On the most recent episode of “Survivor 50,” the return of the fan favorite “Survivor Auction” and the arrival of YouTube sensation MrBeast ultimately resulted in what longtime host Jeff Probst is calling the “single most fascinating” Tribal Council ceremony in the series’ 26-year history.
A stroke of luck, courtesy of MrBeast’s “Super Beware Advantage,” led to a last-minute scramble to gather votes as Rick Devens volunteered to flip a “life or death coin,” successfully doubling the competition’s million dollar prize and being declared immune from elimination.
With Devens safe from the vote, it was fourth-time “Survivor” castaway Stephenie LaGrossa Kendrick whose torch was snuffed, making her the 13th person voted out of the milestone golden anniversary season and sixth member of the jury.
Speaking with Entertainment Weekly in the aftermath, Stephenie revealed that she’d actually been planning on volunteering to flip the MrBeast coin, but was talked out of taking the risk by one of her competitors – Cirie Fields.
Stephenie ‘Really Wanted’ to Flip the Coin, But Cirie Said ‘No’
CBSIn case you missed it, or need a refresher, the MrBeast coin in question offered the castaways a 50/50 chance to double the show’s longstanding one million dollar prize to a whopping $2,000,000. If they succeeded in calling the coin toss, they’d also receive Immunity from elimination and an Immunity Idol to use at a later date.
On the flip side – literally – if they failed to call the toss, they’d be immediately removed from the competition. No voting necessary.
“Survivor: Edge of Extinction” fan favorite Rick Devens ultimately volunteered to take the risk, though, according to Stephenie, she would’ve beaten him to it if it hadn’t been for her “trusted advisor,” Cirie Fields.
“I actually went over and spoke to Jonathan [Young] and my trusted advisor Cirie and said, ‘Should I, you know, flip the coin? Do you guys think I should flip the coin,” LaGrossa Kendrick recalled. “[Cirie] goes, ‘I don’t think so. I think you’re fine.”
CBSWhile the 50/50 coin was a major risk, Stephenie was justified in considering the gamble. She was already on the outs, headed towards a lackluster 10th place finish regardless of the Steal-a-Vote in her bag. A 50 percent shot at safety in the game was a better deal than risking her vote on the 16.67 percent chances of her Shot-in-the-Dark.
Regardless, Jonathan joined in on convincing Stephenie to let Devens flip the coin.
“Jonathan’s like, ‘No, I mean, let Devens do it. It’s a fifty-fifty chance,’” she recalled. “Like, that was a ballsy move and I really kind of wanted to, but then I would’ve had to fight Devens for it. We probably would’ve had to have a wrestling match at Tribal or an arm wrestling match.”
Even After Devens Won Immunity, Steph Thought She Was Safe
In the end, Cirie and Jonathan’s assurance that she was safe ultimately convinced Stephenie to abandon the endeavor. From her point of view, it was Aubry Bracco on the chopping block when Devens shocked by winning the coin toss.
“The next plan was Aubry, as it’s been for the past three weeks,” she continued, revealing that her supposed allies continued to boost her confidence during the scramble that followed Rick’s immunity. “You see Jonathan talking and saying, ‘It’s Aubry.’”
As such, Stephenie was well and truly blindsided when her supposed allies wrote her name down for elimination instead.
Why Did Stephenie Trust Cirie, Given Their Reality TV History?
The moment marked the fourth time Cirie has directly contributed to Stephnenie’s elimination on a reality competition series, with Fields competing against one another on “Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains,” “Snake in the Grass,” “The Traitors” and, most recently, “Survivor 50.”
Regardless of the pattern and pre-game rumors to the contrary, LaGrossa Kendrick said that she and her fellow serial-castaway are anything but adversaries before they landed in Fiji.
Getty“We spoke before the game. And we spoke about the rumors going on that I’m gonna try to take her out and this and that. And I’m like, ‘Cirie, you have my word.’ And Cirie knows, I cannot lie – to her especially. She knows me. I can lie to other people that don’t really know me, but her, I’m gonna tell you the truth,” she told EW.
“She and I said, ‘Let’s just get there. Let’s just get to the end game. And then obviously, if I have to choose myself over you, fine, but let’s just get there,’” she continued. “I was never going to target her.”
Cirie subsequently took on the role of Stephenie’s “trusted advisor” throughout the season.
“She is saying to me every day before Tribal Council, ‘You’re like family to me. I’m not writing your name down unless it’s for the win. You’re like Parvati [Shallow] to me. We’re gonna go to the end,’” the 55-year-old revealed.
How is Stephenie and Cirie’s Relationship Today?
“I don’t think Cirie ever intended on being with me ever. And that’s my fault yet again for just being loyal and true,” she lamented. “I think she’s a manipulator, but good on her. You know what I mean? Cirie is made for these games. She’s cut out for this.”
“I respect Cirie’s game. This is nothing personal against Cirie at all and her gameplay. She plays a great game, a great social game. You know what I mean? I just was under the impression that she and I were gonna stick together. And unfortunately, she was never under that impression, and I’ve learned that now…I do love her. I love her as a person. It’s nothing personal. It’s a game. At the end of the day, it’s a game,” she concluded.
A Look Back at Stephenie LaGrossa Kendrick’s Reality Career
CBS/Getty“Survivor 50” marked Stephenie LaGrossa Kendrick’s fourth appearance on the longrunning reality competition series.
She made history during her 2004 “Survivor: Palau” debut, becoming the first-ever castaway to be on a tribe by themselves before returning the following year to compete on “Survivor: Guatemala,” where she made it all the way to the Final 2.
Despite losing out on the “Sole Survivor” twice in quick succession, Stephenie’s status as one of the franchise’s most iconic heroes landed her a spot on the cast of 2010’s “Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains,” though she only lasted six days on the season before being eliminated by Cirie Fields for the first time.
The pair crossed paths again in 2022 on the cast of USA’s “Snake in the Grass,” where Cirie participated in exposing Stephenie as the eponymous “snake,” costing her the competition’s $100,000 prize.
GettyTheir roles were reversed the following year as they joined the inaugural season of Peacock’s “The Traitors” together. As one of the hidden “Traitors” herself, Fields once again spoiled LaGrossa Kendrick’s chances of winning a reality show, eliminating the latter in 7th place. Cirie would eventually go on to win the installment, pocketing $250,000 in the process.
Be sure to catch a new episode of “Survivor 50: In the Hands of the Fans” on CBS next Wednesday, May 6 at 8:00pm ET.
