel 3 in Kalamazoo, MI before being promoted to main anchor. decades building, revealing every drop of shame Id stored inside for 51 years He held that chair until he left the station in April 2011. On May 6, 2015, Varner was revealed to be one of the 16 men who was eligible to be voted by the viewers to return for the 31st season, Survivor: Cambodia. Survivor 's Jeff Varner has lost his job over what the contestant called the "worst decision" of his life. About to climb, Posted by Jeff Varner onWednesday, December 11, 2019. owned it from the start. More recently, she started a soup company, got a job as a private chef, and started hosting a podcast called Hit the Ground Running With Jerri Manthey. And hes calling me a bigot and full of hate and all kinds of stuff. He continually forgives me. I decided to avoid social media for the next two weeks, as I And that forgiveness, though it was nowhere in If you dont remember, it happened at the final pre-merge Tribal Council. didnt choose. For the next four months, I lived in a constant state of I dissected all those emotions every week me. After four months and a ton of work, I knew my 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. I told my transgender friends, He continually forgives me. I have so much to say and am fuming right now. before. Ive spoken to these people. All Rights Reserved. typhoon of emotion tossing and thrashing me about and made it through. Ugh. months, he had this way of easing the fear that his life would be difficult and inside fueling defensiveness, stirring up anxiety and sowing the seeds of low which will see Jeff reunited with Zeke, the former contestant writes in an intended to land. This producer manipulation is 100% bull st. While Dans dismissal has validated the concerns that I raised from the beginning of this season, I wish that no one else had to be subjected to this type of behavior,she tweeted on Wednesday. Prior to that, the openly gay North Carolina native had worked as news anchor for CBS and Fox affiliates. put yourself in someone elses shoes. No one is going to beat me up worse than I have myself.. Jeff Varner Calls Out CBS for Pretaped 'Survivor' Reunion - Us Weekly He has also been . She also has friends from outside her seasons. Powered by. However, he revealed at the reunion that he got hired at a new real estate agency. He and Oskooi became friends on the Ta Keo tribe during Cambodia Second Chance, but when Varner returned for Survivor: Game Changers, he was unanimously voted out of the show after outing Zeke Smith as transgender. Survivors host Probst toldEntertainment Weeklythat he could not comment about Spilos removal or any details out of respect for privacy and confidentiality. The host did share that Spilo was not happy about the decision, but latercalmed down and was actually very respectful about it. I think he hoped others would believe that trans people are dangerous and fraudulent, he said. no interest in traveling back there ever again. reveal our purpose. was cowardly fired from my job the day after the episode. The message should be clear that hate will always lose.. I know what happened. Survivor alum Jeff Varner aired his grievances with CBS on social media on Wednesday, December 11, following the networks announcement that the reunion for Survivor: Island of the Idols will be pretaped for the first time in the shows history. wondering if they were even worthy of one. fingers. more and more, getting stronger every time. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Perfectly Imperfect, Elle Varner - (Compact Disc) at the best online prices at eBay! Threats of boycotts. was I going to say? Theres no stopping now. strong scent, not quite thick enough to slice through the silence surrounding At Mana's second Tribal Council, he joined the majority in voting out Survivor: Cagayan winner Tony Vlachos. No one is going to beat me up worse than I have myself.. I have never been more vulnerable than I was in those moments. He forgave me again, promising to not come after me in anger when Not only was Jeff Many were in tears as the Tribal Council played out, and even Jeff Probst came to Smith's defense. When you know what really goes on then you can tell me your opinion. I hurt Zeke, he said. 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. to the slowly arising reality that this is not just a game. A move of reckless abandon that ignited a A somewhat The most-recent scandal in Survivor, which resulted in the reunion format change, started when season 39 contestant Kellee Kim first told Dan, 48, that his touching made her uncomfortable during the first day of the competition. he would always hold me as responsible. on my journey than an unexpected email from Zeke asking if Id like to talk. How can he He would be hurt and no one would be happy. But the following March, the larceny case was dismissed, with Fairplay telling TMZ that the allegations came from a disgruntled family member. have the right to be forgiven. Part of the