Russell Dennis Hantz (born October 10, 1972)
is an American television personality, best known for his appearances on the U.S.
reality show
Reality television is a genre of television programming that documents purportedly unscripted real-life situations, often starring unfamiliar people rather than professional actors. Reality television emerged as a distinct genre in the early 19 ...
, ''
Survivor.''
[Russell Hantz a villain to tribemates but a hero to Survivor viewers](_blank)
May 13, 2010, Toronto Star
The ''Toronto Star'' is a Canadian English-language broadsheet daily newspaper. The newspaper is the country's largest daily newspaper by circulation. It is owned by Toronto Star Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary of Torstar Corporation and part ...
article. He was the runner-up on ''
Survivor: Samoa'',
[Natalie White wins 'Survivor: Samoa,' but runner-up Russell Hantz calls her undeserving](_blank)
December 21, 2009, New York Daily News
The New York ''Daily News'', officially titled the ''Daily News'', is an American newspaper based in Jersey City, NJ. It was founded in 1919 by Joseph Medill Patterson as the ''Illustrated Daily News''. It was the first U.S. daily printed in ta ...
article.['Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains' finale: Russell Hantz defeats Rupert Boneham for Sprint prize](_blank)
May 16, 2010, blog.zap2it.com. and the second runner-up on ''
Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains''.
He also competed on ''
Survivor: Redemption Island'' and ''
Australian Survivor: Champions vs. Contenders'', where he was the second player to be eliminated both times.
Hantz's performance on ''Survivor'' was very polarising.
This controversy has resulted in ongoing media attention and appearances, along with acknowledgement that his particular brand of ruthless gameplay can result in wins for those who employ it.
Most have strongly criticized his strategy, naming him one of the biggest villains in ''Survivor'' history.
Nevertheless, on both ''Survivor: Samoa'' and ''Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains'', Hantz was voted by viewers the "
Sprint Player of the Season", which came with a $100,000 cash prize.
He is one of only eight contestants to ever make it to the finals in more than one season (the others are
Rob Mariano
Robert Carlo Mariano (born December 25, 1975), known by the nickname Boston Rob, is an American television personality, known for appearing in the CBS reality show '' Survivor''. He placed 10th in the show's 4th season '' Survivor: Marquesas'' ...
, Amanda Kimmel,
Parvati Shallow
Parvati Shallow ( ; born September 21, 1982) is an American television personality and was the $1 million winner of the reality television series '' Survivor: Micronesia — Fans vs. Favorites''. She had previously competed in '' Survivor: Cook I ...
,
Sandra Diaz-Twine
Sandra Diaz-Twine (born July 30, 1974) is an American television personality who became known for her appearances on the reality game show '' Survivor''. She won the first two seasons she appeared on, '' Survivor: Pearl Islands'' and '' Survivor ...
,
Tony Vlachos
Anthony Vlachos (born September 10, 1973) is an American police officer, best known for competing on the reality television competition series '' Survivor'', of which he is the second person to win two seasons. He won the show's 28th season, '' Su ...
,
Natalie Anderson
Natalie Jane Anderson (born on 24 October 1981) is an English actress, singer and television presenter. She is known for her roles as Stella Davenport in the medical drama ''The Royal'' from 2005 to 2008 and Alicia Metcalfe in the ITV soap op ...
, and
Michele Fitzgerald
Michele Fitzgerald (born May 5, 1990) is an American travel consultant best known for competing on the reality competition show '' Survivor''. She was voted the winner of the show's 32nd season, '' Survivor: Kaôh Rōng'', on May 18, 2016. Miche ...
).
Hantz was nominated in the
2010 Teen Choice Awards
The 2010 Teen Choice Awards ceremony was held on August 8, 2010, at the Gibson Amphitheatre, Universal City, California. Several new categories were introduced, separated into "Movie", "TV", "Music", "Summer", "Fashion" and "Other". The ceremony ...
for his performance on ''Heroes vs. Villains''. In the ''
CBS Watch
''CBS Watch!'', also called ''Watch! Magazine'', is a bi-monthly magazine commissioned by Paramount Global and published by Manifest. The glossy print magazine, covers celebrity, fashion, beauty, travel, culture and wellness through articles main ...
