By Survivor Guest Correspondent Cho
The latest episode of Survivor was dramatic enough but was a secret showmance between Angelina and John the real reason for Jeremy’s torch getting snuffed? The showdown at tribal council was one of the biggest we’ve seen yet. Two literal goliaths went to-to-toe, and one of them lost the battle. If you haven’t watched or read about the last episode, STOP NOW, and go read my recap!
Due to an abnormally busy day, I’m late checking my twitter timeline but lo and behold, I finally got home and read the latest interview by the smart and handsome Dalton Ross where he interviews the latest Survivor to be booted off the show. Please definitely check out his interview here, because it is chock full of crazy!
On the last episode, Natalie Cole was slated to be the obvious 9-1 first boot of the Goliath tribe. She’s annoyed half of the tribe and was horribly unaware of how she came off to others. However, the edit lead us to believe that Jeremy made himself seem so untrustworthy and unpredictable that his tribemates had to dispatch of him before he became a bigger threat. He ended up leaving 9-1, and the vote was spearheaded by Angelina Keeley.
In Jeremy’s exit interview with Dalton Ross, he says there is a much more insidious reason for why he was voted off:
“In the same way that Dan was in a one-sided showmance with Kara, actually Angelina was in a one-sided showmance with John. The difference being that Angelina was a recent newlywed. I think she got married maybe a month or two before the show.”
Here is what Angelina told us about her reason for being on Survivor:
I want to win because my husband will head out on his second deployment this year, and I want to be a source of strength and inspiration for other military families who have endured long months and years away from their soldier. Also, winning a million dollars is obviously a huge motivation–like many Americans I have a lot of student debt from school, and being able to pay that off would be a game changer.
I think it’s interesting that Jeremy remarks that Dan and Kara’s showmance is one-sided. Remember my post about how misogynistic it was for the Goliath men to target Kara for her showmance with Dan? I’m happy to see that Jeremy wasn’t drinking the kool-aid and falling in line that narrative! The bigger bombshell is that Angelina and John are allegedly in a showmance despite her being a newlywed. That’s not a good look if true, but if I were on the island, I’d be all over John like flies on a horse’s arse. The time that Survivors must cuddle is long. Jeremy asserts that Angelina became increasingly affectionate towards John, potentially in a way that might make her look bad. But Jeremy goes on even further to explain why Angelina specifically targeted him:
“I made a comment to [the tribe] like, “Oh, if they catch this on camera, Angelina’s going to be in trouble.” Because she was letting her guard down and it looked like a showmance. That got back to Angelina. The morning of Tribal, that got back to her.”
Jeremy goes on to say that once it got back to her what he said, she went ballistic and went out of her way to rally her allies to target him. She even allegedly went so far as to tell her tribemates to not speak of the true reasons behind her motives on camera since she didn’t want any trouble with her husband when she got off the show.
It’s worth noting that Jeremy came into his interview with a prepared statement specifically in reference to Angelina and why he was voted off. He’s gone through the whole media circus copying and pasting this statement to interviewers. Really y’all, go read the full interview. It’s a mess! Outside of the intense accusations against Angelina, he talks about his relationship with Natalie and the situation with him searching through Dan’s belongings to find his idol.
With the press enthralled by Jeremy’s exposé, Angelina has decided to respond to the accusations by giving a statement to The Hollywood Reporter:
“My husband and I are aware of Jeremy’s comments,” she said. “While we do not appreciate his blatant mischaracterization of my friendship and alliance with John, I am not surprised he feels compelled to attempt to revise the narrative… being the first eliminated member of your tribe by a unanimous, undisclosed blindside, must really sting, especially for a supposed ‘Goliath.’”
I found the interview very interesting, but I’m unsure where I stand on things. It’s not very often that people on Survivor cheat on their partners at home. I mean, this isn’t Big Brother or anything like that! Do you think Angelina booted Jeremy to cover up her alleged cheating ways? Could you imagine the embarrassment of getting married then getting cheated on?! Jeremy is smart. He’s lawyer smart, but is this simply a case of a bitter castaway going out of his way to punish the people he deemed responsible for his eviction? ALSO, there’s tea being served to me that Jeremy allegedly quit ponderosa after being voted off. I don’t know how reliable that rumor is, but it could make sense the way Jeremy is behaving now towards the cast. Team Jeremy or Team Angelina?! Let me know your thoughts in the comment section below and don’t forget to follow me on social media: Instagram, Twitter, Youtube and Twitch!
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Well this is certainly JUICY! I love that we have a reason to be focused on John and Angelina’s interaction. It gives us a whole new reason to watch! As if we needed one… I am loving this season. It’s season 37 and I am just as big of a fan when I was spoiling the very first seasons!
I for one don’t think if there was a “secret showmance” that it would be kept a secret. I expect to see some photos of this tribe with Angelina and John sleeping side by side.
OR… Could this be the reason for the early tribe change? If Angelina and John end up on opposite tribes I’ll be super suspicious. Oh and I must have said merge in the comments of the recap when I meant, tribe swap. I’m a bit under the weather these days. I blame the hurricane and the change of seasons.
