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With over two decades worth of episodes, Survivor has evolved in countless ways. It can leave scars that haunt for a lifetime. A lot. Yes, castaways still sleep in the dirt and eat only what can be scrounged around the island, primarily coconut. I took solace in my tribemates. All sound faded. Transitioning created the opportunity to remake myself to really consider and construct the man I wanted to be. The failure I experienced made me doubt everything I once believed to be true about myself. 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. 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. My biggest concern was that if people knew, their opinion of me would change. Zeke graduated from Harvard University with a degree in The Study of Religion. We created a global conversation about privacy and respect, said Smith, adding, Over the past year, Ive met a lot of trans kids. I needed to calm everyone down. So significant was the experience that I remember where I watched episode one of Survivor: Cook Islands; I remember the date, May 2, 2010; I remember distinctly Jeff Probsts opening line, You are watching 20 Americans begin an adventure that will forever change their lives. I was hooked. While that certainly isnt proof that Smith and Santos are still together since they could still be friends after splitting, it makes it seem more likely they remain a couple. 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. Its long been my desire for Jeff Probst to reward my mastery of lying and manipulation with $1 million dollars, healso told CBS. They go to bed at 9pm. He has all those qualities. He also said that it took a lot of self-love work to get to the point of true self-acceptance with his new life, but he feels tremendously proud and humbled by the impact he has had on the world. As much as I felt for the man, I wasnt giving up my dream for his. Id made such a believer out of Probst that my second shot came immediately, which meant that I was every bit the player Id dreamed Id be. You can only control how you respond. 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. 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? 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. Was Camille Lamb's Below Deck Salary Worth The Endless Drama She Endured On The Show? I honestly probably wouldnt have survived these past few weeks without him, said Santos, who lost his stepfather to COVID in early 2020. In oneof the most emotional moments in Survivorhistory,Zeke Smith was outed as transgender in last nights episode by Jeff Varner, who felt that Zeke was using the secret to deceive his fellow castaways. Coconut, by the way, is a natural laxative. READ NEXT: One Survivor Alum Has an Epic Idea For a Legends Season, Zeke Smith Reflects On How Jeff Probst & Survivor Handled His Transgender Outing, Copyright 2023 Heavy, Inc. All rights reserved. Related: 10 Real Life Partners Of The Cast Of NBC's 'Superstore'. I thought he deserved to know it would be his last day on the beach. In an interview with Variety, Santos said that they were quarantining together during the pandemic and he is so grateful to have found Smith. Thankfully, my tribemates rebuffed his hateful tactics. My gut would tell me to fill someone in, but then panic would wash over me. Just opening yourself up and being honest and genuine helps wash that shame away and it's just been so beneficial to me. If he didnt make the jury, hed forever be remembered as the only three-time player to never do so. However, once those same two people have been together for a long time, they may not feel the need to post about their relationship all of the time anymore. Id return home, laugh at my misadventure, and go about my life, casually trans in the same way that Zac Efron is casually Jewish. That reasoning is infinitely worse than him outing me because its the same one used to discriminate against, attack and murder trans people. Clearly, he proved that the first time, since he was brought back for another season. I thought of his family and his friends watching that moment I'm sad. However, he shares a good bonding with his father. Related: Survivor: 10 Winners That Have 'Made It' The Biggest Since Their Season. I still to this day don't know why. While he was technically a Millennial, he admitted in his interview and multiple times throughout the season that he never felt like one.. There was no plot, no plan, no anything. Casting called back two hours later, and I began to panic., After he was eliminated in Season 33, Zeke explains, Twenty minutes later, before I could scarf a cheeseburger or peel off my rotting boxers, Probst asked if I was up for doing it all over again in two weeks alongside some of the games best players. 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. Survivor airs Wednesdays (at 8 p.m. Heres How It Can Help You Nab Your Next Job, Why Camila Banus (Gabi) Is Exiting Days of Our Lives After 13 Years. 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. And emotionally it just came out. At 28, Zeke joinedSurvivor: Millennials Vs. Gen X. I didnt know what to say. What if that person told other people? Many gay people consider coming out a moment of liberation, because sharing their sexual orientation with the world causes them to be seen more authentically. Powered by. Playing Survivor well means knowing when to play fast and when to play slow, but deep into the game I was having so much fun playing fast that I laid on the gas. 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. Everything clicked. Im tough as nails. They go to bed at 9pm. I was arguing to everyone at tribal that there was this secret alliance and that they were all being deceived. He admitted that he just cant help himself around Probst, he just could not stop talking I see those baby blues and those dimples, and my mouth just falls open.. 