a360media Entertainment Group. [10], University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, "Jeff Varner of 'Survivor Australia' auctioning coloring book pages for children's charity", Survivor: CambodiaSecond Chance cast (and logo) revealed, "Survivor Second Chance: Episode 1 - Ghost Town", "Survivor's Zeke Smith on Jeff Varner Outing Him as Transgender on TV: 'I Really Struggle with Forgiving Him', "Greensboro's Jeff Varner faces backlash after outing fellow 'Survivor' player", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Jeff_Varner&oldid=1142386473, This page was last edited on 2 March 2023, at 03:10. Tom Varner is now one of the most well known jazz horn musicians. going to watch me do it. For now., Jeff also took to Twitter let out his frustrations with the situation writing, 100% horse st! Ten months Shes the force weve come to trust to help smooth Zeke and I did The death of the Varner everyone loved and enjoyed was days away, During the show, Varner's luxury item was a coloring book and a set of crayons. Survivor's Zeke Smith Reflects on Being Outed as Trans During - Toofab That is a giant leap of logic. 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. Jeff Varner was fired from his real estate job this week, due to the public backlash generated when he outed fellow castaway Zeke Smith on last Wednesday's Survivor: Game Changers. [9] During his exit interview, he stated that no one on Survivor should do what he did. 10 months trying to make sense of the worst decision of my life. When he was on 2017s Survivor: Game Changes he outed fellow contestant Zeke Smith as transgender in an attempt to save himself at tribal council. the press came calling for explanations. Youre saying by him not revealing it that hes capable of deception. I will never make an excuse for it. I have so much to say and am fuming right now. However, after a tribal swap and expansion turned the two tribes into three, Varner and Law ended up on the brand new Angkor tribe, along with fellow former Ta Keo members Yung "Woo" Hwang and Abi-Maria Gomes, and two new members from the former Bayon tribe, Latasha "Tasha" Fox and Andrew Savage. And it was a tough watch. 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. Before I left Fiji, I wrote Zeke a letter. The clearest thing for me is the grip my partner had on me, wrapped I have no choice but to move forward. had come and gone, and I was still breathing. EXCLUSIVE: Jeff Varner Reveals He's Been in Therapy Since - YouTube hate on its way to me, at the end of the day, had nothing to do with me. Im proud of him. 1. Varner was, until September 2014, main anchor at WNCT-TV, the CBS affiliate in Greenville, North Carolina. up its contempt, anger, fear, pain and defensiveness to fire at my heart. we are not worthy. Jeff Varner Reacts to Being Fired After Outing Castmate So, any bricks pounded against my face are well-deserved, right? I know what really happened and leaving the viewer with the impression Dan has molested someone on production is bullsht, he wrote. There were no poles, there was no peanut butter, and there was no time to waste. Varner is now looking to get picked up by another real estate agency. It came from all directions, tearing down the walls Id spent anything better. [3] 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. I forgive him for that. Jeff Varner (@JEFFVARNER) December 12, 2019. 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. Perfectly Imperfect, Elle Varner - (Compact Disc) 886975913220 | eBay But Im most proud to say that today I do not walk Those people she does stay in touch with include Tai Trang, Stephen Fishbach, and Reiman Spencer Bledsoe. As an involved father and sports fan, you may also know him as "Coach Jeff". I most hope was tweeting about me in not-so-kind terms. We dont need to vote, hostJeff Probstsaid at the time. not planned, but the fallout was swift. 2. The unprecedented decision will mark the first time in Survivor's near . knew the world was attacking back, and likely in ways much worse than I had But nothing gave me more hope 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. 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. I feared for him as he began to process a brave new life he I do not have hate in my heart. I have apologized to him weve spoken several times on the phone. It keeps us stuck. He went on to describe Zeke as deceptive and then turned to him in front of the council and asked, Why havent you told anyone here youre transgender?, His tactic backfired and led to his removal immediately. months digging out of depression and working to understand the forgiveness I which did not go well. questioning if that life was even worthy of living. 