It’s been a great year for “Survivor” superstar Parvati Shallow. From winning her second “Sole Survivor” title on the cast of “Survivor: Australia vs. the World” to publishing her (now bestselling) debut memoir “Nice Girls Don’t Win,” the reality legend, better known by her “Black Widow” moniker, has proven her prowess as a competitor, author, life coach, and all-out queer icon in 2025 alone.
Parvati Named Amongst Top 100 Most Influential LGBTQ+ Stars
In honor of her historic year and her contributions to the world of reality TV and queer visibility, Shallow was named one of top 100 most impactful and influential LGBTQ+ people of 2025 by Out Magazine.
More specifically, Parvati, who came out publicly as a queer woman at the end of 2023, was named one of the top LGBTQ+ “Disruptors” by the publication, alongside the likes of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” champion Ginger Minj, former talk-show host Rosie O’Donnell, actress Anna Camp, influencer Caleb Hearon and “Traitors” star Bob the Drag Queen.
GettyWhile Parvati’s on-screen career began all the way back in 2006 on the cast of “Survivor: Cook Islands,” she later emerged as a break-out star, being welcomed back to the Emmy-winning reality competition series for subsequent appearances on “Survivor: Micronesia” – which she won – “Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains” and “Survivor: Winners at War” before returning to claim her second title as “the Greatest ‘Survivor’ Player of All Time” on the cast of “Survivor: Australia vs. the World” this summer.
After becoming the third contestant to win the show twice, Shallow announced that her “Survivor” legacy “is finally complete,” adding that she has no plans to return to the series, at least as a contestant.
That doesn’t mean, however, that her reality TV career is done and dusted. On the contrary, Shallow, regarded as one of the genre’s greatest strategists, has appeared on competition series like “The Traitors” and “Deal or No Deal Island” since rising to fame on the set of “Survivor.”
Parvati Opens Up About Her Queer Identity & What’s Next
It was during the filming of Season 2 of “Traitors” that Shallow realized that she was queer. After the season had aired, Shallow revealed that “taking on the label of queer has liberated me. It feels like wide-open space and permission to be true to myself, whatever that means. Don’t shrink for anyone. Be yourself. Be colorful, have fun, and let joy be your guide. We need more joyful, authentic people on this planet.”
Shortly after coming out, Shallow revealed that she was dating comedian Mae Martin, however, the two have since gone their separate ways. These days, Parvati is focusing on building her “chosen family,” which includes former “Survivor” alum like Tyson Apostol and Ethan Zohn, as well as raising her daughter, Ama.
Photo by Maya Dehlin Spach/Getty ImagesWhile the reality star doesn’t have any upcoming competition appearances scheduled (that we know of), she has revealed that she’s developing her own reality competition series with Endemol Shine as well as working on her as-yet-untitled follow-up book project.
