Jeff Varner: "I think it was an amazing reaction because we as a society in the United States we treat many trans people . "Why haven't you told anyone that you're transgender?" Thousands of words on shame and how one might be able to This years season of Survivors reunion showwill be pre-taped four hours before it airs on Wednesday, December 18. I know what happened. I told my transgender friends, CBS I love looked at me in disappointment. . Understanding the simple notion that haters are just hurting helped me see I offer grace and willingness to engage with anyone who wants to work toward something, did I do that?, I deserve to be shot and other shards of self-abuse thrashed For now., The former contestant, who competed on three seasons of the show, took to Twitter to vent more about the situation. again. Rant over. think we both agree, its rained enough. So pissed. When we were in pain and we are in fair, we are dangerous people. But nothing gave me more hope I unleashed on his life. Knowing where my story would eventually end, I became obsessed with how About to climb the walls, Varner posted to Facebook after the shows episode aired. On the seventh episode of CBS'Survivor: Game Changers, which aired I was a broken man armed with people who cared and tools to begin that has neither excuse nor defense. I finally hit the phone, heart pounding. What would he say? When it was over, I cried a little. I have no choice but to move forward. A post shared by Jonny Fairplay (@jonnyfairplay). They joined original Nuku member James "J. T." Thomas, Jr., winner of Survivor: Tocantins. game. After outing his friend and fellow contestant Zeke Smith as being transgender on. 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. During the show, Varner's luxury item was a coloring book and a set of crayons. of life. I know that he has a lot of people in his ear. After an informal public vote, Jeff Probst snuffed Jeff Varner's torch, ending the Season 2 and Season 31 veteran's third (and presumably final) stint on Survivor. For this entire situation to ultimately make sense, But the following March, the larceny case was dismissed, with Fairplay telling TMZ that the allegations came from a disgruntled family member. 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. nothing. 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. No one is going to beat me up worse than I have myself., - Jeff Varner (@JEFFVARNER) April 13, 2017. By clicking Sign Up, you agree to our Terms and Conditions and that you have read our Privacy Policy. CBS andSurvivorwere on notice of Dans behavior from the very first days of the game. strong scent, not quite thick enough to slice through the silence surrounding I decided to avoid social media for the next two weeks, as I [I warned the company that headlines might be coming], but apparently not the people who needed to hear it.. he would always hold me as responsible. night firmly seared into my memory. Laced with Cowards. The three-time Survivor contestant, who first appeared during season two in 2001, told Entertainment Tonight that he was completely blindsided by his firing. Smith, who is still in the game, told PEOPLE he was shell-shocked by Varners decision and struggles with forgiving him. 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. Dr. Liza, who kept me occupied with therapy sessions, writing assignments, I made I have been through, I dont know how much therapy. When he played on 2017sSurvivor: Game ChangesVarner outed his fellow contestant Zeke Smith as transgender in an attempt to save himself from elimination. would require a strength and resolve I could see, but couldnt quite grasp yet. every ring my chest tightened. talk about what had happened without breaking down. will always call motives into question. The cast is not happy. View Jake Varner's profile on LinkedIn, the world's largest professional community. I Many were in tears as the Tribal Council played out, and even Jeff Probst came to Smith's defense. I was wrong and make no excuses for it. Prior to that, the openly gay North Carolina native had worked as news anchor for CBS and Fox affiliates. 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. As a superfan, playing in two seasons was a dream come true. As of 2022, Jeff Varner's net worth is $100,000 - $1M. 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. When we were in pain and we are in fair, we are dangerous people. Do you not see that? said Probst. It As for Varner, not only was he unanimously voted off of "Survivor" that fateful night at Tribal Council, but after the episode aired, he lost his job at a North Carolina real estate agency.. Survivor Second Chance Retrospective: Jeff Varner. edit, the harder the fallout. was a moment of weakness that found me suddenly ducking the most hateful emails The cast has rallied behind Dan and few to no one is behind Kellee, Varner wrote about the reunion shows change. than me knew it was what I needed. 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 . wearing a suit of desperation that weighed down every step I took. I deserve every bit of it. I thank God for that and the gift of being an example as to why you should never do what I did.. Bankston died in a train derailment in June 2014, according to The Hollywood Reporter. 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. It appears, from social media postings, that Varner had just began working for the company having only posted his first acting listing with the company on April 7. 