'Survivor 48' player Joe Hunter speaks with Parade about his emotional scene of comforting his closest ally Eva through a post-challenge 'episode,' and her subsequently revealing her autism to everyone in the game.
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00:00So, I mean, we need to start from the beginning here, because I mean, not to say your game
00:06was necessarily thrown for a loop when Eva pulls you aside in the first couple days and
00:10opens up to you about this, this major part of her life, but I would imagine it certainly
00:15took you by surprise in multiple ways.
00:17I mean, give me that that first reaction when Eva confides in you and also helps teach you
00:22a bit as well as to how to sort of negotiate things in the moment.
00:27You know, and honestly, it's in the moment, right, because obviously happening real time,
00:32you're trying to process everything.
00:34It's such a real moment that I have always kind of dreamed of those moments, right, where
00:40you go, hey, I love helping people and being there for people.
00:44And it's not just an act.
00:46And so when somebody is that vulnerable, it's such a rare thing, especially the older you
00:51get, you know, in life, you realize that the world can be pretty rough at times and you
00:56have loss and times can get really hard.
00:58And so when you have someone that's just being genuine, that's saying, hey, here is who I
01:03really am in a game that's built around deception and and lies and all these things, it can
01:11be to have this thing kind of put at your feet of like, hey, here's this gift.
01:17I look at it.
01:20It was kind of surreal, to be honest with you.
01:21It's like, whoa, like this is happening.
01:24Yep.
01:25This is outside of the game.
01:26And I'm I'm honored.
01:29So it was it was heavy, to be honest, best way to put it was heavy.
01:33Yeah.
01:34I mean, from that perspective, I mean, had you had any prior experience with with anybody
01:39on the spectrum?
01:40Because, I mean, there's this other thing where, like, she's telling you a lot of stuff
01:42about, hey, this is what you can do for me when I'm having a lot of trouble in the moment.
01:47And it's a lot to process at once, I would imagine.
01:50Yeah, it really is.
01:52And you step back and go, wow, like.
01:55Is this above my pay grade, meaning like this, this is so heavy that, well, I don't want
02:00to mess it up.
02:01Like, what do I what do I do?
02:03And I think people got to remember in the moment.
02:08I'm so intensely listening to her because it's I truly am processing like, OK, I don't
02:13know what to do.
02:15And you know, another thing is I don't know what this is going to look like.
02:19So but when, you know, does it come up in subtle ways?
02:24And so I think what I would like to explain, too, is I was constantly watching her and
02:31the tribe swap.
02:32And because I'm like, I don't know, when does it like, hey, Joe, this it's starting, right?
02:39Or is it am I supposed to just kind of key in on some of these things and go there it
02:43is and then act?
02:45Because what if I'm wrong and I do this at the wrong time?
02:48And she's like, and then everybody's like, kind of now knows.
02:52So I had never dealt with anything like this before.
02:57And I just wanted to make sure I didn't mess it up.
03:00Yeah.
03:01Well, before we even get into that moment, I mean, you again, you have this incredible
03:07information for me about that connection.
03:08I mean, we see that very beautiful confessional where you say, I've got her.
03:13She's with me.
03:14But you're also negotiating at the same time, to your point, playing this game of deception
03:18and also having another alliance going on that doesn't necessarily know this.
03:22So how were you able to sort of negotiate your relationship with Eva when you were on
03:26Loggie together, knowing this about her?
03:30You know, again, it's I thank you for that question, because I've it's hard to explain
03:35sometimes.
03:36But but this is my best way to kind of recreate my headspace is that when I had said in one
03:42of the confessionals are looking back on it, it said, you know, this changed everything
03:46for me.
03:47I didn't know, but it it really did.
03:49And here's why it you might have a way of like, hey, if I ever play this game, there's
03:54some basic things I'm going to do X, Y, Z.
03:57When I got that placed in my hands, I literally, you know, behind the camera there in my brain
04:05is thinking, OK, you literally have a choice to make right now because I don't see how
04:09you.
04:13How you not honor this gift and to honor it and be 100 percent devoted to this person
04:21now, you're basically saying, hey, like this is where I'm at, this is what I'm going to
04:25do.
04:26California girls, all that fine.
04:29But at the end of the day, what I'm saying then is like I have to hold on to this as
04:33number one and there will be consequences from that period.
04:39And I think when everybody makes those decisions out there, right, like no other alliance is
04:44no different.
04:45I just made that decision and it was real and in my brain was like, now, granted, right?
04:50Like you can play out the what if game.
04:52But in the moment, I was like, OK, like whatever consequences come of this.
04:57It's worth the risk.
04:59It's worth it.
05:00Yeah.
05:01So that's it.
05:02So then let let's get to, you know, the reason why we are speaking, because like the way
05:08I described it was, you know, you're you look like you're like about to steal second
05:12base when all this was going down, like you were just sitting there with your hands on
05:16your knees and you looked like ready to jump in there.
