Dan Spilo, the controversial Survivor contestant who was recently booted from the show, is speaking for the first time since his ousting.
For those who missed it, the talent manager was removed from the game on day 36 after an off-camera incident was reported of him touching a female producer’s thigh while he was getting into a transport boat. This came weeks after the airing of the episode in which fellow contestant Kellee Kim accused him of inappropriate touching.
Related: ‘Survivor’ Alum Silas Gaither Arrested On Rape & Assault Charges
In a new statement to People, 48-year-old Spilo addressed the controversy in an apology:
“I am deeply sorry for how my actions affected Kellee during the taping of this season of Survivor. After apologizing at the tribal council when I first learned that Kellee still felt uncomfortable, I want to make sure I do so again, clearly and unambiguously.”
He continued:
“I truly regret that anyone was made to feel uncomfortable by my behavior. In my life, I have always tried to treat others with decency, integrity and kindness. I can only hope that my actions in the future can help me to make amends and show me to be the kind of father, husband, colleague and friend that I always aim to be.”
It was said Dan would address the incidents during Survivor‘s live finale, but he has been uninvited from the show after the latest occurrence involving a producer.
As we initially reported, Kellee expressed being uncomfortable after the Hollywood agent continued to violate her personal space with unwanted touching, despite her requests for him to stop. After bringing this up with other contestants, she was voted out as part of a strategy for the game.
During one episode of the reality show, text on-screen revealed producers talked to each contestant individually and as a group to discuss “personal boundaries.”
One contestant, Aaron Meredith, told Parade of the sit-down:
“It was just a very vague blanket statement telling me if I ever felt unsafe, I should let production know. There was never any indication that something was going on or that someone had issues.”
Following the controversy, CBS has finally announced new changes coming to the series, as well as the rest of their reality TV lineup.
Specifically in regards to Survivor though, they’ve mentioned some have already been put in place for season 40, which has already been filmed, and the rest will be in effect for all the seasons following.
The network statement read:
“Season 39 of Survivor has been unprecedented for all of us, with important social issues and inappropriate individual behavior intersecting with game play in complex ways that we’ve never seen before. During the course of the production, we listened to the players intently, investigated responsibly and responded accordingly, including taking the unprecedented step of removing a player from the game. At the same time, we are responsible for the final outcome of this season. We recognize there are things we could have done differently, and we are determined to do better going forward.”
It continued:
“Survivor has a 20-year track record of a strong support system on locations and after production. It is also a show that continues to evolve, as we respond to what we learn from every new situation and every player. We will take the important lessons we learned from this season and adopt new protocols and procedures for future seasons, to ensure that the events that occurred this season are not repeated.”
A new pre-production cast orientation includes “specific guidelines regarding personal space, inappropriate behavior, and how to report these issues,” which already began with season 40.
It will also go over new anti-harassment, unconscious bias, and sensitivity training for everyone on location.
And in the future, “producers are reviewing all elements of the show to further support appropriate interaction, including how the players live during, as well as after they are eliminated from, the competition.”
This is all so Survivor can “take additional steps to enhance procedures for training, reporting of issues, and prohibited forms of game play,” as well as having professionals on-site for any crew and contestants to confidentially report any concerns.
Removing all ambiguity, there will also be a new rule “stating unwelcome physical contact, sexual harassment and impermissible biases cannot be brought into the competition and will not be permitted as part of gameplay. This will be covered in the cast orientation for each season, along with clear instructions on how to report violations.”
A third-party expert in the field will also be hired “to review, evolve or add to these new policies and procedures going forward.”
Sure, everyone’s been calling this season “unprecedented,” but shouldn’t they have prepared for this regardless?? For this to only illicit changes after season 39 sounds a little bit wild.
All crew and contestants should be made to feel safe.
We can only hope this will be addressed further during the live finale.
[Image via CBS/YouTube]
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