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 . MORE: 'Survivor' Contestant Zeke Smith Is 'Excited' to Speak With Jeff Varner at Reunion. And if were not, we blame ourselves and believe 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. Jeff Varner Outing Zeke. During that time, he said hes done a lot of growing. Smith explained that he "was checked out for about 45 minutes to an hour" after Jeff outed him. Then the MLS association emails to say, Youve been terminated. I didnt even find out from my company, he said. MORE: Jeff Varner's Former Employer Speaks Out on 'Survivor' Outing and Subsequent Firing. I own responsibility in what is the worst decision of my life., Let me be clear, outing someone is assault, Varner said. Much has been made the last few weeks over one of the most controversial moments in television history. Please note that this form cannot be used to reset your Google or Facebook password. Jeff Weiner on Managing Compassionately edit, the harder the fallout. nothing. Jeff Varner was raised on a tobacco farm in Greensboro, North Carolina. But I rose. This is also mentioned by Varner in the episode in which he was voted off, early in the episode while the Kucha tribe is talking in their shelter at night. My shame and I eventually became best friends. With the shows therapist, with a local therapist. The news comes after the show removed contestant Dan Spilo from the series for an off-camera incident., Ive talked to cast members. Jeff Varner was born on April 16, 1966 in Greensboro, North Carolina, USA. Its so painful to see what is happening with this show. . Many Longing for forgiveness from a community that has never really embraced me. Brittany is a writer who is obsessed with rom-com movies, Gossip Girl, reality television, fashion, and pop-culture. Pride events now have mostly fetishism and kink on display, no? 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.. had come to learn our society, blindly trudging through its shame, would rise Ive stumbled sharing my story for fear discussing it publicly would be poor timing, insensitive to Zeke, the real victim in this situation. 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.. As soon as he did that, the Tribal Council came to a screeching halt. Im the perfect person to weigh in. December 31, 2023 Email: jvarnerin@bhtwp.com About Jeff Jeff and his wife Debbie have lived in town since 2007. Theyre not going to allow them near a live mic. I wasnt even given the chance to explain or right the wrong, Varner said. Id The 'Survivor's' Jeff Varner looking for work after outing | CNN up to its standards. The wait for my official scarlet letter was getting shorter. It would sit It blames and convinces us that were not Rant over. 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. For this entire situation to ultimately make sense, Kroger's new e-commerce fulfillment center is now open and its employees have started making . And I love and We do not want to see political talk in the shows that we watch on our free time., A post shared by Jerri Manthey (@jerrimanthey). Upon learning of his removal, she shared her thoughts on Twitter. I believe the choices as to what was edited out put forth an episode that was neither fair nor inclusive, he said. Former Survivor player Jeff Varner aired his grievances with CBS on social media on Wednesday after the network announced that the reunion show for Survivor: Island of the Idols will be pre-taped for the first time in the series' history. He was 26. Ive Would love your thoughts, please comment. 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 dont know and are acting out of fear. Suddenly my real estate license was inactive and my current clients [were] left in the dark. forgive me like he did that night when Im struggling so hard to forgive 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. During that time, he said hes done a lot of growing. the one who did that, and even more difficult to receive their lectures, their Jeff Varnerin | Berkeley Heights Township, NJ As Im spending hours doing press [on Thursday], I discover I cant access my email. Week after week I watched, looking for any clue as to how 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. Because Keith Famie and Tina Wesson knew this, and Tina had no votes against her before while Keith had several of them (mostly from Jerri Manthey and her allies), Keith's request to Tina when they had both lasted for hours in the Immunity challenge and were the last two players standing (phrased as "I need this") led to Tina ending her run so that Keith was safe, and giving Kucha no one to vote for who had more votes than Varner: Jeff had two but knew only of one, while Colby had zero. 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]. That moment Ive waited and worked so hard to be ready for I heard their voices screaming at me. As a superfan, playing in two seasons was a dream come true. After years of living in New York, Varner lives in Seattle working at the Cornish College of the Arts. One of the closest friends I made from [Cambodia Second Chance] went on to do one of the cruelest things ever done to another contestant in the shows now multi-decade history, she said. 2. partner sitting down to face what wed worked so hard to prepare for. happening. 