CBS Survivor castaway Jonathan Penner and his wife Stacy, who was diagnosed with ALS in late 2017.
In a new interview, “Survivor” fan-favorite Jonathan Penner has opened up about life after losing his wife Stacy Title to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease) earlier this year. He admits that he is struggling, but he has a wonderful message for fans and also reveals if he would ever play “Survivor” for a fourth time.
Penner Is Trying to Figure Who He Is Without His Wife
Penner and Title’s story was largely unknown to the “Survivor” fandom at large until it came up during season 40, “Winners at War.” Penner became real-life close friends with his “Survivor: Cook Islands” castmate Yul Kwon and during “Winners at War,” Kwon told his tribemates about Penner’s situation, which prompted CBS to join with the Penner family to film a PSA and ask for donations for The ALS Association.
Sadly, Title died on January 11, 2021, after a three-year battle with ALS. She is survived by Penner and their two children — Cooper, 25, and Ava, 22. In a recent interview with “Entertainment Weekly,” Penner said that the three years of Title’s fight with ALS were incredibly difficult and it has also been hard to figure out his life without her.
“[In 2017], my wife started getting sick and finally was diagnosed with ALS in December 2017. I spent from then until her death this past January as her primary caregiver. So I’ve seen some serious highs and lows. Right now, I’m just trying to figure out who the hell I am and what my place is in the world as a single dad, widowed after 30 amazing years with my partner and the love of my life,” said Penner.
He also said that two of his proudest moments playing “Survivor” were “lasting long enough for my wife to join me and compete” and “making friends with Yul, a truly spectacular human and friend.”
Finally, in regards to his family’s struggles the past few years, he said that the “Survivor” family —fans included — has been incredible.
“Honestly, so many people on the show, in production, at CBS and especially among the fans have reached out to me around Stacy’s brave fight and her passing. It’s been amazingly touching and very, very helpful. She really touched the world,” said Penner.
Since her passing, Penner has revealed on Twitter that he goes to her grave and reads out loud to her with their dog, Tootsie. He also recently lamented that the Academy Awards left Title out of its 2021 “In Memoriam” segment — she and Penner were nominated together for their 1993 live-action short film “Down on the Waterfront.”
Tootsie and I still read aloud.
Penner Regrets Not Standing Up to the Medical Team
Penner has played “Survivor” three times — season 13, “Cook Islands,” season 16, “Micronesia — Fans vs. Favorites,” and season 25, “Philippines.” Interestingly, when he was asked about his biggest regret, Penner said “not winning,” which is probably a big regret for a lot of castaways, but his reasoning is a bit different than most — he thinks he had a good shot at winning both the second and third times he played the game.
“In ‘Micronesia,’ I got injured and let the medical team handle it poorly. I didn’t know how to advocate for myself,” admitted Penner. “And in the Philippines, when I had finally fought my way into a great position, I blew it. I was so exhausted I didn’t focus just when I needed to most. My regrettable bad.”
Penner also said he would definitely return to the show if asked, though he’s not sure that’s what fans want to see.
“Watching me lumbering around like the Mummy might not be too pretty, but why not?” said the screenwriter. “I’m a firm believer in opening the door when opportunity knocks. I may need a few minutes to REACH the door, but when I get there, I’ll open it, dammit!”
After all that he’s been through, “Survivor” would be missing a huge opportunity if they didn’t ask Penner back the next time they use returning players.
“Survivor” is back in production now. If the pattern holds, it should be premiering its 41st season the third or fourth week of September 2021.