So do you believe Jeremy or Angelina? I see no reason for Jeremy to make up this sort of allegation. It did seem very strange to me that they would boot a strong male so early and not the obnoxious older lady who seems to be annoying everyone….
Oh moving forward, my eyes will be GLUED to John and Angelina. I find it so hard to believe that CBS is allegedly trying to help cover up this situation via the swap, but you never know. Also, Jeremy said that the showmance was “ONE-SIDED” like Dan and Kara. So we are led to believe that Angela is more into John than the other way around just like Dan is into Kara more than the other way around. Why wouldn’t CBs exploit this story line too?
Overall, I think I believe Jeremy. It seems too specific of a story for him to have made completely up. I believe the part where he mentioned how she might look bad, and then someone ran and told on him.
That being said, I DON’T believe Angela has really done anything that would be considered cheating. At least not that we’ve seen. It’s such a dramatic situation.
Also, I look forward to more bonus posts. Something tells me this won’t be the last dramatic situation to come out of this season…
Oh and John was ENGAGED while on the show and married fellow wrestler Taya Valkyrie shortly after David vs. Goliath finished taping.
WOW, I didn’t even know this part of the story. Jeremy said this showmance was one-sided, so I think John is in the clear of any scrutiny.
Well, it sure ended up getting back to the husband! WOW!
People are so damn stupid.
I haven’t been able to identify Angelina’s husband yet, but I also haven’t done too much digging. Maybe we’ll get an update to the story.
Jeremy goofed up with the “there are too many side meetings” meeting, and trying to stop Natalie from talking with the rest of the group. Paranoia will destroy ya. But still, he had a good heart and I liked him better than I like many there, including Natalie (though I feel a little sorry for her at times… she’s her worst enemy)… and I cannot STAND Angelina. I hate snotty little bitches who brag about how they use “the power of persuasion” for their own petty, selfish interests. I think Jeremy’s version about her having an eye for John is certainly plausible and I will be watching for it. Either way, I will applaud when Angelina is blindsided, hopefully soon.
Like and agree!
Thanks Cynthia for the comment! So I take it you’re Team Jeremy in his beef with Angelina. I will definitely be having my eyes glued to the TV screen moving forward. I just hope Angelina and John are on the same tribes during the switch. If not, that will be peculiar.
Well stated!! I agree totally about Angelina….when she pulled the “I WANT HIM GONE” line it certainly struck a chord with me. The other players should have seen red flags with her assertiveness in wanting him gone. But he did ultimately put the nail in his own coffin between the “meeting” and tribal.
Naomi, Cho, & Lee Collette
Thanks for responding…. I guess I could be called “Team Jeremy” insofar as I currently don’t like Angelina, and I thought Jeremy had a lot of interesting game left in him. I like a character with many facets and fits the bill there IMO. When he spoke about his dad… that was quite touching. I had hoped he would survive this week and LEARN from his missteps. And Angelina’s arrogant (IMO) attitude grated on me.
THAT BEING SAID…. one of the things I love about Survivor is, the person you adore and root for this week, could act like an ass next week, and you can’t stand ’em. And the snotty entitled girl I can’t stand this week, COULD be someone I grow to admire. (I can’t imagine it right now… but IJS.) This game is awesome that way! LOL 🙂
Oh Cynthia I totally agree with you. I was actually disappointed that Jeremy’s time was cut so short, because he ended up being exactly the dynamic character that people at home can connect with on some level. We still have to see how Angelina behaves in the coming episodes. Something tells me she’s not out of the drama quite yet!!
Jeremy may be a smart attorney, but his people skills are lacking.
First, he goes into someone’s personal items to search for that person’s idol. This is allowed, but he did let others know how he located the idol. This would make me think. Hmm, I cannot trust this guy not to invade my personal space.
Natalie. I do think Jeremy meant well (DID he?) when he pulled Natalie aside to give her good advice, BUT.. It seems like the advice was unsolicited, and she made that clear.
So, now they lost a chalky and they lost on a puzzle that Natalie admits to contributing to the loss. And before the challegd, she apparently lobbied to do that task.
So combine that loss with a person whose personality was like sandpaper, and there was talk of voting her out.
Jeremy seemed to feel compelled to try and convict her in the court of tribal council. He overdue it.
And others saw him being a cut throat lawyer, while also having a charming side..
Angelina.. was being accused by Jeremy potentially getting in trouble for what he perceived as a showmance and outing her to others.. using the poisoning the wells technique.
I would want him gone because I might be the next person he wants to throw under the bus by searching personal items, or declaring me a problem, or casting aspersions against me.
He gave people a good reason to get him out. A swap of tribes and Jeremy would be slinging mud at others on his original tribe. All allowed on Survivor, but he was too up front about it.
And out he goes.. And he just cannot stop. Prepared statement..
As for Angelina, production allowed someone still in the game in terms of shows being broadcast, to make a statement. They had to give her permission, and I gather this was a first.
I am not on Team Jeremy.
I have to agree. I like Jeremy, but he’s very extra… and while I can’t say he’s lying – I didn’t really pick up on anything about this purported showmance. Why would the producers or the other castmates care enough to cover it up for her? Even if they were flirting, who cares? One thing I like about Survivor is that showmances are rare. I don’t watch this show for Bachelor-type canoodling.
