My biggest concern was that if people knew, their opinion of me would change. For both, trans people make easy targets for those looking to invoke prejudice in order to win votes. Zeke Smith was outed as transgender by fellow contestant Jeff Varner in a shocking episode of Survivor: Game Changers on Wednesday, April 12, 2017. This is about Zeke, Varner said. To my left was The Abyss. I worked with them to make sure that I am learning and growing and helping other people learn and grow because that's so important. I needed an adventure, a jolt to my system I needed to change my life and oh boy, did I! said Smith, adding, My outing and the attention it received, and the platform I gained radically changed my lifes trajectory. 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. If I set the tone, everyone would follow. 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. You don't see Zeke saying, "There is no deception. Hes definitely an old soul. See, when I got on a plane to Fiji last March, I expected to get voted out third. I knew Id conquer whatever the game might throw at me. However, the structures sturdiness needed to be tested, because until it was, I would never definitively know if I was the man I believed myself to be. But they know me and they know my heart. He spends most his time writing half-hour and feature comedy scripts (holler at him for samples staff me up! 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. Better to have acquaintances than no one at all. Zarchy was . It can leave scars that haunt for a lifetime. There is no deception." Hes just, I dont know. In mid-2018, there started to be rumblings on the celebrity rumor websites claiming that Survivors Zeke Smith and Superstores Nico Santos had become a couple. I am forever grateful that Probst gave me time to collect myself. A month? Dalton Ross. So when I was arguing at tribal and I say "I thought everybody knew," I was talking about everybody at home watching. Everything clicked. I see these kids struggling to retain hope that theyll have an equal shot in the world. When he pulled me in for a hug, I felt compelled to reciprocate, both as a sign that I was willing to forgive him and that the shots he had fired missed. Next: 'Survivor' Zeke Smith Speaks About His Public Outing And How The Show Dealt With It. There have been many moments shown, especially within recent seasons, that go beyond the game. We didn't have the luxury of watching his first season. 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. You don't see all of that and I understand why you don't, I'm not complaining about the editing at all, but that's what my thinking was: there was no thinking. On top of that, once Survivor fans learn that Zeke Smith from the show and Superstores Nico Santos have dated, they want to know if they are still together. Survivor 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 reality competition. I wanted to be the guy who made it happen. The reason for that is at that time both of them had been sharing images on Instagram of the two of them together. Here are some of facts to know about Survivor contestant, Zeke Smith. If he didnt make the jury, hed forever be remembered as the only three-time player to never do so. In mid-2018, there started to be rumblings on the celebrity rumor websites claiming that Survivor's Zeke Smith and Superstore's Nico Santos had become a couple. Get a closer look at the Season 34 contestants by clicking through our cast photo gallery. In 2018, he was on hand to accept the GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Reality Program on behalf of Survivor: Game Changers, saying in his speech how important representation is on TV. He was outed as transgender during season 34. After Nico Santos and Zeke Smith confirmed their relationship, there was a Superstore Academy For Your Consideration Event that was held in March of 2019. [Survivor: Brooklyn] is where I met Andrea, about three years before we . Id chosen to test myself in a tremendously public way. I began connecting with others in a meaningful way around the same time that my being trans stopped being a readily known fact about me. But, the harsh elements merely play backdrop to a complex game of social politics dominated by secret alliances, hidden advantages and each cutthroat players ability to befriend and betray any who stand in their way. 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. ET) on CBS. Zeke Smith surprised boyfriend Nico Santos at the GLAAD Media Awards where they first met four years earlier with a romantic proposal. by ; 28 kwietnia 2023 While my peers in Oklahoma were content to follow the path set for them, I forged my own, leaping from boulder to boulder with no regard for what was expected of me. During an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Zeke -- who was voted out of Survivor: Game Changers on Wednesday night -- revealed he first met Andrea several years ago while playing a day-long game called Survivor: Brooklyn in a New York City park. When we were in pain and we are in fair, we are dangerous people. I have been through, I dont know how much therapy. Thats why we asked him back to play a second time.. Id been charmed by my castmates quirks and touched by their stories. Later in the same interview, Nico Santos was asked about the possibility of Zeke Smith proposing to him and he said, Im here for it if that happens. He recently reflected on that experience. A month? 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. His terrible utteranceswere not an effect of my actions, but a reflection of his own personal maladies. In one of the most emotional moments in "Survivor" history, Zeke Smith was outed as transgender in last night's episode by Jeff Varner, who felt that Zeke was using the secret to deceive his. 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. 