While getting blindsided is common on "Survivor," the on-air outing of the reality show's contestant Zeke Smith as transgender not only surprised the veteran contender, but it outraged fans.
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A transgender 'Survivor' contestant was outed on the show, and people are enraged: 'Despicable'
"Survivor" fans expressed outrage when "Survivor" veteran Zeke Smith was outed as transgender in the middle of competition by a fellow contender.
Zeke Smith on "Survivor: Gamechangers."
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In a moment of desperation during the tribal council, Jeff Varner, a three-season "Survivor" contender, hoped to avoid elimination on Wednesday's episode of "Survivor: Gamechangers" by proving that Smith was a master of deception. In addition to revealing Smith's secret alliance with fan favorite Ozzy Lusth, Varner hoped to prove his point by revealing that Smith had been hiding that he's transgender.
The ripple effects of Varner's decision came quickly. On the episode, fellow competitors and host Jeff Probst berated him. He was then eliminated from the game by an oral vote as Probst felt it was unnecessary to go through with the formal ballot vote after Varner's actions.
Fans swifty reacted with rage on social media. Here's a sample of the outraged tweets:
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While he first defended outing Smith on the show, Varner ended the episode with apologies and a tearful goodbye. He also posted an apology on Twitter, calling his actions an "assault" and the "worst decision of my life."
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Probst condemned the outing and said there's no justification for outing someone as Varner did with Smith.
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