Jeremy did enough conniving and sneaking to make the other members of the team distrust him all on his own. I don’t think Angelina had to come for him at all. Natalie seems like a grump, but she’s fairly inert. Whereas Jeremy came out of the gate playing HARD. Natalie would be a useful goat, but Jeremy was bound to overplay his hand – he just can’t play it cool.
Sorry Jeremy! I hope you get another shot and play it more strategic, but this just strikes me as bitterness.
Also, they are recorded almost all the time. Not as invasive as Big Brother, but pretty darn close I would imagine. I’m sure they would have picked up on some of it by now. That being said, I can understand the other people in her alliance trying to help her cover up since they are “friends” and “allies” in the game. I can’t confirm that Jeremy is telling the truth or lying, but I do lean on his side against Angelina.
It just seems like such a specific situation that I can’t imagine anyone lying about it.
Cho, I agree. I don’t know what to believe about that story… but right now, I am turned off by Angelina, and wish I would be seeing more streategic gameplay from Jeremy.
What I perceive as her arrogance has planted me on Team Jeremy if it’s between Jeremy and Angelina, lol
haha I totally understand. Angelina’s move seemed sorta out of no where to be honest. Like, I guess she convinced me that it made since, but she also is the self proclaimed queen of persuasion so maybe I’m manipulated to?!
That’s an interesting assertion that I didn’t think of. I don’t think the Survivors are allowed to talk to media until after they are voted off. They can chat on their private social media accounts, but them giving her the green light to speak with Hollywood Reporter is really interesting! CBS is definitely Team Angelina. I wonder what else Jeremy has done that has pissed CBS off… maybe the fact that he’s alleging CBS is a part of the cover up somehow with Angelina asking people to not speak of the showmance on camera? idk
I thought only jury members go to Ponderosa?
Linda, they seem to hold the first boots at Ponderosa until jury starts.
I t keeps them away from social media and I suppose if the lost a couple to injury at jury time, maybe the last boots are like juror alternates?
Not sure..
And I suppose they get stipend during the wait.
As Lynn says, they hold them until jury starts. I think it’s a way to prevent them from leaking information about the show or the audience figuring out who’s been voted off early. I’m sure TT could expand more on how this works. lol
No problem Cynthia! Hopefully my auntie TT will be understanding of your mistake. Please go and read Rule #2 in the commenting rules section. If you have some tea that you’d like to serve us from other sites, it’s always safer to simply email us the tea instead of positing/mentioning it in the comment section. It’s simply proper etiquette in the blogging world I believe.
That being said, yes, I remember the leaks about how much money each contestant makes, specifically those being booted before the jury phase and CBS’ desire to keep spoilers from leaking by keeping them on the island.
In another interview Jeremy continues to run his mouth and cast aspersions about others on the tribe.
John doesn’t have social skills, not a leader, didn’t have the skill set to campaign and Jeremy didn’t feel threatened by him.
He reveals that no one cuddled with him and there was a group of six who did cuddle. Heck, I would cuddle In that cold and rain.
He claims he played a flawless game.
He says they knew there was going to be a swap. That is why he wanted Natalie out and wanted no side conversations.
You should email me that interview. [email protected] He’s talking to anyone that has ears! He’s done so many interviews, I can’t really keep track, but he definitely contradicts himself if the statements you post above are true.
How is John’s social skills whack when he’s the one in the cuddling alliance and you aren’t? The gag is, I think Jeremy’s boot was obviously initiated by Angelina, but John also supported it, because this is the second time he’s said that he wants to keep Natalie in the game for his own selfish reasons. If anything, Jeremy SHOULD have felt threatened by John.
Seems like the 6 people cuddling are the ones in the alliance. Obviously, Jeremy saw himself on the outside. Flawless game, eh?
Flawless. Trust me.
I don’t like Jeremy or Angelina, but I could believe this. Rewatching the episode from this perspective, it makes more sense. I’ll be watching Angelina closely.
I actually am ok with them both. I thought Jeremy was supremely rude to Natalie while she kept her composure under his litany of attacks. I think they’re both entertaining. Still, I’m watching Angelina like a hawk now! lol
Right now, the only person I DISLIKE is Natalia. She seems like an uber brat, and I want nothing more than for Natalie to outlast her.
Natalia is my local survivor.. but I really know nothing about her, good or bad.
Hi Cho, and thanks for the recaps!
So if Jeremy is saying that the showmance was “one-sided“ meaning, John was not as into her as she was into him, isn’t that just a juiced up way of saying that Angelina had a crush on John? Or found him physically attractive?
If I was Angelina and heard him trying to spin innocuous bs into drama my way, I would want him out, too. I don’t think her “gunning” for him is proof of his accusations.
And if it were true, CBS would have been all over it.
There’s still a lot we don’t know and even more that simply doesn’t make sense. Thank you for your contributions to the conversation. I hope you stick around for more of my recaps. I appreciate you. <3
I was left stunned. Hope next episode will help me process this. Not sure how I feel.
Let me know your thoughts when you can!! 🙂