Time’s Up is applaudingSurvivorfor admitting it mishandled the sexual misconduct allegations against former contestantDan Spilothat occurred during the most reason season,Island of the Idols.
On Wednesday night’sfinale reunion special, hostJeff Probstaddressed the show’s errors and personally apologized to contestantKellee Kim, who first spoke out about the 48-year-old player’s conduct on the show before she was eliminated.
“We are committed to doing our part to turn this into something positive,” Probst told Kim.
In response, Tina Tchen, president and CEO of theTime’s Up Foundation, released a statement commending the CBS series and Probst for how they handled the controversy during the finale.
“Tonight, millions of viewers witnessed an unprecedented cultural moment in television history:Survivorhost Jeff Probst publicly acknowledged that the show failed Kellee Kim when she came forward to say she had been sexually harassed andSurvivordid not take appropriate action,” Tchen said. “In doing so,Survivorused its cultural influence to take responsibility and have an honest and direct dialogue about a serious, systemic problem that has been ignored for far too long.”
Kellee Kim and Dan Spilo.Robert Voets/CBS (2)
“Sadly, what happened to Kellee onSurvivorthis season is the same sort of painful scenario that plays out every day across industries and occupations, and up and down the wage scale: someone is treated inappropriately in a working environment and is concerned they will be retaliated against for raising the issue with management — only to have those exact fears come to pass,” Tchen continued.
“But tonight, in an emotional and raw interview,Survivordid the right thing and gave Kellee a platform to share her truth,” she added. “What’s more, Probst began the conversation with three powerful words: ‘You were right.’ And Kelleewasright: Because whether you are on a reality show, in an office, or on the factory floor, every person deserves to feel safe from harassment, assault, and abuse at work, no exceptions.”
“Culture in any workplace starts at the top,” Tchen said. “It is powerful to see Probst take ownership of this issue, and it is also really powerful to see CBS’sSurvivoracknowledge its mistakes and commit to beginning the hard work necessary to take sexual harassment out of the game and ensure contestants and crew alike feel safe and respected at all times moving forward.”
The Time’s Up Initiative, which was founded on Jan. 1, 2018, has raised millions of dollars for theLegal Defense Fund, which helps victims of sexual harassment protect themselves from sexual misconduct and the fallout from reporting it.
Kellee Kim.Monty Brinton/CBS
When Kim was given the opportunity to speak during the reunion show, she expressed she was nervous about finally having her moment to address the scandal before explaining that one of the hardest things for her was the fact that Spilo remained in the game even after she expressed concerns about his behavior.
“The reason why is not necessarily the injustice, it’s because I felt like I spoke up and I was not being supported or believed,” Kim said. “And when someone goes through something like this or even something remotely like it, to not be supported and not be believed is really the hardest thing.”
Probst said that Kim’s points were the biggest takeaway that he and the others behind the show learned from the situation.
“Your voice should have been enough,” Probst told Kim. “One silver lining is it will next time. We learned a lot from you being willing to stand up and take it and continue and try and play.”
Spilo was eventuallyremoved from the gameafter an incident in which he allegedly touched a female producer’s thigh as he was getting into a transport boat.
The incident came just weeks after Spilo, a Hollywood agent, was accused ofinappropriately touchingKim. During the controversial episode, Kim expressed concern that Spilo had violated her personal space, even after she made multiple requests for him to stop. He was not removed at the time and it was Kim that was voted off the island.
Dan Spilo.Robert Voets/CBS Entertainment
In addition to his removal from the show, producersalso uninvitedSpilo from the finale reunion special. Ahead of the finale, Spilo apologized for his actions in an exclusive statement to PEOPLE on Tuesday.
“I am deeply sorry for how my actions affected Kellee during the taping of this season ofSurvivor,” he said. “After apologizing at the tribal council when I first learned that Kellee still felt uncomfortable, I want to make sure I do so again, clearly and unambiguously.”
source: people.com
