Chapel Peace Schmucker gained worldwide popularity upon being featured on television as the wife of Andrew Schmucker, thanks to whom she married into the Amish community. What made her a rather peculiar addition to the mix was the fact that Chapel herself was, at least up until the point of marriage, a regular modern woman of the 21^st century. This was later made all the more abundantly clear by the infamy that followed her into the spotlight.

She and Andrew initially reached popularity by appearing in “Breaking Amish” in 2013, a year after it launched on TLC. It follows the lives of young adults from Amish and Mennonite communities who decided to leave their strict religious upbringing behind, and experience life in New York City. The show quickly became a hit among viewers, with its unique premise and compelling cast members.

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At first it included four Amish individuals – Abe, Kate, Rebecca and Jeremiah – and one Mennonite – Sabrina. The series focused on the group’s experiences as they navigated life in the big city, away from their families and the strict religious rules they grew up with. They had to adapt to new cultural norms, such as dating, drinking, and working in non-farming industries.

One of the most captivating aspects of “Breaking Amish” was the exploration of the tension between the characters’ desire for freedom and the potential consequences of leaving their communities. The decision to do so was never an easy one, as it often led to ostracism from one’s family and long-time friends. The show addressed this issue and the challenges that come with leaving a closed religious community in great detail.

The first season ended with the cast members making decisions about whether to return home or stay in the city. Later down the line, some of the cast members reintegrated into their communities and continued to be featured on the screen, but in an altogether different TV series – the spin-off that outperformed its parent entitled “Return to Amish.” It started just as “Breaking Amish” came to a closeat the end of its third season in 2014, with seven of its own installments to date.

As is the case with any reality TV show, “Breaking Amish” too had its monstrous share of awkward conversations and intense feelings. While garnering a greater audience, this also caused some viewers to criticize the show for exploiting the cast members, and perpetuating stereotypes about Amish and Mennonite communities. Others questioned the authenticity of most of the dramatic events, with rumors that some cast members had already left their communities before filming began.

Regardless of the potential discrepancies, it’s undeniable that “Return to Amish” remains a significant cultural touchstone and a reminder of the ongoing tension between individual freedom and religious community values. At its time, it was a groundbreaking TV project that captivated many around the world, exploring the rarely televised phenomenon of building individuality on the foundations of a hive-mind childhood.

Riding an unsteady wave

As “Breaking Amish” died down and it stars crossed over into the spin-off, Chapel and Andrew actually stayed away from the spotlight throughout the first season, and there are many theories as to why. Some fans are of the opinion that she was simply struggling with drug-related issues, which later became public knowledge.

However, there isn’t enough evidence to fully support this claim, as many believe that she was actually clean around 2014, which would indicate that something else kept her and Andrew from appearing in front of the camera. Others theorize that they simply needed a break from the entertainment industry, and time to themselves, which will remain an option until the couple clear up the suspicions.

Regardless, they did join the second season of “Return to Amish,” and the issues also started right away. It was revealed throughout the season that Andrew had to serve jail time due to violating his probation by failing a drug test. While definitely an uncomfortable situation for the Schmuckers, it surely made for interesting television, and TLC made sure to put it on full display for the audiences.

Chapel can be seen calling Andrew and inquiring about his whereabouts, in a slow, confused gait. Her husband explains that he’s in Jefferson County Jail, awaiting further legal proceedings that would determine the length of his reinvigorated sentence. As a result, he was jailed indefinitely until an official court hearing was conducted, which was at the time not even scheduled, all this while in the middle of the season.

Naturally, Chapel spoke with defeat in her voice, and mentioned how she’s being left completely alone in all of the obligations they were meant to attend to as a couple. The situation was so serious that Andrew told her he hopes she’d be there whenever he’s out of jail, implying that it could very well take years.

In that case, however, Chapel would have to abandon the show, or become a full-fledged Amish woman herself and take another husband. All of that is much easier said than done, especially for someone who has a past full of drug-related incidents and petty crime. In fact, it was the presence of people like Chapel and Andrew that made the broader Amish community feel disrespected by TLC.

Chapel made sure to clarify to the camera crew that she only ever wanted the best for Andrew, and part of that was letting him make individual decisions, and thus achieve success that is completely his own, but alas, explaining that he ended up making all the wrong choices.

