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. The double whammy of major depression and transitioning blasted away my confidence. At the conclusion of Tribal, Jeff Varners torch was snuffed. Have you spoken to Zeke at all since that tribal council? 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. Events in his life back home drew him to seek an understanding of gay peoples place in Christianity. I knew it was the right thing to say and the right thing to do. In high school, he proved a championship policy debater. Clearly, he proved that the first time, since he was brought back for another season. I tuned back in to the conversation and found chaos tears, yelling, anger, but mostly confusion. I still have my original notes from that meeting. There was no plot, no plan, no anything. Zeke Smith attends Rising Stars at the GLAAD Media Awards on May 4, 2018 at the New York Hilton. What went into writing that? Keeping your gender history private is not the same as a gay person being in the closet. The only people who need to know are medical professionals and naked fun time friends., Sign up to get Gold Derbys free newsletter He was very engaging, gifted in his ability to manipulate with his words, and he wore this crazy Hawaiian shirt and had poofy hair, said Probst, adding, We knew Zeke was a tremendous storyteller with an amazing ability to take a specific moment from the game or life and give it a universal perspective. Jeff Probst looked me square in the eyes and snuffed my torch, extinguishing my life in the game. We make easy targets. I wrote that statement out of my own heart. Of course, money isnt the only thing that matters which is why a lot of people are interested in the love lives of their favorite former Survivor players. 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. I know that forgiveness is difficult. I remember walking into Tribal Council that night. Its too soon. What Santos had to say next made it clear that he was extremely happy to be involved with Smith. Now, through tears, Varner, 50, speaks to PEOPLE about the events leading up to the outing, the "shame" he's been coping with since the event and what good he hopes will come from the "horrible" situation. I just wanted to be known for my game., FROM COINAGE: Ask Yourself These Questions Before You Buy A Home. My biggest concern was that if people knew, their opinion of me would change. Dalton Ross. 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Playing with rookies was one thing, but playing alongside my Survivor heroes in a season called Survivor: Game Changers was quite another. I deserve it. Survivor season 41 begins filming soon with an expected premiere date of late September 2021. But there was this pesky little voice in the back of my mind persistently whispering, Survivor,so I created these challenges quizzes, I suppose, to acquire the fortitude necessary to play the game. Zeke Smith is a writer, comedian, activist, and former (emphasis on the former) reality television contestant. Growing up, I set big lofty goals Broadway, a high school debate championships, Harvard and pursued them doggedly. They are humans. 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Just the dirt and the hunger and the honor of another day playing the worlds greatest game. I have been reading and working a lot with Dr. Bren Brown, who is the shame expert in the world, and she's helped me understand that vulnerability is the antidote to shame. As tough as its been for him, Varner recognizes that Smith, 29, is the real victim here. Varner, who. 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. Watch PEN Fan Forum: Survivor, on the new PEOPLE/Entertainment Weekly Network (PEN) here, or download the free app on your Smart TV, mobile and web devices. Everyones best move was unquestionably to get rid of Varner. There is no deception." Honestly, I held the world at arms length. The power was in my hands. After 18 days starving and competing with me, they knew exactly the man I am, and after that Tribal Council, we all knew exactly the man Varner is. Often, the opposite is true for trans people. Not even Beyonce herself couldve tempted me out of the rain and mud and back into my soft Brooklyn bed. Zeke graduated from Harvard University with a degree in The Study of Religion. FamousBirthdays.com - use subject to the practices disclosed in our privacy policy. I could not have responded in the manner in which I did had he not held the wheel while I got my bearings., I dont believe Varner hates trans people, Zeke concludes. 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 am and always have been the guy who tries to be teachers pet or in Survivors case, Probsts Pet, said Smith. 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. So I woke up every morning and told myself I would win. He is most well-known for his innovative gamesmanship and witty storytelling on Survivor: Millennials vs GenX and Survivor: Game Changers. Club, the Critics Choice and Television Critics Association member has appeared on 'Today,' 'Extra!,' 'Access Hollywood,' 'E! 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. I think the editing was good. I knew that Varners actions, though targeted at me, had nothing to do with me and everything to do with him. Its up to you to decide whether the hazard will define you or you will define the hazard. All Varner had to do was make it until tomorrow and hed get his jury seat. 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. I thought that the viewers knew and everybody knew. I ordered a bundle of bamboo poles and practiced making fire on the roof of my apartment building. Even Probst, the most neutral of arbiters, had my back. 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. On April 12, 2017, an episode of "Survivor" aired called "What Happened on Exile, Stays . In truth, Zeke just wasnt ready to come out, which is what made Varners move one of the mostepic reality TV blundersof all time. When it happened at Tribal Council, Smith admitted that it left him reeling I was checked out for about 45 minutes to an hour [after it happened], said Smith. He spends most his time writing half-hour and feature comedy scripts (holler at him for samples staff me up! As a result of the fact that Survivor has aired that many seasons, there has been a slew of different people whove gotten the chance to play the popular reality competition game. Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day, Inside the business of TV with breaking news, expert analysis and showrunner interviews. ', Zeke was at first caught off guard, but he persevered, confessing, I am forever grateful that Probst gave me time to collect myself. He's just so smart and so well-spoken and I have no doubt he will turn this into a beautiful thing. What was Zeke Smith's birth name? Roger Duane "Zeke" Smith (September 29, 1936 - July 22, 2016) was an American football player in the National Football League for the Baltimore Colts and the New York Giants. READ NEXT: Survivors Jeff Probst Reveals How He Spent Quarantine, One Survivor Blames Jeff Probst For His Downfall, Copyright 2023 Heavy, Inc. All rights reserved. Survivor player Jeff Varner was fired from his job as a real estate agent at Allen Tate Realtors on Thursday due to backlash from an episode of the CBS show in which he outed fellow player Zeke Smith as transgender. When we share our gender history, many see us less authentically doubting, probing or denying our identities. 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. Like, you know when youre thinking of your dream boyfriend? I have been through, I dont know how much therapy. Id chosen to test myself in a tremendously public way. by ; 28 kwietnia 2023 "I'm not wild about you knowing that I'm trans," two-time show player Zeke Smith writes for THR about this week's episode. Theres no playbook for being trans. Tai, the Chicken Whisperer, and I killed three chickens together. I feared if I let anyone too close, theyd smell my stench and not want to be my friend anymore. I thought of his family and his friends watching that moment I'm sad. With the shows therapist, with a local therapist. Smith said the person Probst called on the least was Sarah Lacina and wouldnt you know it, but she won the game. February 21, 2017, 12:00 PM. 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. To adventure is to invite hazard into your life. Here is what he had to say. In an interview with Variety, Santos said that they were quarantining together during the pandemic and he is so grateful to have found Smith. After graduating and moving to New York, no one knew me or saw me as anything other than Zeke, which was tremendously liberating my whole life, I desired my manhood to be known without question or qualification. But you cannot control the hazards you face, be they repeated misfortune or the harmful actions of others. I needed to calm everyone down. Survivor is back in production now. 5. That's when I saw the opening. He appeared on both Survivor: Millennials vs. Gen X and Survivor: Game Changers. The reason for that is at that time both of them had been sharing images on Instagram of the two of them together. His terrible utteranceswere not an effect of my actions, but a reflection of his own personal maladies. Home Names: But, if were being perfectly honest with one another, Ive struggled with that forgiveness in the months following. All Rights Reserved. Zeke Origin and Meaning The name Zeke is both a boy's name and a girl's name of Hebrew origin meaning "God strengthens". If the pattern holds, it should be premiering its 41st season the third or fourth week of September 2021. 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. Zeke Smith didn't want to be known as the "first transgender Survivor star.". This is about Zeke, Varner said. 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. And hes calling me a bigot and full of hate and all kinds of stuff. 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. ', 'Harry Potter' Actress Evanna Lynch Weighs in on J.K. Rowling Backlash: 'Give Her More Grace', 'Harry Potter' Franchise Seemingly Introduces Its First Trans Character in New 'Diverse' Video Game, Who Is Sean McVay's Wife? I couldve made a clean break for it, but I knew there was no running from what had happened. Hes the most amazing partner I could have ever dreamed and asked for. He played college football at Auburn University where he was awarded the Outland Trophy in 1958. 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. I like to shine all the time, and winners need to be able to control their shimmer., Interestingly, Probst said something very similar about Smith in a separate interview with Entertainment Weekly conducted four years ago during Game Changers., I met Zeke in casting and loved him. Happy Valentines Day, fianc, he wrote adding #Heke.. According to what Nico had to say at that time, Santos' relationship with Smith had already hit a major milestone. They go to bed at 9pm. I thank God for that and the gift of being an example as to why you should never do what I did.. When we were in pain and we are in fair, we are dangerous people. 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. I think they did a good job with what they had to work with, but it's just very difficult. When enough people crinkle their noses at you, you begin to think you stink. Deadline Media, Get our free, urgent prediction updates and news, Emmy Noms Predictions Odds: All Star Users, Leaderboards: See All Past Prediction Accuracy Scores, Leaderboards: Best Prediction Accuracy Scores for Film, TV and Music Awards, Leaderboards: Best TV Show Predictions by Gold Derby Users, Find a User or Expert / Download Gold Derbys Free, New App, Watch our video interviews with top awards contenders: directors, producers, below-the-line artisans and , Watch our lively predictions slugfests with Experts and Editors, Sign up to get Gold Derbys free newsletter. It's just so important that that's where we head. Zeke. Do Not Sell. See exclusive odds. Binky Felstead finally reveals her newborn son's sweet name two weeks after giving birth to . 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?. Zeke is a casual form of the name Ezekiel, an important prophet from the Old Testament. CBS. It's awful. All sound faded. In the following exclusive column for The Hollywood Reporter, Zeke one of very few players in show history to compete on back-to-back seasons shares hisside of the journey, his experience as a trans man, the reasons why he pursued Survivor, the thrill of that adventure, and what it was like on the night he was outed on national television and how he powered through it. In his thirties, he's in a stable relationship with his boyfriend, actor and comedian Nico Santos. Indeed. Now thatZekes truth has been revealedto the world, the Survivor: Game Changers castawayhas broken his silence inthe 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?