'Survivor' Castaway Zeke Smith Explains Why He Wanted CBS to Air Controversial Tribal Council, More from Entertainment Tonight: bit.ly/1xTQtvw Jeff Varner outed Smith as transgender on Wednesday night's episode of 'Survivor: Game Changers. Here are some of facts to know about Survivor contestant, Zeke Smith. I give him every inch of every room to feel and experience what hes feeling. When he said what he said, he changed both of our lives forever. Most were supportive in theory, but distanced themselves, unsure and a little weirded out by the process. We've been dealing with this since last July and being unable to talk about it has really been the worst. Zeke Smith surprised boyfriend Nico Santos at the GLAAD Media Awards where they first met four years earlier with a romantic proposal. In truth, Zeke just wasnt ready to come out, which is what made Varners move one of the mostepic reality TV blundersof all time. Though Im not particularly religious, I feel passionately that people of faith should not be denied religious ritual or spiritual community because of their sexual orientation or gender identity, and shared what Id learned with Varner over long conversations on the beach. In his thirties, hes in a stable relationship with his boyfriend, actor and comedian Nico Santos. Adaptation of U.K. Late Night Show Mock the Week for Amazon Freevee, Donald Trump to Return to CNN for Primetime Town Hall Event, Gay U.S. Marine Drama From Norman Lear a Go at Netflix, TV Premiere Dates 2022: The Complete Guide, Broadcast TV Unscripted Scorecard 2022: Whats New, Renewed and Canceled, TV Pilots 2022: The Complete Broadcast Guide, The Definitive Voice of Entertainment News. In his twenties, he performed with the Upright Citizens Brigade. Ever since being on the show together,Hannah Shapiro and Zeke are seriously BFFs. Birth name: Rubin Zarchy: Born June 12, 1915 New York City, New York: Died: April 11, 2009 (aged 93) Irvine, California: Genres: Big band; Swing; Jazz; Occupation(s) Musician: Instrument(s) Trumpet: Rubin "Zeke" Zarchy (June 12, 1915 - April 11, 2009) was an American lead trumpet player of the big band and swing eras. Zeke Origin and Meaning The name Zeke is both a boy's name and a girl's name of Hebrew origin meaning "God strengthens". During that event, US Weekly interviewed Santos and asked him about his relationship with Smith. ", Zeke Smith and Jeff Probst talk about Survivor's work with GLAAD, "GLAAD's philosophy is that authentic LGBTQ representation accelerates acceptance and saves lives" For more information about GLAAD's work, please visit glaad.org, Tribal Council S34E06 (1 of 4) Survivor: Game Changers, Jeff Varner outs Zeke, Please support me by installing my Puzzles from Survivor app: apps.apple.com/us/app/puzzle-cluster/id1460284314 Alliance Tracker for Survivor app: apps.apple.com/us/app/alliance-tracker-for-survivor/id1486051580 #Survivor #SuvivorSuperFan #SurvivorGeek Twitter: twitter.com/rrTenz survivor.fandom.com/wiki/What_Happened_on_Exile,_Stays_on_Exile Day 18 I don't want to lose Ozzy, because the way I've set it up is to have bigger threats out there than myself. With the shows therapist, with a local therapist. In a recent interview, two-time Survivor castaway Zeke Smith opened up about his experience on the show, including that he thinks being Jeff Probsts pet was hugely detrimental to his game the first time around but he liked how much Probst liked him and he couldnt resist those baby blue eyes and dimples. During the Survivor's show, he got distracted after seeing his father. Better to have acquaintances than no one at all. He was like, Were not gonna promote it, were not gonna sensationalize it, Im gonna go to bat for you. He kept every single one of those promises.. I leapt fearlessly, until I crashed. If the first chapter of the Zeke book of my life is about rebuilding from failure, I was well rebuilt. I forgive him for that. Forgiveness does not require forgetting or excusing his actions. If I set the tone, everyone would follow. My prowess became undeniable and, as is the fate of most who are considered the leading threat to win, I was voted out. Here is what he had to say. Why did you choose to out Zeke at tribal council? Name Popularity Related Ratings Comments Namesakes. Stop spreading lies! I excelled in challenges, proving myself adept in the water and a master at puzzles. I think you saw me say on the show that this was not about this game. On April 12, 2017, an episode of "Survivor" aired called "What Happened on Exile, Stays . The first night we huddled together in the mud as the Fijian skies dumped buckets of rain upon us. I deserve it. I gave up caffeine and booze. Zeke has secluded the identity of his family members. 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. That was, until it came to who was going home in season 34, episode five, titled "Vote Early . I had no expectation of how this was going to be a tool in the game. He walked into the darkness, and the rest of us headed back to camp. Zeke was outed as trangender by fellow contestant Jeff . Zeke shares a moving example of that impact in action. 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. I dont believe Varner hates trans people, just as I dont believe conservative politicians who attack trans people actually care where we use the bathroom. I looked to Varner, now the one hunched and quivering, and contemplated the backlash he would face. ', Zeke Smith accepts GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Reality Program, At GLAAD's Rising Stars Luncheon at the 29th Annual GLAAD Media Awards in New York on May 4th, Zeke Smith accepted the GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Reality Program on behalf of Survivor: Game Changers, and delivered inspirational remarks to an audience of LGBTQ young people and influencers. He clearly didn't find it necessary . 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 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.