Survivor’s first transgender castaway to enter the competition already out had to leave just three days because of an undisclosed medication.
Jackson Fox, who was a contestant on the CBS show’s 42nd season, was sent home by the production team.
In the premiere episode, host Jeff Probst paid a visit to the Taku tribe, all of which were struggling with life on the island.
The 48-year-old was then revealed to have not been completely honest about his health during the application process for the show.
Since 2016, Fox has been taking lithium – a mood stabiliser – which he said he was hoping to ease off of during his time on the show.
However, Probst explained that those who take lithium often risk getting dehydrated in their everyday life, something which is exacerbated by being on an island under such intense circumstances.
“The cumulative effect of the show would have a potentially very bad impact on you. And we don’t want that. Your safety is paramount. We can’t do it. We can’t,” the host told the castaway.
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Probst also shared that Fox had told Survivor’s producers about taking lithium a few days before the show began, something which should have been declared when he first applied.
“The fear is everyone hears the word, lithium, and they go way back in time,” Fox stated. “And they’re like, ‘That was a huge drug back in the day.’ That was a scary drug to be on.”
He told the host and his fellow contestants that he thought he would be off the medication by the time the show got underway, which is why he opted to not mention it when joining the cast.
Fox reiterated that the lithium had nothing to do with his gender identity, which he explained was to help him sleep after caring for his ill mother made him more anxious.
Despite his short run on the show, Fox is the first transgender castaway in 42 seasons to enter the competition already out.
Zeke Smith, a trans man, appeared on Millennials vs. Gen X in 2016 and, during his second appearance on Game Changers a year later, was outed by fellow competitor Jeff Varner.
The outing sparked Survivor’s first open discussion about being trans in its history and Smith has since become an advocate for LGBTQ+ rights.
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