CBS and 'Survivor' admit they could have handled Dan Spilo incident 'differently,' set new procedures for show - Fox News

CBS and “Survivor” have issued a statement in regards to the recent Dan Spilo controversy.

The statement comes in the wake of Dan Spilo’s ousting from the show following several alleged misconduct incidents in which Spilo was accused of touching contestant Kellee Kim and a female production member in an inappropriate manner.

The abrupt exit of Spilo, for what CBS said was an off-camera incident, didn't end questions about whether the network fumbled a #MeToo-era issue that it knew about months ago.

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Dan Spilo was removed from "Survivor: Island of the Idols" last week. After the show, a message appeared on the screen for viewers, reading: "Dan was removed from the game after a report of another incident, which happened off-camera and did not involve a player." (Robert Voets/CBS Entertainment)

“Season 39 of ‘Survivor’ has been unprecedented for all of us, with important social issues and inappropriate individual behavior intersecting with game play in complex ways that we’ve never seen before,” the statement to Fox News began. “During the course of the production, we listened to the players intently, investigated responsibly and responded accordingly, including taking the unprecedented step of removing a player from the game.”

“At the same time, we are responsible for the final outcome of this season. We recognize there are things we could have done differently, and we are determined to do better going forward,” the statement continued.

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The statement then addressed what steps the network and the “Survivor” production teams will take to ensure a smooth operation following the latest season’s controversy.

“For Season 40, which has already filmed, the show added to its pre-production cast orientation specific guidelines regarding personal space, inappropriate behavior, and how to report these issues. For Seasons 41 and beyond, the producers are reviewing all elements of the show to further support appropriate interaction, including how the players live during, as well as after they are eliminated from, the competition,” the statement noted.

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Dan Spilo's departure was the first time in "Survivor" history that a cast member had been removed from the CBS show. (Screen Grab/CBS Entertainment)

CBS’ statement then discussed the additional measures that will be implemented for “training, reporting of issues and prohibited forms of game play.”

“The production will add another on-site professional to provide a confidential means of reporting any concerns, so that the production can address them promptly apart from the game. The full range of reporting processes will be communicated clearly to the players during pre-production orientation.  The new executive will add to a support system that already makes mental health providers available to players on location and after they leave the island.”

More new rules include, “[Enhanced] pre-production orientation with new anti-harassment, unconscious bias and sensitivity training for cast, producers and production crew on location,” in addition to the introduction of “a third-party expert in the field to review, evolve or add to these new policies and procedures going forward.”

Furthermore, “A new rule will be implemented stating unwelcome physical contact, sexual harassment and impermissible biases cannot be brought into the competition and will not be permitted as part of gameplay. This will be covered in the cast orientation for each season, along with clear instructions on how to report violations.”

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The statement concludes: “CBS Entertainment will develop appropriate enhanced policies and procedures equivalent to the new “Survivor” measures and adapt them for the network’s other reality programming going forward.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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2019-12-18 13:56:18Z
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