Survivor's [Spoiler] Says Jonny Fairplay Accused Her Of 'Ruining Season 50' After Calling Out Gender Inequality
Spoilers ahead for Episode 6 of "Survivor 50!
A blood moon has risen and its mere presence rocked the beaches of "Survivor 50"!
In the show's first-ever triple elimination episode, 15 castaways (minus Ozzy and Rizo, who were sent to Exile Island) were split into three mini tribes for Wednesday's immunity challenge. With each tribe fighting for individual immunity, each group attended Tribal separately, meaning three castaways were sent packing to Ponderosa. The real bummer: The jury portion of the game starts next week.
In the night's first vote, Kamilla and Tiffany thought they had Jonathan in their pocket, but Jonathan ultimately sided with Chrissy and Stephenie, making Season 48 standout Kamilla the very first victim of the show's devilish merge twist. (Read our full recap here.)
Below, Kamilla talks to TVLine about Jonathan's big betrayal (and pre-game alliance!), how Kyle's exit affected her game, and a truly insane run-in she had with... Jonny Fairplay?! (And check back soon here or on our YouTube page for full video of the interview!)
TVLINE | Jonathan flipped on you! I was shocked. I totally thought Chrissy was cooked. How are you feeling now about that betrayal?
KAMILLA KARTHIGESU | I'm good, I'm good. I understand it. If I was in their shoes, yeah, I'd stick around with that alliance, see how far it gets me.
TVLINE | Were you at all aware of Jonathan's connection to Chrissy? What was your perception of that?
So Mike had told us about it, but Jonathan, honestly, he did a good job at playing that he and Chrissy were separated, because even on our starting tribe, he's talking, "Yeah, you know, I wanna get Chrissy out. I wanted to do this since early Kalo." So he did a good job of that. Mike though, when he went on his journey with Colby and Savannah, Colby had talked about this pre-game alliance, and Jonathan and Chrissy were part of that, so I was like, "Oh, maybe Jonathan's stepping away from that pre-game alliance. Maybe he doesn't actually wanna play with them. Maybe he wants to play with different types of players, like me and Tiff," and so that's why I was really shocked. I really thought he wasn't gonna stick with the pre-game alliance. But if he turns on them early, then they're all going to turn on him, so I get it.
Jonny Fairplay strikes again
TVLINE | Kamilla, I have to say, I wanted to see so much more of you and your game! Angelina spoke out last week about this season not representing the women enough. What are your thoughts on that?
So I knew I wasn't gonna get that much of an edit. Honestly, the months leading up to the season, I was honestly like, "I hope they purple me." I don't want to see myself. I feel like I got decent screen time. I'm OK with the amount I got given, how I placed, and how irrelevant I was to the story.
As for talking about the gender inequality in the edit, I was actually told by Jonny Fairplay last night, in person, that me being vocal about this and Angelina being vocal about this, we're actually ruining Season 50. So I will refrain from commenting. [Your interviewer gives a very shocked face.] Yeah, we're ruining Season 50. So, I'm gonna take Jonny Fairplay's advice and not comment. I will say he did, like two hours later, come up to me and try and start the same conversation again. And then, I was like, "Oh yeah? You said I was ruining the season, so I don't wanna..." And he's like, "I never said that!" I'm like, "You said me reposting Angelina's stuff. You said Angelina was ruining the season!" He's like, "No, no, no, I was joking! I was joking!" Then five minutes later in the conversation, he pulls out these photos and he's like, "Can you sign them for me?" So I'm like, OK, he needed something. That's why two hours later he was joking. So, yeah, I'm just not gonna comment on it because apparently I'm ruining Season 50 with Angelina.
TVLINE | I... don't even know how to respond to that right now.
I'm so glad that he had this conversation with me because I'm like, "This is easy. He just gave me content for all my exit press."
TVLINE | I saw you teasing on Instagram, like, "Oh, get ready for my exit press tomorrow." I don't want to put words in your mouth, but is it safe to say that you agree with Angelina?
I mean, there have been edits in the past where women get completely shafted. And the most recent one I could think of was Erica's win [in "Survivor 41"] Why did we see nothing? And honestly, the vote where it was between Charlie and Rizo, from my perspective, also from Jonathan's perspective, he called me and he was like, "Were we wrong? I thought that was all Dee." We all thought that Dee was the one orchestrating everything and having all the conversations with everyone and making everyone talk to each other. So, they could have showed that from Dee's perspective. And there are a couple of things where the same people are getting the same screen time, but that's what production sees as entertaining, and that's what a lot of people see as entertaining, so let them have it. I can confidently say that I'm not an entertaining person, so I understand why I was not included in the screen time. I'm just not entertaining. I get it.