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— Return to Amish (@ReturnToAmish) May 25, 2015

Tragic as that may be, with Chapel’s slight speech impediment brought on by long-term use of hard drugs, sealed this moment as one of the most iconic in the entire series, since it’s practically unheard of that anyone in the Amish community struggles with modern-day narcotics, as they wouldn’t even be able to access them in the first place.

Andrew, however, picked up some bad habits after leaving his ancestral home in “Breaking Amish,” coming across Chapel along the way, who was already struggling with various kinds of opiates herself. It’s thus no surprise that many fans of the show exclusively blame the wife in this scenario, while the Amish who are aware of the situation have no sympathy for Chapel either.

Knowing this herself, Chapel asked him what she’s supposed to do all on her own, asking whether to even inform his mother, who is Amish through and through, suggesting that she would probably blame her for everything and like her even less.

Andrew had no advice to offer her on the matter, and simply asked for a lawyer. At the very end, he said ‘I love you’ in Pennsylvanian Dutch, the native language of the Amish. Chapel spoke it right back, and the phone call ended on a rather low note.

It’s moments like these that made the young Schmuckers really stand out, allowing them to at least earn a decent income from their time on screen. The financial incentive is sure to have made their struggle easier, but it simply wasn’t enough on its own to keep them in the run alongside the other cast members.

Crumbling into oblivion

After a rather tumultuous 2015, which saw the second season of “Return to Amish” play out and bare the skeletons that the Schmuckers had in their closet, the following year would hammer the last nail in their coffin.

First of all, 25 July 2015 became a rather fateful day for the two, as Chapel would commit the mistake of a lifetime while her husband was already in jail. She was found to be in possession of stamp bags of heroin, numerous syringes to inject it, and illegally obtained Valium, which she had no prescription for.

She was thus charged with two counts of the misdemeanor of possession of a controlled substance by a person not registered, for the Valium, and two counts of use or possession of drug paraphernalia for the syringes. Chapel’s bail in this instance was set to $50,000 which she couldn’t afford, and was thus relocated to Jefferson County Jail.

Things ended up better for her later in the year however, as she managed to regain her freedom on probation. 5 January 2016 rolled around just as the situation began looking up, with Chapel and her friend Ashley caught trying to trade another person’s drug-free urine to their probation officers in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania.

She somehow got herself out of this mess too, and still stayed out of jail. This silver lining gave the fans hope that they would see the couple back in the third season, but they were in for yet another shocker.

Pennsylvania police mounted a gigantic drug bust sting operation in late March 2016, ultimately seizing over $90,000 worth of methamphetamine, over $8,000 worth of heroin, and an additional $27,000 allegedly drug cash. Chapel was one of the 27 individuals placed under arrest at the scene, which is the last thing her supporters expected to hear, as she promised both publicly and privately that she would do everything in her power to turn the situation around.

The bust also burst the bubble of many, sealing the fate of Chapel and Andrew, as she later confirmed to her fans in Facebook comment threads that she and her husband wouldn’t be returning to the show. Their supporters at least found solace in the fact that they remained together through thick and thin, appearing to be on the path to betterment after making numerous bad decisions.

Faking a serious illness

According to starcasm.net, Chapel and Andrew had been accused by both viewers and participants of “Return to Amish” of faking Chapel’s cancer remission. Due to the nature of the illness, many were disgusted to hear such news, which gave the couple a very bad reputation.

Kate Stoltz, a fellow co-star of the TV series, wasted no time confirming the rumors that the entire cancer-related ordeal that the couple supposedly suffered through was staged, and for a monetary reason at that.

In reality, TLC is notorious for having reality TV participants re-enact whatever dramatic event occurred in their life before the filming, wanting to incorporate as much material as possible into their production, even at the cost of chronological inaccuracy and facts of the matter.

They seem to always get away with this, as the audience either doesn’t know, doesn’t care, or accuses the stars themselves of acting in bad intentions. Kate’s confirmation started off an avalanche of online drama, with Chapel and her friend Sabrina taking a stand against the very idea that any of that was fake to begin with.

Sabrina was supposedly disgusted at the idea that anyone could even think to accuse a cancer patient of pretending to have the illness, calling Chapel a ‘beautiful, strong and intelligent soul.’ However, it was apparent to most people that the alleged sufferer simply had way too much energy and vigor to realistically be in a condition as terrible as had been purported.

