The debate over who deserved to win “Survivor 50” isn’t dying down anytime soon. After runner-up Jonathan Young spent days questioning whether winner Aubry Bracco truly earned her $2 million victory, the four-time player is finally sharing her side of the story. While she says she understands how painful the loss was for Young, she’s standing firmly behind the game that earned her the title of Sole Survivor. Check out her statements below in our “Survivor” spoilers.
Aubry Defends Her Game
In the “Survivor 50” finale, it came down to Aubry, Jonathan, and Joe Hunter in the Final 3. With $2 million on the line for this special season of all-returning players, it came down to the jury vote. Aubry ended up winning in an 8-3-0 vote.
Since that victory, Young seemed to go on a media tour claiming he did more than enough to win. He even seemed to question whether Bracco’s win was truly deserved, according to Entertainment Weekly.
Aubry was taking notice of these interviews, and she finally broke her silence in an Instagram Q&A. The Season 50 winner did express sympathy to Jonathan over the final tribal results.
“Jonathan was hurting in that moment. It is devastating to learn that you lost. We all handle it differently, and something that I’ve come to believe over the four times I played Survivor is that your opinion of me is none of my business. It has nothing to do with me.”
She went on to say, “I do my best in the game, I play the game I’m gonna play, and you’re gonna have feelings on it.”
Bracco would know about losing, since she has played the game a total of four times. She finished as runner-up on “Survivor: Kaôh Rōng,” fifth place on “Survivor: Game Changers,” and 15th place on “Survivor: Edge of Extinction.”
‘I Hope He’s Doing Okay’
During exit interviews, Jonathan talked about how he felt he played a better game than Bracco. He even went on to say that Cirie Fields played a big role in rallying the jury to vote against him.
Aubry did admit that hearing Young bash her game was “a little hard” to hear. She said the Final 3 did form a “special bond,” but, ultimately, Jonathan’s feelings on the matter have nothing to do with her own.
She finished her video saying, “I really genuinely, I hope he’s doing okay. I disagree with him, but he’s allowed to have his opinion. It is what it is. I don’t like that saying, but I’m confident in the game that I played.”
Votes Don’t Lie
While there have been disagreements since the “Survivor 50” finale, no one can truly argue with how the results came in. The jury voted, and it was a clear victory for Aubry.
Jonathan did receive three votes, which even host Jeff Probst said was a big feat, getting that many votes. Those votes did come from his former allies in the game: Chrissy Hofbeck, Benjamin “Coach” Wade, and Stephenie LaGrossa Kendrick.
Meanwhile, the other eight votes all went to Bracco (Finalist Joe Hunter got zero votes). That secured her win for the $2 million prize.
