Castaway but not forgotten. Former Survivor: Island of the Idols contestant Kellee Kim spoke out on Wednesday, December 11, following the news that Dan Spilo had been removed from the reality series for an “off-camera incident.”
“Tonight, on CBS Survivor, Dan Spilo was kicked off the show for, once again, inappropriate touching. While Dan’s dismissal has validated the concerns that I raised from the beginning of this season, I wish that no one else had to be subjected to this type of behavior,” Kellee, 29, wrote on Twitter on Wednesday.
Beginning with episode 1 of season 39, Kellee complained to Dan, 48, and told him that his touching made her uncomfortable, but it wasn’t until day 22 that production stepped in and gave him a warning about his behavior.
After his removal from the series, Kellee expressed all of her thoughts on social media. “CBS and Survivor were on notice of Dan’s behavior from the very first days of the game. And, as Survivor fans know, shortly after I spoke up on camera, I was voted off the show,” she tweeted. “Since then, I’ve accepted genuine, heartfelt apologies from fellow castaways, but I’ve continued to feel disappointed by how this pattern of behavior was allowed to occur for so long.”
Kellee was voted off the show in November and although she wishes “many things had gone differently” she doesn’t regret speaking up.
“I’m glad that my decision to speak up made a difference,” she said on social media. “What is most important to me now is how all of us — CBS, Survivor, other organizations, and all of us as individuals — decide to learn from this story and commit to take action.”
She added: “Lastly, I am grateful to the many people who have reached out to me over the last few weeks to share their own stories and messages of solidarity. These messages, of feeling supported and believed, have been an incredible gift. Thank you.”
Host Jeff Probst did not reveal many details about the situation in an interview with Entertainment Weekly, following the December 11 episode, but he did share Dan’s reaction to being booted off.
“When we first told Dan we were pulling him from the game, he was not happy,” the host, 58, said. “We talked through everything for quite a while, and by the time he got on the boat to leave he had calmed down and was actually very respectful as he departed.”
Survivor airs on CBS Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET.