Also, since neither Chapel nor Andrew are very skilled actors, it wasn’t that hard to recognize the classic TLC re-enactment whenever the cancer topic would come up. However, this isn’t to say that Chapel never had cancer. She did actually go through remission, but prior to the filming of the second season, at which point there were no camera crews around her.

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Life after a media death

After leaving the lights of reality television, Chapel seems to have three jobs, at least according to her Facebook profile, which lists her as a line cook at Perkins Restaurant & Bakery, cashier at Jai-Alai, and shift supervisor at Denny’s.

She is still married to Andrew, whose recovery from addiction is at an unknown stage, since he barely ever posts anything and appears to be mostly offline, while his wife informs the fans of her activities from time to time, such as catching a walleye while fishing with her mother and step sister. All in all, she appears to have recovered from drug use, but it’s believed that she won’t be returning to the TV screen.

Depending on how you look at it, Chris Combs is both very lucky and extremely unfortunate to have been featured on television alongside his YouTube sisters Tammy and Amy Slaton, who are also known by their series’ title – “1000-lb Sisters.” It’s a reality TV show launched by TLC in 2020, following the seemingly eternal weight loss journey of the infamous duo.

Their notoriety is among some of the highest on YouTube, and for good reason. If there’s any surefire way to betray one’s viewers and disappoint their audience, the sisters have most likely done it by now. While the show itself is quite similar to “My 600-lb Life” in terms of what it strives to achieve, the largely negative reputation of the two sisters makes it nothing like its cousin.

Instead, it’s the amalgamation of their well-documented empty promises, irresponsible decisions, crocodile tears and even outright scams, all neatly packaged into a Tammy-Slaton-bite-sized cheeseburger of drama and non-existent progress, which is highly likely to perpetuate until the show’s eventual cancellation.

Combs, who initially appeared in the show simply for the sake of being a supportive brother, has struggled with his own weight for years. At the start of filming, he was working at McDonald’s and only 40lbs (18kgs) away from his lifetime-heaviest weight. Unlike his sisters, however, Chris’ weight loss was a relatively straightforward endeavor, as he stuck to the doctor’s advice and behaved responsibly throughout the ordeal.

The vile origins of Amy and Tammy Slaton

Tammy and Amy first caught the public eye in 2014, at which point they began appearing together frequently in videos on Amy’s YouTube channel. While originally created in 2011, it wasn’t until three years later that it would actually come alive, as the sisters started uploading frequently. More specifically, Amy was the one recording and uploading, while Tammy would almost always appear alongside her.

The sisters’ rarely-seen amount of excess weight combined with their generally carefree behavior, to birth a seemingly confident and easygoing vibe, which came as a shock to most viewers at the time. This allowed them to slowly but surely gather a faithful audience, much to everyone’s ultimate dismay.

The video that skyrocketed them through the algorithm and into millions of direct messages in a matter of days is entitled “Chubby bunny challenge,” uploaded 10 November 2014. The entire stunt consisted of both sisters stuffing as many marshmallows in their mouths as possible, and uttering ‘chubby bunny’ after adding each individual one. The stand-off would last until either sister swallowed or spat out a marshmallow.

While both sisters were severely overweight at the time, what made them an entirely unique sight was the accumulation of adipose tissue in Tammy’s forehead, which gave her skull a bloated appearance and a very unnatural head shape. In spite of these severe physical setbacks, the sisters often had a friendly and even laidback disposition, which kept viewers coming back for more.

What they weren’t aware of at the time was that some of their regular camera stories were anything but ordinary and acceptable, and the earliest example of this is by far the most innocent one – Amy admitted on camera that she was arrested for shoplifting when attempting to steal a $7 book from Walmart.

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While not really significant in nature, this petty crime set an ominous precedent of the despicable acts these two would commit throughout their YouTube career. Of course, no one thought much of it at the time, aside from maybe Amy learning a simple lesson in etiquette. New fans piled up, providing the sisters with hundreds of encouraging comments on pretty much every single video, which eventually caused them to relax and become emboldened enough to show their true nature.

Blatant animal abuse

In another one of their many vlogs further down the line, Amy complained that her camper’s AC system was broken by their insolent dog, who also bit her thigh and forearm. As a result, they were taking the canine to the local pound so as to have it observed for further signs of aggression. The dog was to be put down if the violent behavior persisted, or otherwise given to a new family.

At first glance, their actions are quite understandable. After all, who wants to get mauled by their own dog for no reason? However, there’s more to the story – Amy actually left the German Shepherd she’d recently adopted all alone in a camper in scorching hot temperatures at midday, with no air-conditioning on.

