A week after the surprise removal of Survivor contestant Dan Spilo, CBS and the show’s producers are speaking out about the incident for the first time. In a very lengthy statement, the network and the show call Season 39 “unprecedented.” Starting with the show’s next season (40), Survivor is adding to the cast’s pre-production orientation specific guidelines regarding personal space, inappropriate behavior and how to report these issues.
The abrupt exit of player Dan Spilo, for what CBS said was an off-camera incident, didn’t end questions about whether the network fumbled a #MeToo-era issue that it knew about months ago. CBS has the chance to address its decisions Wednesday, when it airs the traditional one-hour post-mortem discussion after the season’s conclusion. Spilo has not been invited to participate. For the first time, that post-show discussion will be taped instead of live.