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. There was no plot, no plan, no anything. In his twenties, he performed with the Upright Citizens Brigade. So I held them at arms length. I thank God for that and the gift of being an example as to why you should never do what I did.. But he wasnt going to. I guess everybody knows about my hot little 25 year-old boyfriend now. It robs a strong, courageous person of their power and protection and opens them up to discrimination and danger. I had no expectation of how this was going to be a tool in the game. Some are . Fire, the flame of your torch, represents your life. When Probst snuffs that flame, your life is over. The lights magnified in brightness. I don't know why. Zeke Smith, a "Survivor" contestant who was outed as transgender on the show in 2017, recently reflected on his experience, stating that he would have been less accepted if he were a Black. You exit to the left, into the darkness, what I called The Abyss. During the Survivor's show, he got distracted after seeing his father. Heres what he had to say. Theres no bathroom. All About Veronika Khomyn, Christina Hall's Husband Josh Reveals He Was a Police Officer for 16 Years Before Being Injured in Line of Duty, 'We're Here' Drag Star Eureka O'Hara Comes Out as Trans: 'I Know Who I Am Without Question', Ricky Gervais Slammed for 'Bigot Comedy' About Trans People in New Netflix Special, unanimously voted out of the game by his tribemates. Until one day I realized that if the somedays didnt start becoming todays, Id run out of days. First-and-foremost, Zeke is a comedy writer. I thought he deserved to know it would be his last day on the beach. Zeke Smith is a writer, comedian, activist, and former (emphasis on the former) reality television contestant. Powered by, One 'Survivor' castaway reveals his biggest regret from the game, which is that Jeff Probst was so fond of him. Just opening yourself up and being honest and genuine helps wash that shame away and it's just been so beneficial to me. Frannie Marin: 5 Things To Know About The Survivor Fan Now Competing In Season 44, Click to Subscribe to Get Our Free HollywoodLife Daily Newsletter, Rihanna Gushes Over Baby, 11 Mos., & Pregnancy In Sweet New Met Gala Interview: 'I'm Obsessed', Gordon Lightfoot's Kids: Everything To Know About The Late Singer's 6 Children, Frannie Marin: 5 Things To Know About The Survivor Fan Now Competing In Season 44, Michelle Yeoh, Florence Pugh, & More Stars in Showstopping Black & White Looks at the 2023 Met Gala, Kendall Jenners 2023 Met Gala Look Is Very Kris Jenner Coded, What Is the STAR Interview Method? You never want a player to know theyre going home, because they might get desperate and go nuclear, douse the fire or pour out the rice. 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. So when I go back to camp and am talking to everyone about deception, I wasn't thinking at all about trans. 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. Even those who arent outwardly hateful crinkle their noses at you. What was appropriate? No chocolate chip cookies. I ordered a bundle of bamboo poles and practiced making fire on the roof of my apartment building. 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. I looked to Varner, now the one hunched and quivering, and contemplated the backlash he would face. ET) on CBS. [Sobbing] My God, I'm crying. I took solace in my tribemates. It's hard to have lived through that two-hour tribal and have it condensed to 20 minutes and see how moments were cut out and connected. One of the things that breaks my heart the most is that that's one of the stigmas that trans people fight the most. He's just so smart and so well-spoken and I have no doubt he will turn this into a beautiful thing. He and Hali Ford were both contestants on Survivor: Game Changers. What was Zeke Smith's birth name? Home Names: Weve got to stop that., We have to stop discriminating and minimizing trans people. I think you saw me say on the show that this was not about this game. 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. Most were supportive in theory, but distanced themselves, unsure and a little weirded out by the process. It's not like I have anything against him as a person, he seems like a super nice guy outside of the show but he just represents everything that I HATE about modern Survivor. Here is what he had to say. 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. They are humans, he continued, sobbing. If the price is right, Zeke delivers keynote speeches across the United States and Canada on the necessity of blazing one's own trail and the vital importance of allyship. I was initially drawn to play in order to prove myself a cunning strategist worthy of a rare and highly coveted chance to one day return to the game. Months before, I plotted how Id respond in case of such a disaster scenario, but those words were written a lifetime ago and nowhere in mind. Voting out Sandra. I was not throwing away my shot. We've been dealing with this since last July and being unable to talk about it has really been the worst. Smith said it was terrifying to think about being aired on national television, but host Jeff Probst stepped up and reassured him that the show would handle it respectfully. Not even Beyonce herself couldve tempted me out of the rain and mud and back into my soft Brooklyn bed. Subscribe for full access to The Hollywood Reporter. 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 suspected Zeke was transgender from the moment I saw him. [Sobbing again.] I know that there are going to be haters out here that are just aren't going to buy anything I have to say. Getty Zeke Smith attends Rising Stars at the GLAAD Media Awards on May 4, 2018 at the New York Hilton. Smith has also found love with one of the stars of Superstore, Nico Santos. Zeke has commented on this himself before. Zeke Smith attends Rising Stars at the GLAAD Media Awards on May 4, 2018 at the New York Hilton. I knew part of the reason I was brought back is that Probst liked the way I talked about the game, and the expectation was that I would continue to deliver. Shooting survivor Wilson Garcia looks up to the sky during a vigil on Sunday, April 30, 2023. Im your guy, I told Probst.
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