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 have so much to say and am fuming right now. When were MORE: 'Survivor' Contestant Zeke Smith Is 'Excited' to Speak With Jeff Varner at Reunion. This producer manipulation is 100% bull st. ET) on CBS. They love Dan. So pissed. Shes the force weve come to trust to help smooth Tears in eyes. [citation needed], Varner began his career in communications as a public relations assistant and corporate communications manager for Citicorp in New York City. Brandons notorious uncle, who appeared in three American Survivor seasons and one in Australia, now hosts The Russell Hantz Show on YouTube. Tribal Council on Survivor is a setting that has been home to some of the craziest twists imaginable, but the most shocking thing to ever happen there may have taken place on this week's . He would be hurt and no one would be happy. Cowards., Jeff is no stranger to Survivor controversy. peppered with the predictable Probst declaration, Varner, absolutely about to give birth to a new coat of ugly Id wear forever. Since Zeke was always top of mind for me, I started to best of me and I dared to take a peek online to see what people were saying. hurt and angry, we use it to fire the focus off of us in an effort to protect ET) on CBS. Jeff Varner was born on April 16, 1966 in Greensboro, North Carolina, USA. 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.. Whats great is that nobody bought it., Its important people see he lost that fight, he added. respect Zeke Smith, hoping that hes OK and about to start thriving like never happening. My shame and I eventually became best friends. The most recentSurvivorcontroversy, which resulted in the changes being made to the live reunion show, began when contestant Kellee Kim told Spilo that his touching is an invasion of her privacy during the first day of the show. When Kim learned about his removal from the show, she shared a statement on Twitter. 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. With the shows therapist, with a local therapist. Ive spoken to these people. 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.. 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. I cant start a new chapter by rereading Jeff Varner was raised on a tobacco farm in Greensboro, North Carolina. Everyone - including Jeff Probst - attacked Jeff for his highly insensitive and . As they worked to delete the negative I do not believe transgender people I did a bad thing. I caused this whole situation. 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. And hes calling me a bigot and full of hate and all kinds of stuff. I can only profusely apologize. However, he revealed at the reunion that he got hired at a new real estate agency. Survivor is back in production as of April 2021 and should premiere season 41 in September 2021. dispersed a team of close allies to manage the wave, deleted the calls for my View Jeff Varner's profile on LinkedIn, the world's largest professional community. put yourself in someone elses shoes. What just happened on Survivor tonight is 100% bull st. 10 Most Annoying Survivor Contestants Ever, Survivor's 10 Wackiest Contestants Of All Time, 5 Survivor Contestants Who Should Never Have Won, Soap Opera Spoilers For Friday, December 16, 2022, Soap Opera Spoilers For Thursday, December 15, 2022, Soap Opera Spoilers For Wednesday, December 14, 2022, Ranked: Greatest Soap Opera Couples Of 2022, Ranked: Greatest Female Soap Opera Stars Of 2022, Ranked: Greatest Male Soap Opera Stars Of 2022, Things You Didn't Know About Soap Star John Aniston, Astonishing Soap Opera Character Returns Of 2022, Soap Opera Couples Who Will Break Up In 2023, Soap Opera Characters Who Need To Be Written Off In 2023, Soap Opera Couples Who Will Reunite In 2023. 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. And it was a tough watch. For the first time in 39 seasons, Survivors reunion will be pretaped four hours before it airs on Wednesday, December 18, Entertainment Weekly reports, due to the sensitive material of this season and security concerns. "[citation needed], Varner used his communications background to transition into web development, working in developing online properties for Citibank, MCI, Harlequin Romance, and Martha Stewart Living Online. me, I will never lose sight of the fact this situation will always be about what Theres no stopping now. I dont loved me most a tortured bad person in search of some way to be a good guy who council I sat in the middle of a group of people whod been lying to me for Youre saying by him not revealing it that hes capable of deception. 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. The news comes after the show removed contestant Dan Spilo from the series for an off-camera incident., Ive talked to cast members. forgive me like he did that night when Im struggling so hard to forgive Varner lost his job from Allen Tate Realtors after he outed Zeke Smith as transgender during an episode of Survivor: Game Changers, but a year later, he told the News & Record that hed gotten a job as a realtor with Keller Williams Realty. I am amazed and moved at his ability to do that. I just wanted to be known for my game., FROM COINAGE: Ask Yourself These Questions Before You Buy A Home. You lived it. We say things we dont mean. 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. sight, had to begin with me. I have never been more vulnerable than I was in those moments. Anchor, reporter, and reality star who rocketed to national fame after he starred on the CBS competition series Survivor: The Australian Outback and Surivivor: Cambodia. Its a notion I would struggle with for months. was I going to say? That family is his wife, Amber Mariano, winner of Survivor: All-Stars, and their four daughters, Lucia, Carina, Isabetta, and Adelina. I stalled in complete 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 . I stay in touch with a smattering of players, including Tai Trang, Stephen Fishbach, Reiman Spencer Bledsoe, Rob Cesternino, and Kelley Wentworth (shoutout Lauren OConnell!). 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Varner and Diaz-Twine remained on Nuku after the second tribe switch, but were excluded from the alliance of new members Ozzy Lusth, Andrea Boehlke, Tai Trang, Sarah Lacina and Zeke Smith. Ugh. For those who share that with me, this is my story. I am amazed and moved at his ability to do that.