'' "Greatest Castaways" viewers poll, Hantz came in second for "being willing to do anything to win. His villainous nature always made for great TV."
After ''Survivor'', Hantz starred alongside his older brother, Shawn, on the
A&E reality documentary, ''
Flipped Off''.
''Survivor''
''Samoa''
After applying to compete on ''
Pirate Master
''Pirate Master'' is an American reality television show created by Mark Burnett and broadcast on CBS. The show followed sixteen modern-day pirates on their quest for a gold treasure valued at US$1,000,000. The show was hosted by Cameron Daddo a ...
'', Hantz was called by casting two years later to appear on ''
Survivor: Samoa''. Assigned to the Foa Foa tribe, he began playing the game through lies and deceit, which included telling a false story about being a firefighter who survived
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina was a destructive Category 5 Atlantic hurricane that caused over 1,800 fatalities and $125 billion in damage in late August 2005, especially in the city of New Orleans and the surrounding areas. It was at the time the cost ...
, and later burning his tribemates' socks and emptying their
canteen
{{Primary sources, date=February 2007
Canteen is an Australian national support organisation for young people (aged 12–25) living with cancer; including cancer patients, their brothers and sisters, and young people with parents or primary carers ...
water. In an interview with
Andy Dehnart
Andy Dehnart (born August 26, 1977) is an American journalist and television critic. He may be best known as reality television's "longest-standing critic" for his online journalism, as he is the creator of the genre's first tracking website, rea ...
, Hantz explained that the idea behind this strategy was to psychologically weaken the other players in order to manipulate them.
Early on, Hantz executed a successful plan to locate the
hidden immunity idol before any clues were found. When the Foa Foa and Galu tribes merged, he attempted to use his idol as a bargaining chip with his new tribe mates in hopes of forming a coalition against Laura Morett. When she won the immunity challenge, the plan collapsed and word spread that Hantz possessed an idol. Unaware of anyone's real intentions, Hantz played the idol at
Tribal Council, but no votes were cast against him. He later located a new idol, again without clues, and played it at the next Tribal Council, where he received seven votes, eliminating Kelly Sharbaugh (who received the other four votes). Later, Shannon "Shambo" Waters and John Fincher joined Hantz's alliance and eliminated Morett.
Hantz then arranged Fincher's elimination in the next vote.
Due to the large number of Galu members on the jury, it was almost certain that Brett Clouser, Galu's last remaining member, would win the game if he won the final immunity challenge. Hantz narrowly won immunity and Clouser was eliminated by a 3-1 vote at the next Tribal Council.
Ultimately, Hantz beat out fellow finalist Mick Trimming, but lost the title of Sole Survivor to his close ally,
Natalie White, by a jury vote of 7–2–0, despite being "heavily favored" to win. Host
Jeff Probst
Jeff Probst (; born November 4, 1961) is an American reality show host and executive producer. He is best known as the Emmy Award-winning host of the U.S. version of the reality television show '' Survivor'' since 2000. He was also the host of ' ...
believed his loss resulted from bitter feelings towards him by the jurors, rather than a positive attitude towards White. Hantz complained that Natalie did not deserve the win, and insisted he did.
During the results show, Hantz offered White $10,000 for the Sole Survivor title, and then increased the offer to $100,000, but she declined both times.
Despite the loss, Hantz won the "
Sprint Player of the Season" award, which included a cash prize of $100,000.
Nine days prior to the ''Samoa'' live finale, Hantz registered
russellgotscrewed.com where he thanked his supporters and asked them to purchase T-shirts and/or donate money to
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital is a pediatric treatment and research facility located in Memphis, Tennessee. Founded in 1962, it is a 501(c)(3) designated nonprofit medical corporation which focuses on children's catastrophic diseases, pa ...
.
''Heroes vs. Villains''
Hantz was invited back for ''Survivor''s 20th season, ''
Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains'', as a last-minute substitute for ''
Survivor: Panamas Shane Powers, and was assigned to the Villains tribe. Since ''Survivor: Samoa'' and this season were filmed back-to-back, no other player had had an opportunity to watch Hantz’ game, although they were told by the production crew that he was considered "one of the five most notorious male villains of all time".
