Jonny Fairplay has some unhappy information: His grandmother has died, for actual this time.

The Survivor alum lied about his grandmother dying in a infamous, pivotal second on the Pearl Islands season of the present in 2003, making an attempt to drum up sympathy from his fellow gamers. Now he says the information of his grandma's dying is true.

"I'll miss her day by day," Fairplay tells Leisure Weekly. "It's simple to suppose she was simply a part of one of many greatest lies in TV historical past, which made me well-known, however I take a look at her place in my life as a loving grandparent who solely needed the very best for me in my life and would do something to assist me get it. Which she did."

Fairplay's grandma was named Ellen Jean Hauser and glided by her center identify. Born in 1934, Hauser dated Grand Ole Opry host Faron Younger and had a fling with Robert Goulet, her grandson says. She died on Friday, Feb. 7, at Embrace Hospice Home in Myrtle Seashore, S.C.

Hauser seemingly embraced her Survivor notoriety, as she had a customized license plate that learn "DEAD GMA."

"She liked the publicity and a spotlight from Survivor," Fairplay says. "It didn't harm that she thought Jeff Probst was one of the crucial good-looking males on the planet. Jerry Springer invited her on his present as a visitor, which she turned down as a result of she was petrified of his viewers." When Fairplay revealed that his grandmother was really nonetheless alive on Survivor, he stated she was "sitting house watching Jerry Springer proper now."

Fairplay additionally made gentle of his grandmother's remaining moments. "Her dying phrases had been one thing like, 'Jonny, I wish to see you on Survivor 50, The Traitors, and Deal or No Deal Island,'" he says. "I had no thought she had so many streaming providers."

Fairplay informed EW that he didn't remorse his dishonest technique. "The 'Useless Grandma' lie remains to be thought of one of many biggest strikes within the historical past of not simply Survivor, however actuality tv as a complete," he stated in 2020. "I needed to deliver an outdoor factor to the sport and create the primary actuality villain. There had been 'unhealthy guys' previous to me on actuality TV, however they by no means sought out that personification. They claimed unhealthy modifying or inventive storytelling. I embraced the position and reveled in it."

The previous participant thought the best way he was portrayed in Survivor ended up being "good" for his objectives.

"It was me," he stated. "After I defined to manufacturing that I needed to be the heel, they had been elated and gave me each alternative to run with my infamous methods. It was like getting a permission slip to do evil. My heroes rising up had been Roddy Piper and Ric Aptitude. I bought to deliver all of their villainy to the world of actuality TV."

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