Former Survivor winner Nick Wilson has been on the receiving end of a torrent of social media negativity over his vote on a recent bill in The Kentucky House Of Representatives. The reality show star turned politician, who has been representing his district since 2022, voted in favor of a proposed new law that would prohibit most health care for trans minors and control what bathrooms they use, as well as limit what sexuality-related subjects school districts are allowed to discuss. The bill hasn’t gone over well with some voters, and it certainly hasn’t gone over well with many former Survivor players who have gotten very loud on social media.
One of the former players who voiced his displeasure about Nick Wilson’s vote is fan favorite Ricard Foyé. Season 41’s best player, at least in my opinion, took to Twitter to talk about his personal relationship with Nick and why he was so surprised by the vote. Foyé is married to a trans man, and he and Wilson recently bonded over their partners being pregnant while sharing a beer. Foyé said he felt “understood”, which is why he was so shocked to discover Wilson’s vote. Here’s his quote…
This is what confuses the shit out of me. I spent time with Nick Wilson in December. So kind. So sweet. Felt such a good connection that we ended up grabbing a beer & talked about my husband being pregnant (this right before we lost her) & couldn’t have felt more understood. Who the fuck was that person I met? Honestly? If you’re accepting behind closed doors but your political career allows you to disregard the actual real life people in front of you… who the fuck are you? I don’t know this man who votes against trans & gay rights. I don’t. Do you even know yourself? Everything, all this political madness, is such a fucking act and for what. Fucking WHAT. We bonded over our babies being on the way, as two soon to be (3rd time for me) dads… but I guess my fam ain’t really shit, huh? Erasing our pic now. I’m good.
Over the last year, several states have passed or are in the process of trying to pass bills that greatly restrict access to trans health care for minors and specifiy what teachers can and cannot say about sexuality and gender in the classroom, among other provisions. The latest of those states is Kentucky. Its Senate Bill 150 includes a number of provisions that will greatly alter the lives of trans kids in the state. Supporters say it will protect children by forcing them to delay trans-related decisions until they’re older. Critics say it targets trans kids and prevents them from making decisions about their own bodies.
If passed, the bill will ban all non-counseling trans-related medical care, prohibit trans students from using their preferred bathroom and require parents given written consent for their child to receive any sexual education, including information about STDs. If you’re looking for a full rundown of what’s in the bill and where it’s at in the legislative process, I’d suggest checking out this article on Kentucky.com.
Foyé is far from the only former Survivor contestant that has spoken out. Karla Cruz Godoy, from this past season, called Nick’s actions “transphobic” and encouraged people to register to vote. Lyrsa, who was on David Vs Goliath with Wilson, blasted the Survivor Reddit for allegedly removing posts talking about the issue, and Gabby, who also played with Nick, called him a “former friend” in a post talking about where we are as a society. Multi-time player Jonathan Penner called him “an asshole”, and numerous other players also posted more general messages of support for the trans community including Ozzy, Angelina and Adam Klein, who said he's ANGRY. Omar Zaheer from Survivor 42 also got in a sick burn that referenced Wilson’s final tribal council…
This isn’t the first time Nick has been on the winning side of a wrong vote
The above quote is, of course, a reference to the final vote in Survivor 37. Nick won the final tribal counsel by a vote of 7-3 but many felt White Lotus creator and Survivor superfan Mike White should have been rewarded for expertly riding the middle to the finale. The vote remains divisive with fans to this day.
The community of former Survivor players is typically very tight and very opinionated about each other and about rule changes. If you follow the players on social media, you’ll notice many are frequently seen hanging out and sometimes doing appearances together. That’s likely why so many former players, even those who weren’t on Survivor 37 or Winners At War, had more familiar relationships with the politician than what you’d expect.
Since the outpouring of negativity, Wilson made his Instagram account private. He has not spoken publicly about his vote, which mirrored that of most Republican lawmakers in Kentucky.
