Getty "Survivor: The Amazon" winner Jenna Morasca at the "Survivor: Palau" reunion show in 2005.
“Survivor” winners have been known to make more than one bizarre statement in their time. Given the increasing level of scrutiny they and their personal lives have been under from fans over the years, it may be hard for the most high-profile contestants not to be caught in their worst moments.
However, recently, “Survivor” season 6 winner Jenna Morasca – who won “The Amazon” back in 2003 – is expanding her online profile in a big way. However, her latest posts are raising some eyebrows – and concerns – among fans.
Jenna Says She Was ‘Grieving’ the ‘Loss’ of Her Best Friend
In an Instagram post on Tuesday, “Survivor: The Amazon” winner Jenna Morasca wrote that she had been “[grieving] the loss of my bestie and partner in crime for a decade,” alongside a picture of Heidi Hamels, née Strobel, and herself from 2003. Heidi was one of Jenna’s fellow contestants on their original season, which was initially divided by sex, and the two quickly grew close.
By the final 5 – when Heidi was voted out – they had become best friends. As a juror, Heidi, who was then 24, then voted for Jenna to win, which she soon did. At 21 (22 when she received the money), Jenna then became the youngest winner in “Survivor” history (though she has since been surpassed by Jud “Fabio” Birza of season 21, “Nicaragua”).
After the show, Jenna and Heidi continued their friendship, and even did a photoshoot for Playboy together (harkening back to their time on the island, in which they famously stripped nude during a challenge in exchange for chocolate and peanut butter).
Although many fans quickly became disturbed by Jenna’s most recent post, assuming that Heidi had died, this was not the case. In fact, Jenna and Heidi actually had a falling out about a decade after their appearance on “Survivor” together.
Jenna Has Been Cryptic About Her Falling out With Heidi
Getty“Survivor: The Amazon” contestants Jenna Morasca and Heidi Hamels, née Strobel, in 2003.
Although neither have opened up about the specifics of their falling out, Jenna did mention it in a 2015 Reddit AMA. When one fan asked her whether she was still in contact with Heidi, Jenna responded, “No. Bye Felicia,” a slang term signifying that she was indifferent – or even relieved – at seeing Heidi’s departure from her life.
When another user asked Jenna to elaborate, she responded that she couldn’t, but went on:
Just can say sometimes people shatter your heart into a zillion pieces despite always treating them like family and being endlessly loyal and loving to them.
She added in another comment that their falling out had nothing to do with her marriage to professional baseball player Cole Hamels, which took place in late 2006.
For Jenna, this latest Instagram post was also her way of letting everyone know she is finally available on Cameo, hinting that her falling out with Heidi sent her into a years-long depression from which she is only now recovering (an implication that perhaps dovetails with her 2018 DUI arrest). For only $20, fans can get a personalized message from Jenna – which, notably, is far cheaper than other noteworthy “Survivor” contestants, let alone winners, who have been known to charge upwards of hundreds of dollars.
She added that she is willing to “send shout outs, Happy Birthday messages, tips for kicking butt on Survivor, audition video advice, hot gossip, anything. Let’s have some fun!”
“Survivor 43” airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. Eastern on CBS.
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‘Survivor’ Winner Makes Bizarre Cameo Announcement