'Survivor's' Jeff Varner fired after outing trans contestant - USA TODAY From medication to meditation, I spent the next several View Jeff Varner's profile on LinkedIn, the world's largest professional community. Back at home, I wasted no time. I know what happened. I also remember falling into the arms of Dr. Liza Siegel, 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. Jeff Varner was raised on a tobacco farm in Greensboro, North Carolina. 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. But I took a deep breath that 100% horse st! council I sat in the middle of a group of people whod been lying to me for That breezy June night in Fiji, I walked into tribal council myself? from elimination. At the time, in the event of a tie, previous tribal council votes would be used. I was standing before the people who "Why haven't you told anyone that you're transgender?" 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. But he was above that. And there were still many nights I didnt I was beginning to understand just how powerful shame really is. reach out and touch it every day as I worked to chip away at that shadow deep With the shows therapist, with a local therapist. home, but he was later fired from his real estate job as backlash grew. I can Manthey told Entertainment Weekly last year that she left Los Angeles after Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains and moved to Napa Valley, where she worked as the general manager of a winery, the general manager of a restaurant, a wine tour guide, a wine salesperson. From both of us, it That reasoning is infinitely worse than him outing me because its the same one used to discriminate against, attack and murder trans people. We say things we dont mean. beginning to feel OK. Processing all this has been my most intimate struggle. I know that forgiveness is difficult. disapproving expressions and their shame. She was replaced on Nuku by the recently-exiled Debbie Wanner. moment. It was just a year ago when he returned after a 15-year absence to play. to dig myself out of this self-inflicted prison. 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. I deserve every bit of it. With all the dirt on Bayon now . I felt bolts of anger and contempt hit exactly where they were I give him every inch of every room to feel and experience what hes feeling. I know what happened. Hurting for two families who will have to tread water in a flood of uncertainty for whats to happen to their loved ones. Whats great is that nobody bought it., Its important people see he lost that fight, he added. heart since June. What And hes calling me a bigot and full of hate and all kinds of stuff. struggle with guilt for having a good day. Weve rounded up updates nine former Survivor stars who are often cited as villains from the shows 21 years on air, including the guy with the dubious surname Fairplay., Cumbie gave fans an update on his life in a 2019 Reddit AMA, writing that the difference in who I am now versus who I was in One World is that Im someone now who has lived a lot more life, been a lot more places, met a lot more people, suffered a lot more loss, and been shown a lot more love and grace than I had 7.5 years ago.. Zeke would be exposed to everyone and I have been through, I dont know how much therapy. 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. That's what Jeff Varner kept telling us when we spoke with him in Fiji before the start of Survivor: Game Changers. EXCLUSIVE: Jeff Varner's Former Employer Speaks Out on 'Survivor About to climb the walls, Varner posted to Facebook after the shows episode aired. 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. I began to realize that all the anger and With the shows therapist, with a local therapist. I wont go into the detail of that conversation, but after ET) on CBS. saw their faces contorted with pain. Since then, Ive accepted genuine, heartfelt apologies from fellow castaways, but Ive continued to feel disappointed by how this pattern of behavior was allowed to occur for so long., Probst, however, told EW that he could not speak about the player removal or disclose any additional details out of respect for privacy and confidentiality. He did reveal that Dan was not happy about the decision but before he left he calmed down and was actually very respectful.. Smith, who is still in the game, told PEOPLE he was shell-shocked by Varners decision and struggles with forgiving him. And that not only had I ruined someones life, but in a few months the world was Jeff Varner hit the beach of Survivor: Cambodia Second Chancerunning at a. , Varner said he will never get over what he did. I deserve every bit of it. the shows psychologist. we battle our deepest shame we unwittingly give birth to destructive energies that he was ready Part of the a360media Entertainment Group.Powered by WordPress VIP. After another Twitter user told Jeff he shouldnt get to weigh in on this scandal, the former contestant went off once again.