‘Survivor’s’ Dan Spilo Opens Up About ‘Inappropriate Touching’ Controversy, Being Removed From Show

Dan Spilo, the contestant on Survivor: Island of Idols who was removed from the show, has broken his silence on his departure. He is apologizing for his behavior, which left other contestants feeling uncomfortable.

Spilo, a 48-year-old Hollywood agent, was removed from the show after an incident on day 36 where he touched a female producer on the thigh when greeting on a transport boat. This happening weeks after being accused of touching contestant Kellee Kim in a manner that was not appropriate.
“I am deeply sorry for how my actions affected Kellee during the taping of this season of Survivor,” Spilo said. “After apologizing at the tribal council when I first learned that Kellee still felt uncomfortable, I want to make sure I do so again, clearly and unambiguously.”

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“I truly regret that anyone was made to feel uncomfortable by my behavior,” Spilo admited. “In my life, I have always tried to treat others with decency, integrity and kindness. I can only hope that my actions in the future can help me to make amends and show me to be the kind of father, husband, colleague and friend that I always aim to be.”

This is the first time that Spilo has decided to speak out since leaving the show. It is rumored that Spilo had planned on addressing the situation in the show’s live finale but later on was uninvited from the show.

Early on in the season, Kim communicated her worries over Spilo who violated her personal space by touching her arms, legs and hair. Kim was then voted off the show by other contestants after raising concerns. The producers of the show discussed with each contestant on the side about the issue. Now ex-contestants say that the warnings were so unspecific that nobody comprehended the severity of the situation.

“It was just a very vague blanket statement telling me if I ever felt unsafe, I should let production know,” contestant Aaron Meredith said, “There was never any indication that something was going on or that someone had issues.”

Spilo insisted that his contact with the producer was unintentional as he lost his balance gettin on the boat. The show’s production team was not satisfied and after discussing with their legal team, producers decided to remove him from the competition.