Jeff Varner says there was no excuse for outing fellow Survivor: Game Changers contestant Zeke Smith as transgender in this week’s episode.
But the veteran musician insists that context behind his invasive topic at Tribal Council was much clearer in the unedited footage.
The 50 -year-old went on SiriusXM’s Entertainment Weekly Radio on Thursday and has pointed out that he has been changed “drastically” by the mortifying incident.
Varner said he has been through “I don’t know how much therapy” after get voted off the island, and commended Smith for his repeated forgiveness.
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Still, the former realtor wishes the CBS series releases “unedited footage” of the accident to uncover the moments leading up to his awful inquiry to Smith, “Why haven’t you told anyone here you’re transgender? “
Varner explained that he was trying to paint Smith as “deceitful, ” and the edited footage didn’t catch the contestant mentioning “there is no deception, I’m not deceiving anyone” right before Varner’s topic “just came out.”
Needless to say, the pointed topic shook the entire tribe — including Jeff Probst, who was so taken back by the moment that his brain “had to rewind and play it back.”
The longtime host told EW he was also outraged by the question, branding the accident as “one of the most raw and painful examines of human behaviour that has ever happened on Survivor.” He shared:
“I cannot see anyone thinking what was done to Zeke was okay on any level, under any circumstances, and surely not simply because there was a million dollars on the line. I belief the response from the tribe, as it so often does, mirrors what the vast majority of culture will feel. You simply don’t do that to someone.”
True that, Jeff.
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As disappointed as he was in Vernon, Probst was equally as impressed with Smith’s touching, eloquent response. He continued 😛 TAGEND
“I was still blown away by how he handled the entire situation. It was as if he had been preparing for this absolutely unpredictable, altogether public, and improbably vulnerable moment for his entire life. His calmnes was astounding I was also very impressed with the tendernes Zeke showed Varner. I wonder if some people will say he shouldn’t have hugged him or shouldn’t “ve forgiven” him.”
As for the shamed trans outer, Probst hopes Verner reads from this horrible act, adding 😛 TAGEND
“There is hope that something good can come from this. That would be my wish that Varner will impound this as an opportunity to be a catalyst for the positive developments by owning his mistake and moving forward in a new direction.”
Who knew reality tv could be so educational? Find out what Varner learned from this harrowing experience( below )!
[ Image via CBS .]
