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Jonny Fairplay Reflects on Grandmother’s Passing Two Decades After Notorious Lie

Jonny Fairplay, known for his controversial stint on Survivor: Pearl Islands, is currently grieving the loss of his grandmother, Ellen Jean Hauser, who passed away on February 7 at Embrace Hospice House in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. This moment comes nearly twenty years after Fairplay infamously fabricated a story about her death during the reality TV competition.

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Fairplay expressed his sadness, stating, “I’ll miss her every day. It’s easy to think she was just part of one of the biggest lies in TV history, which made me famous, but I look at her place in my life as a loving grandparent who only wanted the best for me in my life and would do anything to help me get it. Which she did.”

While his claim about her death shocked many viewers during his appearance on the CBS reality show in 2003, Fairplay revealed that his grandmother had a different reaction to the situation. She seemed to relish the attention, even going so far as to put a “DEAD GMA” vanity license plate on her car. “She loved the exposure and attention from Survivor,” he recalled, adding that she was quite fond of the show’s host, Jeff Probst, whom she deemed one of the most handsome men.

Ellen Jean Hauser, who was born in 1934, had an eventful life, having dated notable figures like Grand Ole Opry host Faron Young and Grammy-winning singer Robert Goulet, according to Fairplay. Her passing marks the end of an era shaped by her vibrant personality and her significant role in Fairplay’s life.

Having competed again on Survivor: Micronesia in 2008 and appeared on E!’s House of Villains in 2020, Fairplay has maintained that he has no regrets regarding his infamous deception about his grandmother’s death. He once stated, “There had been ‘bad guys’ prior to me on reality TV, but they never sought out that personification. They claimed bad editing or creative storytelling. I embraced the role and reveled in it.”

In his recent discussions about her, Fairplay claims that even towards the end of her life, his grandmother was enthusiastic about his ongoing career in reality television. He recounted, “Her dying words were something like, ‘Jonny, I want to see you on Survivor 50, The Traitors, and Deal or No Deal Island.’ I had no idea she had so many streaming services.”

Survivor, Season 48 Premiere, Wednesday, February 26, 8/7c, CBS

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