During this season, an infamous rivalry developed between Hantz and
"Boston Rob" Mariano. Early on, Mariano organized his alliance to split the vote 3–3 between Hantz and
Parvati Shallow
Parvati Shallow ( ; born September 21, 1982) is an American television personality and was the $1 million winner of the reality television series '' Survivor: Micronesia — Fans vs. Favorites''. She had previously competed in '' Survivor: Cook I ...
. The former then told
Tyson Apostol
Tyson Apostol (born June 17, 1979) is an American reality television personality, best known for his appearances on multiple seasons of the CBS reality television show '' Survivor''. Apostol originally competed on '' Survivor: Tocantins'' in 2009 ...
that he also intended to eliminate her, which influenced Apostol to change his vote from Hantz to her. At Tribal Council, Hantz revealed an immunity idol and gave it to Shallow. The result was four votes for her, two votes for Hantz, and three votes for Apostol. Since Shallow's votes were negated, Apostol was eliminated. Later on,
Jerri Manthey
Jerri Lynn Manthey (born September 5, 1970) is an American actress and television personality. She was a contestant in ''Survivor: The Australian Outback'', where she placed 8th, ''Survivor: All-Stars, All-Stars'', where she placed 10th and ''Su ...
joined Hantz's alliance with Shallow and Danielle DiLorenzo and aided in Mariano's elimination.
The Heroes tribe began to blindly believe that there was an all-female alliance, headed up by Shallow, controlling the Villains tribe.
James "J.T." Thomas, Jr., of the Heroes tribe, had found an immunity idol earlier, and gave it to Hantz during an immunity challenge with instructions to eliminate Shallow, but Hantz chose instead to vote out Courtney Yates.
When the two tribes merged, Hantz gave his idol to Shallow, not knowing she already had an idol of her own. She gave the idols to Manthey and
Sandra Diaz-Twine
Sandra Diaz-Twine (born July 30, 1974) is an American television personality who became known for her appearances on the reality game show '' Survivor''. She won the first two seasons she appeared on, '' Survivor: Pearl Islands'' and '' Survivor ...
at Tribal Council. Manthey and Thomas received five votes each, but since Manthey's votes were negated, Thomas was eliminated. Later, DiLorenzo found a clue to an immunity idol on a reward and shared it with Hantz and his allies, but he ultimately discovered the idol for himself. He later showed it to Candice Woodcock in attempt to pull her into his alliance with the intention of eventually eliminating Diaz-Twine. At Tribal Council, he played the idol, but received no votes. Later, he arranged DiLorenzo's elimination in order to break up her strong alliance with Shallow.
At the final immunity challenge, Hantz edged out Shallow and Manthey by a few inches. He then chose to vote out Manthey, assuming he would get her vote for the ''Survivor'' title. His game, however, was panned by the jurors, all of whom refused to vote for Hantz in the end. Diaz-Twine ultimately triumphed over him and Shallow in a 6–3–0 vote, thus winning her second Sole Survivor title. Despite his shutout loss, Hantz's Reunion experience was similar to his last one in that he won the “Sprint Player of the Season” award and $100,000 for the second time.
''Redemption Island''
Hantz returned for ''
Survivor: Redemption Island'', the show's 22nd season, to face off with his old rival, "Boston Rob." By a random draw, Hantz joined the Zapatera tribe, which later threw the third immunity challenge and immediately targeted him and his ally, Stephanie Valencia. Suspecting that something was up, Hantz devised a counter-strategy, but was ultimately voted out at the next Tribal Council and sent to
Redemption Island. His elimination from the game was finalized upon losing the Redemption Island duel to
Matt Elrod. Deeply saddened by the loss, Hantz stated that this season would be his last on ''Survivor'', although at the reunion show he indirectly stated that he had changed his mind.
In an interview with ''
Entertainment Weekly
''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...
'', Hantz threatened legal action against his tribemates for forfeiting the immunity challenge, claiming that they had breached their ''Survivor'' contracts by doing so. He also criticized Mariano, referring to him as a "''Survivor'' whore".