05:18And I can only imagine the feeling of helplessness that you had for the longest time as Eva was
05:23going through that that episode.
05:25So talk me through your perspective.
05:27And did you expect at a certain point that Jeff would give you the permission to go over
05:31and console her?
05:32Man, like I've always told you, these questions, it's like I need to get you.
05:37You just you're good at what you do, my man.
05:39I'm telling you, I've not said it before.
05:41Oprah will be calling you.
05:42I guarantee it.
05:43Like, hey, back off.
05:44So here's what it is.
05:46I, you know.
05:49In the moment.
05:51What really was going through my head was.
05:53But here's the difficult part, OK, is I'm just thinking about Eva, that she's also such
05:58a competitor.
05:59She's she is awesome and she's talented.
06:02So I knew she's probably, to me, the best, you know, challenge beast out there of all
06:08of us.
06:09And I'm thinking.
06:10She's going to be OK.
06:11And as it's unfolding, I'm trying to process is where's the competitive edge of like, man,
06:17this just isn't going well versus this episode that she's spoken of that I have no reference
06:23point to.
06:24Yeah.
06:25So I'm also processing like what's what's oh, and and I'm mainly just hurt because she's
06:32hurting, whether it's a moment of hers or she's just sad about the challenge or both.
06:38I'm intently watching for like that.
06:42There it is.
06:43Right.
06:44I'm maybe looking for the things she said, but her hands are occupied.
06:46So I can't tell what's going on, but I can hear the pain in any human being.
06:52Right.
06:53Like, come on, like anyone outside the game or in the game, like no one wants to see another
06:57person suffer.
06:58I don't like we all joke about this person might be the most hated or like, but no one
07:01wants to see someone suffer like nobody does.
07:04And nobody on that tribe or that game wanted to see her suffer.
07:08And so I'm watching in this just it's brutal.
07:13It's brutal.
07:14And in no way did I think I was going to get the opportunity because it's just not because
07:19because then what if I'm wrong and go over there and then expose her and it hurts her.
07:26I hate to say it, but you're so trained out there.
07:28It's like you're not allowed to.
07:30And so then I'm like, it's tough.
07:33I didn't have that script.
07:34I mean, hindsight.
07:35Right.
07:36But it's like, I didn't know.
07:37And I definitely did not think it would escalate.
07:39And I did not think he would give me the opportunity.
07:42Yeah.
07:43So when you were given that opportunity, I mean, again, it's a new situation for you,
07:46but you're a guy that's used to working in emergency situations.
07:50So it's a little bit apples and oranges.
07:52But like, how much did you find yourself kind of almost going into that, that mindset,
07:56right?
07:57Of like, all right, just go through the procedures, keep her calm, et cetera, et cetera.
08:01You know, it's work.
08:02I mean, yes, like the fire service helps you in terms of you have to make split second
08:07decisions.
08:08But this really was outside of that.
08:10Maybe everything we've done in our lives always help helps you in these moments.
08:14But, you know, kind of the interaction with her and being able to launch in that I, you
08:23know.
08:24Well, I guess the emotional, sorry, sorry.
08:31So it's because it's just you just you see another human being who's like genuinely hurting.
08:43And it's like, how do you not act?
08:46You know, you just you just you want to fix it.
08:50You just want their pain to immediate because we've all been in pain, you know, all of us.
08:54And when you're in pain like that, you just want it to stop.
08:57So in that moment, it was just.
09:01Make it stop for her, get her back to base, you know, and everything she had taught me
09:07to do, it was like, do it.
09:10It's just just.
09:11And I'm going to and all I'm doing is trying to talk through just everything we talked
09:16about.
09:17It was like, it's time.
09:18It's time, Joe.
09:19Like right now is the time.
09:20Go.
09:21Yeah.
09:22And so while you were able to get through this, I don't know how surprised you were
09:24by what the follow up was right with Eva deciding to tell everybody about the situation.
09:31Talk to me about your reaction to that, given that now everyone is finding out the information
09:37that that you were privy to several days ago.
09:39Well, it even starts before that, because when you look at.
09:43So when Jeff pitches it to me like, hey, how do you feel, what's what's really difficult
09:48in that moment is I'm kind of like, like, you know, what do I say?
09:55Because the truth is, it's about what but I do I bust her out or is she just going to
10:00roll through this?
10:02So I kind of give this its truth about my kids, but it's wrapped around her.
10:07So I just kind of left it with like, hey, you know, I'm speechless and I would want
10:13someone to help, which is true.
10:15But I'm dancing around the fact on like, thank goodness when he pitched it to her, obviously
10:20was like and when she took it, it overwhelmed me because it was like I also now was so proud
10:27of her.
10:28And and it wasn't even like, what are you doing?
10:29It was like.
10:30Good, you got to let this like it's like we're here, you know, like after that.