She said in the video that the AC was on, but if that were the case, the dog wouldn’t have had to break out of the camper. With a quick look at Amy’s general lifestyle, it becomes apparent that she’s not exactly an epitome of responsibility, which is greatly needed by anyone who wants to own a dog.

Their disgusting lack of care for pets continued well into the peak of their careers, another example being the time they left their new dog, Little Bit inside a car that was quickly converted into an oven, also without the AC on. If not for Tammy allegedly returning a couple of times to give the dog some ice water, it definitely would’ve perished in the heat.

Supposedly, Amy thought of Little Bit as her own daughter, and was devastated to see the chihuahua pass away due to cancer-related health complications at the age of 22. This clearly evident hypocrisy that pervaded almost every aspect of the Slatons is what turned the audience away from their channel in droves.

Scamming money out of fans

Not having learned a thing from the negative comments of their honest critics, the sisters continued behaving in whatever way they wanted, eventually beginning to use their influence as content creators to drain money out of the fans. While most YouTubers have a membership offer or a Patreon page, all of which comes with extra benefits, the sisters simply asked people for money.

The first example of this took place when Amy came up with a GoFundMe page, asking their fans to donate money so they could get a MacBook and increase the editing and thus overall quality of their videos. Regardless of this idea seeming like a simple win-win transaction, a lot of the fans were outraged at the proposal, telling the sisters to get off their backsides and actually earn a living like everyone else does.

The difference between an average streamer and the Slaton sisters asking for donations is that the streamer is normally a person who tries hard to entertain, and devotes a sizable chunk of valuable time towards that career pretty much every day, while the Slaton sisters press the record button, talk, stop filming, and upload.

Amy then very unconvincingly told the viewers that none of that was her or Tammy’s idea, but that her friend insisted she do it just so they could measure the reaction. Understandably, not many fell for this obvious excuse, since it was just as convincing as their everyday responsibility evasion fairytales.

Unfortunately, by the time the GoFundMe page was taken down, the sisters had made over $800, which they never returned to anyone. Even though that’s not really a vast sum of money, it’s way above the regular wage of most of their viewers. Regardless, the sisters didn’t really care about that, and simply ignored the odd one asking to have their hard-earned donation returned.

Organizing harassment

In yet another horrendous admission, Amy casually spoke about the time she went on a date and it didn’t work out for her. The man she went to dinner with was also autistic, which caused him to require slightly better explanations of a few things that non-neurodivergent individuals don’t struggle with.

The date apparently went well, and they booked a hotel room aiming to engage in kissing and subsequently intercourse. Feeling clearly superior to the man, Amy figured she would teach him what a hickey is and thus give him one, but her date was confused as to what she was doing, accusing her of biting him. This infuriated Amy, who expected him to magically just understand what has happening, so she actually did bite him at that point.

Outraged, the young man took to social media after a massively disappointing night out, and post about why it’s wrong to be physically violent with someone in spite of their wishes. However, his tone there, was defensive, and he made sure not to mention or reveal anything about Amy herself.

This angered the Slaton sister even more, at which point she took to the comment section of his post and offended him based on his penis size. As if that weren’t enough, she also posted his phone number on the internet, calling him various derogatory terms and accusing him of lacking the manhood she considers to be elementary.

Tax evasion and disability fraud

While it’s been normal for over a decade for content creators to ask their audience for money, the way in which the Slatons went about doing this caused sheer disgust among the public. The reason for this is that whenever a content creator does ask for money, they do so while being open about their financial situation.

Some YouTubers, for example, grow their channel as a side hustle, and those who donate to them are aware that the website isn’t their primary source of income. Others work on YouTube full-time, and depend on their viewers’ payments to sustain their livelihood.

In the case of the Slatons, they asked the viewers to buy their merchandise because both of them were unemployed, supposedly due to crippling excess weight. However, in another one of their rant videos, Amy revealed that they’re on disability checks, with Amy receiving one for both her weight and restricted eyesight.

Furthermore, the way that the sisters sold their merchandise wasn’t through an online marketplace, but through a donation link. Those purchasing their items would leave their email within the donation message, and the sisters would then contact them and send the goods.