TVLINE | Well, I disagree with that statement, but we can move on. How much did having Season 48 air right before your departure for "50" affect your game?
I think it was rough for a certain group of people, and for other people, they were willing to look past it and were like, "I wanna play with someone who's playing the game. I wanna play with the strategist." Dee and Tiff were willing to work with me. Charlie and Mike were willing to work with me. Coach had strategy conversations with me. I think that's why Cirie and Rizo also at the swap wanted to talk to me. Ozzy as well. But then there was a group of people who were like, "Yeah, no. Get me away from her, get her out of here," kind of thing. And I was told that after the game as well by a group. They were like, "You had no chance. We wanted you out." So I'm like, "Good to know. I don't feel that bad anymore."
A plan to boot Jonathan failed to take shape
TVLINE | Speaking of 48, you know I have to ask you about your boy Kyle! As much as you two josh each other, we saw you get emotional when he was pulled from the game! Tell me about that moment a bit.
When I got the call for "50," I immediately went into prep to do everything I could to be better than I was on "48," and I assume Kyle was doing the same thing. You grind out those months leading up to "50," and so I know he put so much into it. It was such an early MedEvac, too, so I felt so bad for him. Also, I don't know sports injuries, so I'm like, "Is this really bad? Is this an issue that's gonna be with him for the rest of his life?" I was so worried for him. And also, there was a part of me where it was like, "I feel seriously lonely out here," because even people who played on different seasons, they were at least friends with each other. They knew each other. I didn't have any of that. I had Joe and Kyle, and I didn't really talk to other people that weren't on my season [beforehand], or if I did, they weren't on "50." So I felt pretty lonely in that moment too.
TVLINE | Kind of like new kid in school vibes?
Yeah. I've got no one. I'm by myself.
TVLINE | Did Kyle's early departure help your game at all?
I think that yeah, at least I'm not gonna be in this undercover alliance with Kyle, and maybe it's why I wasn't a target at the Charlie/Rizo boot, because maybe if Kyle was still in there, I would have been a name that was being thrown around. We were a majority, but maybe Devens, Cirie, and Rizo would have gotten together to get me out and pulled in one more person, so it possibly did help me.
TVLINE | Had you have made it deeper in the game, who would you have continued to work with?
I know in all my pre-game press, I was like, "I'm scared of her, I'm terrified of her," but after talking to Rizo, I was like, "I really, really, really wanna work with Genevieve." It's really funny how things played out. Then after hearing how close Cirie was with Ozzy, I wanted to get to know them more. Obviously Dee and Tiff, but I feel like they would probably get rid of me before we got that far, because you know that they're cutthroat players. I know what I'm playing with. I know that they're game players. I know they're gonna make a move, but it was just exciting and thrilling to play with them.
TVLINE | There were a lot of people in pre-game that were scared of Genevieve. I heard that a lot!
Yes, she's scary. She found two idols. She found two idols! She found an idol that was on my starting beach that everyone was looking for and none of us could find it. She found it.
TVLINE | What was the most difficult aspect of returning to play such a highly anticipated returnees season?
Oh man, oh man, oh man. I think in my head I was very afraid of the perception people had of me from "48." I was like, "How do I get rid of that?" It was so different compared to "48," because on "48," no one wanted to throw a name, and Day 1 on "50," everyone's throwing out names, so I'm just like, "Oh my god, this game is so much faster. I gotta keep up." I think just managing the perception that people had of me was the scariest thing.
TVLINE | Anything we didn't see on TV that you'd like to share?
I was trying to get Jonathan out instead of Charlie or Rizo. I didn't want to vote for Charlie or Rizo. Also, I was not the swing vote. There was no way I was getting rid of Rizo. I knew when this guy was lying to me. And also, I needed him so I could have access to Genevieve. Charlie and I had the same people we were playing with. Charlie at the merge brings me no new friends. Rizo brings me new friends. But I actually wanted to get rid of Jonathan and I told my tribe, "We're swapping tomorrow," and no one believed me. They were like, "We need him for challenges." And then, bam! We merge at 17.
TVLINE | Ending with a very important, albeit nerdy question. I know you're a gamer, so with the blood moon in mind, do you play "Zelda" and if so, what's your favorite "Zelda" game?
I don't play "Zelda," but I'm aware of the blood moon in "Zelda." I actually play a different game that has a blood moon, and that's what I was thinking of, "V Rising." When there's a blood moon in "V Rising," you actually get superpowers, so it turns out this is more of a "Zelda" blood moon for me and not a "V Rising" one. I'm pretty sure Tiffany was talking about "Zelda: Breath of the Wild" [at Tribal Council].