10:37You got to let this out, you know, and I was so proud of her and the way she spoke.
10:43I just couldn't believe it.
10:45I couldn't believe it just rolled.
10:49And I was so impressed with just such a special human being.
10:54Right.
10:55I mean, who has to go through that and with the fear of like maybe yourself being seen?
11:00Right.
11:01And no one I can think of has that taped.
11:04And then to speak of it is just that's why she's such a wonderful person.
11:11Yeah, totally agree.
11:13So I would imagine even in this moment, Jeff even talked about it, that this was a moment
11:17that was going to transcend the game.
11:20And look, we're only talking, you know, 12 hours and change from when the episode aired.
11:24So what is sort of been your response to the response?
11:27We got a bit of a taste of this when the premiere had aired.
11:30But considering how much of an impact this scene had on the island, whatever your thoughts
11:35been about the impact off the island.
11:37Oh, yeah, that's great.
11:39Great thought right there is I.
11:41I'm still processing all of it, to be honest, because, you know, the life of a dad, it was
11:48this morning.
11:49It's like, Dad, I want my French toast sticks.
11:50I want scrambled eggs.
11:51Clean this up laundry off to work.
11:54And so there's an element of this that you don't really do a deep dive in.
11:59And all of a sudden you start realizing, wow, this is having a bigger impact.
12:03And so it's a little surreal.
12:06But what's really cool is that it affected my daughter in such a positive way.
12:13She looks up to Eva and she sees herself in Eva.
12:16And so it's really cool to see that and that they just get to see, gosh, they just get
12:25to see real humans being good humans in my mind.
12:31And that is what like, it strips it all down to that.
12:35And so the impact outside of the game, it's affected my family personally, which is just
12:39so cool.
12:40Yeah.
12:41And I know you mentioned in another interview that at a viewing party last night, you also
12:44raised money for for Autism Speaks as well a little bit, too.
12:47So like, it's also your ability to obviously take away what you've learned, too, and we're
12:52able to firsthand implement on the island to hopefully, you know, serve as a larger
12:56case of representation as well.
12:59Without a doubt.
13:00Like, and that's exactly it.
13:01It was just in that.
13:03And I wasn't sure if I was going to speak of that, but I wanted to encourage people
13:06to do the same as kind of the thing I thought of, like, hey, look at this.
13:09It was more not spur of the moment, but it was like, you know what, this is right.
13:13Let's let's take one of these events and just go, hey, like, if you can donate, donate.
13:18And it like you said, outside of the game, it's like, who would have thought that we're
13:23here in just this little moment?
13:25I mean, in just in terms of speaking of autism and then realizing the impact of that, I mean,
13:32who would have thought, like when you sign up for Survivor, that you get this wonderful
13:35opportunity to interwoven complicated issues of life that surface in the show as they should
13:44and being a part of it is just awesome.
13:47Yeah.
13:48I mean, listen, I told you this, you know, several weeks back, even just watching that
13:52initial scene, but like, you know, it's tough to make judgments of people based on the things
13:57they do in a 26 day game where you're starving and you have no sleep.
14:00But it is moments like this that I think are genuine reflections of who you can be as a
14:05person.
14:06And I truly feel like that was reflected here, Joe.
14:10I mean, I don't know how many people out there would have been able to do what you do again
14:14in a game where every little thing is riding on every single thing that you do.
14:18You dropped everything quite literally to go take care of someone that was hurting.
14:23And it just reverberated so much to all of us.
14:27We have no idea what's what's going to happen.
14:29As Jeff even said, Joe might blindside you tomorrow.
14:32But in that moment, you were there for her.
14:35And you were there for all of us in a way.
14:37And so I want to obviously thank you for, you know, everything you were able to bring
14:41in that moment.
14:42And also for really illuminating a lot of stuff to me today.
14:45Because clearly, there was a lot weighing into the past, present and future of that
14:49moment.
14:50Wow.
14:52Thank you, man.
14:54I meant every word, man.
14:55I meant every word.
14:56And listen, next time.
14:57Next time we'll be talking, you're gonna be a million dollars richer.
14:58So we'll talk a little bit more about everything outside of this.
14:59But thank you for sitting down and talking with me about this.
15:10Thank you for being here with me about this.
15:11Sincerely, I think a lot of people are really gonna appreciate this.
15:15And I am so excited to see everything that's to come of you both on the island and, you
15:20know, when we check back in next time.
15:22That's absolutely true.
15:23And you're outstanding in what you do.
15:25And thank you for sharing this with me.
15:27And your kind words are so...
15:31Bye.
15:33Anytime, Joe.
15:34Please.
15:35All the best to you and your family.
15:36Give my best to Eva as well.
15:37And we'll be talking soon, but not too soon.
15:38Okay?
15:40Fair.
15:41All right.
15:42You have a good one, man.
15:43Thanks.
15:44You too.