Just a warning there's a lot of fake accounts pretending to be me

— Tammi ❤ (@Tammy_Slaton) March 10, 2021

By having the payments count as donations, Amy and Tammy were effectively receiving tax-free money under the guise of an online business, which allowed them to keep receiving disability checks on top of their content creator income.

Of course, due to the nature of the ‘transaction,’ there was no proof of purchase, no refund option, and no shipment tracking, meaning every single buyer was left to the sheer mercy and lackluster responsibility of Amy and Tammy, after literally giving away their hard-earned money in hopes of getting what they purchased.

The ‘business’ eventually came to a complete halt when it was revealed that the sisters weren’t even paying the artists who designed their merchandise, in spite of having access to way more than enough to cover those expenses. Due to the scandal, Tammy’s TikTok with over one million followers was permanently banned for fraudulent activity.

The infamous funeral scam

One day the fans woke up to more grim news from the sisters, according to which Tammy fell over and was unable to breathe for a while. She was rushed to hospital, and promptly diagnosed with pneumonia. Her condition then worsened, and she was placed on life support for the next three weeks.

Amy then started a GoFundMe campaign for her sister’s funeral, citing the reason as being unable to afford the burial expenses that would most likely follow, all the while her sister was still very much alive in the hospital. The fans were confused, however, since the sisters were making good money at the time, allowing Amy to actually afford the entire funeral cost.

Almost comically, she stated that in regular circumstances this wouldn’t be a financial burden, but Tammy required a triple-sized extra-large coffin, which apparently had astronomical costs. Interestingly, even though Tammy was on a medical card, not even that added bonus combined with their entire income thus far would be enough for a coffin, at least according to Amy.

All the while, Amy pushed the GoFundMe campaign as the much-needed safety net without which she wouldn’t be able to financially survive Tammy’s inevitable death. She made it clear in another video that 100% of the proceeds would go only towards her sister’s funeral and absolutely nothing else.

After Tammy had returned to the videos regularly, and it was clear to everyone that she wasn’t in mortal danger, Amy told the viewers that she gave the money to her mother, who used it to pay Tammy’s bills. When asked to provide receipts for said payments, she stated that her mother was looking for them, and later changed her story to say they were simply thrown into the trash at some point.

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The real success story

If anything, the audience can at least cheer for Chris Combs, who never engaged in any fraudulent activity, and was simply going through a hard time upon joining the second season of “My 1000-lb Life.” While initially only there to support his sisters, he was persuaded by TLC’s producers to undertake a weight loss journey of his own.

He eventually underwent weight loss surgery, and dropped around 140lbs (63kgs), but needed to stay physically active in order to maximize on the medical procedure. He ran into another issue when his daily workouts were restricted by his badly damaged leg, for which he also had surgery.

Chris is physically active and in mid-2023 continues to lose weight, with his blood sugar now leveled off and insulin injections no longer necessary. He still follows strict dietary plans and looks and feels healthier than ever, while also having a squeaky clean record, in spite of his sisters’ many wrongdoings – the only true Slaton success story.

As one of the most successful reality TV shows of all time, it’s tough not remembering some of the “Survivor” contestants with a smile on our faces. Whether they were controversial, highl spirited, strongly disciplined, or had none of the aforementioned qualities, there was always something interesting to see in those who were daring enough to participate in the series.

There’s no doubt that “Survivor” has been giving us some of the most exciting and thrilling moments in reality TV for a couple of decades now, but the off-screen life hasn’t been as fortunate for some former stars of the show.

Want to know more? Stay with us to know who are the former “Survivor” cast members who’ve sadly passed away.

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Roger Sexton

The most recent loss of a former “Survivor” contestant occurred in late 2022, when Roger Sexton passed away at 76 years old on 26 October that year in Washington State. According to reports, Roger had been suffering for a while from a disease called Lewy Body Dementia, for which he had been treated by a local hospice in Walla Walla, Washington, where his daughter Amy lived.

Roger is often remembered as one of the most memorable cast members of the sixth season of “Survivor”, “The Amazon”, set in Brazil and aired in 2003. Despite the extraordinary survival abilities he gained during his time in the US Marine Corps and vast experience as the oldest male contestant in that season, Roger was unable to last more than 21 days in the show, due to his increasing problems at getting along with his fellows. He was eventually voted out of “Survivor”, but Roger left a mark both in the show’s history and on his loved ones, who described him as an ‘amazing’ and ‘cherishing’ family father in his online obituary.

Roger is survived by his wife Diane, daughter Amy, and two grandchildren.

