2 days ago
CBS plunged into huge crisis as beloved Survivor star who's appearing on reunion contest embroils herself in ugly scandal
CBS faces a nightmare over its new Survivor show after its star contestant Stephenie Lagrossa Kendrick went on a late night anti-Semitic Instagram rant.
Stephenie Lagrossa Kendrick, who has appeared on the long-running show 3 times — and recently returned from filming the show's upcoming landmark 50th season in Fiji — hurled insults at Eliza Orlins, a Jewish contestant who has competed twice on the show.
Kendrick, 46, was angry that Orlins released a dossier called 'The Stephenie LaGrossa Kendrick Files: MAGA, Misinformation, And Deleted Receipts,' calling her out on her conservative politics. Orlins, a public defender in New York, occasionally criticizes fellow contestants with views she deems 'problematic.'
But Kendrick unleashed a foul tirade Sunday night - with her foul-mouthed rant now likely to give CBS bosses the vapors.
"Don't come at me with your political status when you're f***ing Jewish,' Kendrick says into the camera. 'Your parents are 1% of the population of wealth.'
'Don't you dare try to say I'm some right-wing bigot. Don't you say that I'm some anti-f***ing gay sh**.' I love gay people. I love people from all walks of life. I don't care who you identify by. F*** you, Eliza.'
'If you think you're gonna try to f***ing ruin me for one second, you're sadly mistaken. Good luck, bitch.'
As the offensive video spread across reality TV fan groups and message boards, the show's cast and crew wondered what it meant for the show's heavily-hyped 50th season, which airs in the spring.
'My heart sank and my blood ran cold,' says one Survivor crew member. 'Stephenie is a huge part of Survivor, and she's going to be a big character on the biggest season ever for the franchise. We've already filmed, so I guess there's not a lot we can do.'
'We had a group text going, and someone sent the link to the video. Everyone is like, "oh we are so beyond f***ed."'
Orlins, 42, told the Daily Mail that she wasn't the least bit surprised by the abusive video.
'I'm not surprised by Stephenie's defamatory or bigoted remarks because I've known her for nearly 20 years,' she said. 'I didn't know she was anti-Semitic - but again, given her history and the fantastic president she supports, it's not surprising.'
'I hope CBS sees this video ahead of Survivor 50 airing, because I doubt this is the kind of person they want representing their network on the national stage.'
Kendrick, who is married to former Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Kyle Kendrick, told the Daily Mail that she had made the video after 'my husband and I just put the kids to bed and were drinking wine.'
'During a conversation in which I was calling out someone for what I perceived as a lack of support for the Jewish community, I misspoke in a way that was abrupt, poorly worded, and offensive,' she said. 'What I meant to express was frustration that someone who is Jewish was not standing up for their own community in a moment that called for unity and support. However, the way I said it was wrong, and I take full responsibility for how it came across.'
'I want to be absolutely clear: I stand fully and unequivocally in support of the Jewish people. I condemn all forms of antisemitism, discrimination, and hate. My comment was not meant to target the Jewish community in any way, and I deeply regret that it may have come across that way.'
'To those I hurt and offended: I hear you and I am truly sorry. I am committed to learning from this and continuing to be a vocal ally for all marginalized communities, including the Jewish community.'
Kendrick first competed on Survivor Palau back in 2005. One of the strongest women to ever compete on the show, she outlasted her entire tribe and was left to survive on a tribe by herself. Author Suzanne Collins watched her on the show and was inspired to write the Hunger Games.
At the time, Kendrick was the most popular contestant on CBS's website poll, scoring a 92% favorable rating.
Although she returned the same year for Survivor Guatemala, and again for 2010's Heroes vs. Villains — Kendrick has yet to win the game.
Orlins competed on Survivor: Vanuatu in 2004, and again in Survivor Micronesia in 2008. After competing on The Amazing Race, she unsuccessfully ran for Manhattan District Attorney in New York before returning to her work as a public defender.
