Two reality TV contestants at the center of a social media firestorm are apologizing for their in-game actions 24 hours after one of the most controversial Survivor episodes ever to hit the airwaves.
Missy Byrd and Elizabeth Beisel, who had been under fire for their response to another contestant’s “inappropriate touching” accusations, both publicly apologized Thursday night on social media. As you’ll recall from our reporting on the incident, the apologies mark the culmination of a particularly contentious period for the popular reality TV adventure show.
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After Survivor: Island of the Idols contestant Kellee Kim shared her concerns about fellow cast member Dan Spilo‘s apparent hands-on behavior, Byrd and Beisel were caught on camera cynically gaming Kim’s real-life accusations to use to their advantage at the next Tribal Council. As the episode aired on Wednesday, real-time social media reaction to Byrd and Beisel’s actions was extremely negative — and now, both women have come forward with their regrets.
Byrd (pictured left), a former college basketball star at the United States Air Force Academy, was the first to publicly apologize to Kellee, using Twitter to share a prepared statement about the episode.
“Due to the nature of Survivor, I was viewing the game through a small lens with a limited scope. I did not have all the information on the subject and I made a game move that was unjust,” the contestant wrote in her statement. You can read the full thing (below):
https://twitter.com/themissybyrd/status/1195145200072413185
Less than an hour after Byrd’s apology, Beisel — a former competitive swimmer who represented the United States three times at the Olympics — published her own (much longer) piece, as well.
The controversial contestant (above, right) wrote, in part:
“After watching the episode, my eyes were opened to a completely different truth, and I received an abundance of information that I was entirely unaware of while playing the game. As a player, I am limited to my own experiences and knowing what I know now, my decisions would have been very different. After watching the episode, I am deeply ashamed with my actions and I apologize — they do not reflect my character and who I am in my day to day life.”
Here, too, is Beisel’s full apology (below):
— Elizabeth Beisel (@ebeisel34) November 15, 2019
As we previously reported, Kellee, Dan, and show host Jeff Probst have all already commented on the controversy, as well.
Interestingly enough, two other Survivor contestants thus far completely un-mentioned in this scandal also expressed their regrets on Thursday. Lauren Beck posted a Twitter thread noting her own experiences with Dan, as well as acknowledging not taking Kellee’s accusations more seriously at the time:
https://twitter.com/LaurenAshBeck/status/1195125442451144704
https://twitter.com/LaurenAshBeck/status/1195125672710148096
And fellow cast member Aaron Meredith posted a long video to Instagram with his own words about his accusatory behavior towards other cast members during the fateful Tribal Council, too. You can watch that three-and-a-half minute video HERE.
So much apologizing…
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The whole thing has blown up to such a great degree by now that CBS and MGM also released a joint statement about the inappropriate touching incident and aftermath, as well, which you can read here:
“In the episode broadcast last night, several female castaways discussed the behavior of a male castaway that made them uncomfortable. During the filming of this episode, producers spoke off-camera to all the contestants still in the game, both as a group and individually, to hear any concerns and advise about appropriate boundaries. A formal warning was also given to the male castaway in question. On Survivor, producers provide the castaways a wide berth to play the game. At the same time, all castaways are monitored and supervised at all times. They have full access to producers and doctors, and the production will intervene in situations where warranted.”
Well then. Quite a bit of walking back going on right now, isn’t there?!
With all the requisite apologies in place, this drama may soon die down, but something tells us the reality adventure show will receive a LOT of renewed interest when its next episode premieres on Wednesday at 8:00 p.m. ET on CBS.
Will U be watching, Perezcious readers??
[Image via Missy Byrd/Team USA/YouTube]
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