Jenn Lyon

The first former “Survivor” contestant to ever pass away was the tenth season’s contestant Jenn Lyon, who sadly died on 19 January 2010. Jenn had been battling breast cancer since 2005, first discovering her stage-three diagnosis shortly after she left the show in fourth place.

Since being told of her diagnosis, Jenn became an active spokesperson for cancer awareness, often taking part in fundraising events, and collaborating with the Me and My Two Friends Foundation and Susan Love Cancer Research Foundation.

Jenn underwent a mastectomy and chemotherapy treatment while also finding strength from her time in “Survivor” to fight the disease: ‘(it) taught me there’s an end in sight, as hard as it is, it will be over, and you have to appreciate every day’, she told People.

Unfortunately, Jenn’s cancer went from remission in 2009, and she died soon afterwards. The special episode “Surviving Survivor” aired in her honor in February 2010.

5 years ago today #Survivor Palau contestant Jenn Lyon passed away. RIP Jenn. pic.twitter.com/rDdafVkbBI

— Martin Holmes (@RedmondSurvivor) January 19, 2015

Sunday Burquest

Unfortunately, “Survivor: Millennials vs. Gen X” contestant Sunday Burquest passed away at 50 years of age on 18 April 2021. During her time in the show, Sunday was the oldest member of her X-Gen tribe, and lasted 35 days in the game before being voted out and joining the jury.

Sunday worked as a youth Pastor, loved interior design, and was a breast cancer survivor, a disease she faced a couple of years before joining the show: ‘It was important to me that my kids saw me as a ‘warrior’, rather than as a whiner.’ as she wrote on her “Survivor” profile, in which she also recalled the several chemotherapy seasons and surgeries that she went through while fighting the disease.

Unfortunately, in 2020 Sunday was diagnosed with ovarian and esophageal cancer, from then on becoming an active spokesperson for Cancer awareness, and contributing to several foundations and fundraisings before her death.

Dan Lembo

The “Survivor” family suffered many losses in the year 2022, including fan-favorite Dan Lembo from the “Nicaragua” season aired in 2010. On 3 September that year, Dan passed died at 75 years of age from progressive supranuclear palsy, a brain disease he had been fighting for half a decade.

Though most “Survivor” viewers came to know Dan for his appearances in the series, he was quite accomplished before joining the show. With a decades-long career as a real estate agent, Dan’s more-than-good financial situation allowed him to take some risky but exciting decisions, such as debuting as an actor in “The Sopranos”, and also accepting an appearance in “Survivor” without thinking too much about it.

In his online obituary, Dan was described as ‘a charismatic, larger-than-life, outgoing bon vivant’, along with being a dedicated family man and friend. He’s survived by two sons and numerous grandchildren.

Clay Jordan

From the contestants of the “Survivor: Thailand” season, Clary Jordan was quite memorable for lasting until the very end, only behind winner Brian Heidik. Despite his lack of experience in survivalism, and being seemingly just a restaurant owner, Clay persevered and did quite well during the immunity challenges, ensuring his perpetuity in the show.

According to People, Clay sadly died from an unrevealed ‘short illness’ on 19 May 2022 at 66 years of age, shortly after his wife Linda died from COVID-19 early that year. The couple is survived by their children and grandchildren.

Ralph Kiser

The path of Ralph Kiser in “Survivor”s 22nd season was quite memorable for his personality, skills, and constant habit of mispronouncing his fellow contestants’ names. The show saw Ralph displaying the best of himself, getting out alive week after week thanks to his outdoor skills, which included knowing his way around plants and trees, and building anything necessary.

A farmer by profession, who had the sole goal of becoming debt-free with the show’s $1 million prize, Ralph was a definite fan favorite during the 33 days he lasted in the competition.

Unfortunately, Ralph died from a heart attack on 20 April 2022 when 56 years old.

Angie Jakusz

One of the most extraordinary contestants to ever appear in “Survivor: Palau” was Angie Jakusz, a bartender and artist, native of Wisconsin, who is remembered for her great accomplishments in the show. Angie was almost left out of the competition in the first vote round, fortunately surviving enough time just to prove that she was one of the strongest in her tribe, gaining important challenges and respect from her fellows.

Although Angie left the show after only 12 days, she’s remembered for changing some things forever: ‘back in 2005 women weren’t cast in “Survivor” with dreads and tattoos, she broke the casting barrier. Fans related to her story so much’, as fellow contestant Coby Archa told People in 2021, referring to the fact Angie was initially considered an outcast for her looks.

