‘Survivor 48' star Mary Zheng reveals castmates have received ‘death threats' for their gameplay

New York Post

08-05-2025

'Survivor 48' star Mary Zheng doesn't support the online hate for her cast.
The 31-year-old substance abuse counselor was voted out on Wednesday's episode by the majority alliance that has steamrolled through the season — which hasn't been received well by a portion of the fanbase.
But in her exclusive interview with The Post, Zheng revealed that some viewers have taken their criticisms too far.
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7 Mary Zheng on 'Survivor' Season 48.
CBS via Getty Images
'When you're watching a show, you wanna be entertained, right? But when you're playing the game, you wanna feel safe, you wanna feel seen and you wanna win. And those are two completely different objectives,' Zheng said.
'I think everybody brings into the game everything from their past. Their strengths, their traumas, their egos. Everyone is literally playing the best that they can,' she continued. 'Nobody should be getting death threats.'
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7 Mary Zheng in her interview with The Post.
NY Post
7 David Kinne, Eva Erickson, Charity Nelms, Star Toomey, and Mary Zheng on 'Survivor 48.'
CBS via Getty Images
When asked if she's gotten death threats, Zheng responded, 'Oh no. Not me. No, I'm not talking about myself. The fans have been really great for me.'
Zheng also explained that while she felt ostracized by the other castaways during her final days on the show, she isn't holding any grudges against them.
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'I have a lot of grace for myself, but that means I also extend that grace to the people I played the game with,' she shared. 'Everybody was playing for the first time and everybody was just trying to make the moves that they thought were best for them. And I don't want anybody to think that I'm holding anything against anyone for the way that they played. Everyone's just out there trying their best.'
7 The cast of 'Survivor' Season 48.
CBS via Getty Images
Zheng opened up more about the 'incredibly frustrating' feeling of being on the outs of a group that refused to turn on each other.
'I knew that these people wanted to play more. Like, I had a conversation with Kyle [Fraser] that wasn't shown where I was like, 'Dude, are you proud of the game that you're playing right now? Like, is this how you imagined you'd be playing? I know you wanted to do more, so do it,'' she said.
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7 Mary Zheng on 'Survivor 48.'
CBS via Getty Images
'Yeah, I think people just kind of missed the moment,' Zheng added. 'Last vote, it could have been the moment. This vote, it could've been the movement. But for whatever reason… well, I know the reason. I think they just really had genuine connections out there. And I don't think that viewers understand how difficult it makes it. I don't know how difficult it makes it because I didn't really have any connections out there.'
7 Jeff Probst, Saiounia 'Sai' Hughley, Mary Zheng, and Cedrek McFadden on 'Survivor.'
CBS via Getty Images
'I would get to know someone, and then after a day they were gone,' Zheng noted. 'But I love my castmates now. But when I was out there, I didn't have those connections. Everybody was like playing this connection game — and it wasn't a game. They weren't playing a game, right? I was trying to play a game.'
Zheng also spoke about her contentious relationship with original Vula tribemate Saiounia Hughley and if they made amends after leaving Fiji.
7 Saiounia 'Sai' Hughley on 'Survivor 48.'
CBS via Getty Images
'Sai called me after the game and apologized and I accepted her apology. We're good,' Zheng shared.
'Survivor' airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET on CBS.