''Australian Survivor: Champions vs Contenders''
Competing at an international level, Hantz joined the cast of ''
Australian Survivor: Champions vs. Contenders'' as a member of the Champions tribe, the first season to be filmed since CBS acquired Network Ten in 2017. Enjoying initial success in the first few days, Hantz grew frustrated of the laid-back mentality from his fellow tribe-mates and began actively searching for, and locating, a
Hidden Immunity Idol. Wanting to cause paranoia, Hantz announced his intention to play the hidden immunity idol at their first Tribal Council. During this time he formed allegiances with Samuel Hinton,
Monika Radulovic
Monika Radulovic; sr, Моника Радуловић, Monika Radulović (born 20 September 1990, in Zavidovići) is a Bosnian-born Serbian Australian model and beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss Universe Australia 2015 and repres ...
and Damien Thomlinson. After losing the second Immunity Challenge, Hantz attempted to orchestrate a split vote between Jackie Glazier and
Shane Gould
Shane Elizabeth Gould (born 23 November 1956) is an Australian former competition swimmer. She won three gold medals, a silver medal and a bronze, at the 1972 Summer Olympics. In 2018, she won the fifth season of ''Australian Survivor,'' becom ...
but a counter-alliance led by
Moana Hope
Moana Hope (born 14 February 1988) is a former professional Australian rules footballer who played in the AFL Women's competition from 2017 to 2019, including 13 matches over two seasons at and a further seven matches over one season at . Eac ...
forced a tie in the event Hantz' hidden immunity idol was played. At Tribal Council, Hantz did not play his hidden immunity idol leading to a revote between himself and Glazier. At the revote, Thomlinson stayed loyal to Hantz with the rest of the vote eliminating him in a unanimous decision. He finished in 23rd place.
Information leaks
In 2011, Hantz was accused of violating his ''Survivor'' contract by leaking information regarding the show's results. Late in the previous year, a man named Jim Early was sued by
executive producer
Executive producer (EP) is one of the top positions in the making of a commercial entertainment product. Depending on the medium, the executive producer may be concerned with management accounting or associated with legal issues (like copyrights o ...
and ''Survivor'' creator
Mark Burnett
Mark Burnett (born 17 July 1960) is a television producer who is the former Chairman of MGM Television, MGM Worldwide Television Group. He is best known for creating and producing the reality shows The Apprentice (American TV series), ''The Ap ...
's DJB Inc., for successfully spoiling ''Survivor: Samoa'' and ''Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains'' on a ''Survivor''
fansite
A fansite, fan site, fan blog or fan page is a website created and maintained by a fan or devotee about a celebrity, thing, or particular cultural phenomenon.
Fansites may offer specialized information on the subject (e.g., episode listings, bi ...
known as ''Survivor Sucks''. The lawsuit accused Early of "misappropriation of trade secrets” and "tortious interference with contract." The charges were dropped on January 13, 2011, after Early provided to an attorney an email, which allegedly confirmed Hantz as source of the spoilers. Early claims that he had originally made contact with Hantz via telephone to warn him that someone had posted his private information online, but that Hantz had recontacted him later and begun revealing accurate information about the show's outcome, which Early posted to the fansite. Thus far, no legal action has been taken against Hantz, although contestants who reveal information regarding a season's results may face
liquidated damages
Liquidated damages, also referred to as liquidated and ascertained damages (LADs), are damages whose amount the parties designate during the formation of a contract for the injured party to collect as compensation upon a specific breach (e.g., late ...
of $5 million.
In an interview with ''
USA Today
''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virgini ...
'', Hantz denied the accusations, commenting, "See, that's another thing. I am the villain, and its unfair that people perceive me that way, and they throw out things that's not fair to me or my family, and I guess I got to deal with it. I'm not sure if I'm supposed to comment on this or not, but it is 100% false."
Other television appearances
On February 10, 2010, Hantz and ten other contestants from ''Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains'' made a special appearance on ''
The Late Show with David Letterman
The ''Late Show with David Letterman'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by David Letterman on CBS, the first iteration of the The Late Show (franchise), ''Late Show'' franchise. The show debuted on August 30, 1993, and was produced by ...
'' to present the show's Top Ten List. As a promotion for ''Redemption Island'', Hantz appeared on the cover of
TV Guide Magazine
''TV Guide'' is an American biweekly magazine that provides television program listings information as well as television-related news, celebrity interviews and gossip, film reviews, crossword puzzles, and, in some issues, horoscopes. The print ...
for the week of February 14, 2011, alongside Rob Mariano.