According to Racha, some of Angie’s former fellow “Survivor” contestants started a fund-raising campaign around 2018 to help Angie, who back then had been recently diagnosed with cancer. Sadly, the disease went back from remission after a couple of years, resulting in her unfortunate death on 8 January 2021.

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Clifford Robinson

A definite fan favorite during his appearances in “Survivor: Cagayan”, Clifford Robinson was not only skilled when it came to playing the game, but also had a prolific career as a professional basketball player.

As part of his 18-year career in the National Basketball Association (NBA), Clifford initially played with the Portland Trail Blazers and then passed on to join several teams before retiring in 2005. He’s also remembered for being one of the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year Award winners in 1993, and joining the All-Star exhibition game the next year.

Cliff was quite memorable during his time in “Survivor”, as part of the Aparri tribe, gaining several immunity challenges thanks to his physical skills. He was ultimately voted out of the competition by his rivals after 14 days.

On 29 August 2020, Cliff passed away aged 53 from lymphoma, though he had suffered other health problems in recent years, such as a brain hemorrhage and a stroke.

BB Andersen

As the first season of the show, “Survivor: Borneo” is warmly remembered for setting a precedent for the following seasons, on top of introducing the audience to some of the most unforgettable contestants. One of those memorable players was BB Andersen, who was the second oldest cast member in his season, but also one of the most formidable.

Despite being voted out after six days, Andersen did a good job at winning challenges and setting his tribe’s standard for hard work. Aside from his short-lived adventure on TV, Andersen was remembered as well for his prolific career as a businessman, engineer, and politician.

Andersen died at 77 years old, on 29 October 2013, after fighting brain cancer for a while.

Rudy Boesch

The second “Survivor: Borneo” to unfortunately die was Rudy Boesch, who also participated in the “All-Stars” competition. From an early age, Rudy served in the US Navy and its special forces for over four decades and was known for his strenuous training routines.

Despite being the oldest competitor in “Borneo” at 72 years old, Rudy’s past in the military made it unsurprising to see him last in the game for 38 days, ending in third place. Rudy went back to the competition in 2004, though he was eliminated after only six days.

Rudy died at 91 years of age on 1st November 2019, after struggling with Alzheimer’s. His mark as the oldest person to ever compete in “Survivor” remains to this day.

Dan Kay

A native of Massachusetts, the “Survivor: Gabon” contestant Dan Kay was an avid athlete and attorney, on top of being charismatic and well-liked by viewers. Regardless of his past as a successful businessman, Dan’s search for adventure landed him in “Survivor”, in which he won a wide variety of challenges thanks to his fit physical condition and charismatic attitude.

Even though Dan had everything he needed to win the show, a switch in the tribes resulted in his out-voting on the 21st competition day.

Sadly Dan died aged 40 on 31 December 2016, but there’s no further information about the circumstances surrounding his passing.

Ashley Massaro

Though many “Survivor” viewers were introduced to Ashley Massaro during the 15th season set in China, she was already known in the entertainment and sports industry before her show’s debut. Her career as a professional wrestler started in 2005 with the Raw Diva Search competition, which she won. In the following years, Ashley was a regular in World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) events, and gained fame for her feuds with fellow wrestlers. She also appeared in shows such as “Wild On” and featured in several magazines, including Maxim.

During her time in “Survivor: China”, Ashley struggled with an illness which made her tribemates turn against her. She was voted out second in the competition, lasting only six days in it.

Sadly, Ashley died on 16 May 2019 from apparent suicide; she was 39 years old.

Caleb Bankston

“Survivor”s 27th season was a special one, given it included former successful participants from the show who would compete against their romantic partners. In Caleb Bankston’s case, that meant overcoming the challenges which came his way while competing against Colton Cumbie, his fiancé, and former “Survivor: One World” player.

Caleb lasted 30 days in the game, even surpassing Colton by being placed ninth in the overall ranking. Unfortunately, Caleb died on 24 June 2014, less than a year after the show aired. According to The Hollywood Reporter, at the time Caleb was working as a train conductor in Alabama when a derailing accident occurred, ending his life at 26 years of age.

All in all, there’s no doubt that all these memorable people left a mark which goes beyond their “Survivor” appearances, and the warm memories which are surely kept alive with their loved ones.