In 2012, Hantz was featured on ''
Flipped Off'', an
A&E reality series about
house flipping. The series followed Hantz and his older brother, Shawn, as they worked with a local real estate agent to flip houses in the
Houston
Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...
area in pursuit of profit.
Taking place in the aftermath of the
subprime mortgage crisis
The United States subprime mortgage crisis was a multinational financial crisis that occurred between 2007 and 2010 that contributed to the Financial crisis of 2007–2008, 2007–2008 global financial crisis. It was triggered by a large decline ...
, Hantz stated that he expected "to be one of the biggest house flippers in Houston," and that he was "here to bring Houston's economy back on its feet." He later told
Rob Cesternino
Robert Kristopher Cesternino (born October 20, 1978) is an American reality television contestant and podcast host, known for his appearances on '' Survivor: The Amazon'' (2003) and '' Survivor: All-Stars'' (2004). In 2010, he launched ''Rob Has ...
that he had turned down an opportunity to host Boston Rob's ''
Around the World in 80 Ways'' in order to host ''Flipped Off''. The show consisted of seven episodes and ran from April 28 to June 16, 2012.
Hantz also expressed interest in competing on ''
The Celebrity Apprentice
''The Celebrity Apprentice'' is an American television reality competition series. It was a variation of ''The Apprentice'' series, hosted by then real estate developer (later 45th president of the United States) Donald Trump from 2008 to 2015, an ...
''.
Personal life
In
Dayton, Texas
Dayton is a city in Liberty County, Texas, United States. The population was 8,777 at the 2020 census.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all but is land.
Demographics
As of the 2020 United ...
, Hantz is a part-owner of an oil outfit known as Hantz Tankering Service with his father and brother. He also owns a bar in
Lafayette
Lafayette or La Fayette may refer to:
People
* Lafayette (name), a list of people with the surname Lafayette or La Fayette or the given name Lafayette
* House of La Fayette, a French noble family
** Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette (1757 ...
,
Louisiana
Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is borde ...
, known as Bootleggers, and he is a native of
Vinton, Louisiana
Vinton is a town in Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 3,400 in 2020. It is part of the Lake Charles metropolitan statistical area.
History
The Old Spanish Trail, which was neither old nor Spanish, wandered north and ...
.
Hantz currently resides in Dayton, Texas.
He and his ex-wife, Melanie,
have four children,
including twin girls.
Hantz's brother, Shawn, has a son named Brandon, who was a contestant on ''
Survivor: South Pacific'' and later ''
Survivor: Caramoan''. Hantz also has a younger brother, Willie, who competed on ''
Big Brother 14'' before being expelled from the show due to violence.
Arrest
On April 23, 2010, at 2:15 am, Hantz was arrested for
battery
Battery most often refers to:
* Electric battery, a device that provides electrical power
* Battery (crime), a crime involving unlawful physical contact
Battery may also refer to:
Energy source
*Automotive battery, a device to provide power t ...
while partying near the bar he owns in Lafayette, Louisiana. A woman was involved in a verbal argument with Hantz, during which he allegedly shoved her to the ground, causing her minor injuries. Hantz was released later that day without
bail
Bail is a set of pre-trial restrictions that are imposed on a suspect to ensure that they will not hamper the judicial process. Bail is the conditional release of a defendant with the promise to appear in court when required.
In some countries ...
but was given a
misdemeanor
A misdemeanor (American English, spelled misdemeanour elsewhere) is any "lesser" criminal act in some common law legal systems. Misdemeanors are generally punished less severely than more serious felonies, but theoretically more so than adm ...
summons and a court date scheduled for June 24.
Filmography
Television
See also
*
List of TV Guide covers (2010s)
References
External links
*
*
*
Russell Hantz biographyfor ''
Survivor: Samoa'' at
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainmen ...
.com
Russell Hantz biographyfor ''
Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains'' biography at CBS.com
Russell Hantz biographyfor ''
Survivor: Redemption Island'' biography at CBS.com
Russell Hantz biographyfor ''
Australian Survivor: Champions vs. Contenders'' biography at
10 Play.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hantz, Russell
1972 births
21st-century American businesspeople
American businesspeople in the oil industry
American people of Lebanese descent
Businesspeople from Texas
Living people
People from Dayton, Texas
Survivor (American TV series) contestants
Participants in Australian reality television series