Survivor Contestants Who Have Died – 2022 Update
Survivor contestants who have died is a number that keeps growing. And, despite some accidents and scares, no one passed away while filming Survivor.
Jeff Probst, the CBS reality show host, kicked off the series in 2000. And, it was a decade from then that the first castaway alum passed on. Here’s the Survivor death list.
Table of Contents:
- Clay Jordan (Season 5)
- Jennifer Lyon (Season 10)
- Angie Jakusz (Season 10)
- BB Anderson (Season 13)
- Caleb Bankston (Season 27)
- Rudy Boesch (Season 1)
- Ashley Massaro (Season 15)
- Cliff Robinson (Season 28)
- Sunday Burquest (Season 33)
- Ralph Kiser (Season 22)
Survivor Contestants Who Have Died: Clay Jordan, Dead at 66
The latest Survivor death news is about Season 5 in Thailand. Clay Jordan came in second place in the fifth season, ultimately losing to Brian Heidik.
It was 20 years ago that Clay competed in the show’s 5th season, and was in his mid-40s then. His season was filmed in 2002 on the island of Ko Tarutao.
Sadly, Clay’s wife, Linda Sue Jordan also recently just died three months ago. And now, Clay passed away unexpectedly too. Reportedly from COVID complications. Clay Jordan’s daughter broke the news of her father’s death on social media,
She first posted that Clay was in the ICU and asked for prayers saying she “just does not want him to suffer”. Then, on May 19, 2022, she said her “sweetheart of a Dad went to heaven” so he’ll “be reunited with his beautiful bride”.
He was portrayed as a villain on Survivor Thailand but Clay Jordan was one of the greatest men I’ve ever known. He will be missed by everybody who knew & loved him. He probably already has a golf game going on in Heaven! The Survivor family lost a great one today. #LoveYouClay pic.twitter.com/XyQOkoC1vr
— Carol Brown (@colbyncarsons) May 19, 2022
Family friend Carol Brown said that although he was portrayed as a villain on Survivor, he was not that way at home and said “everybody… loved him”.
Who Died from Survivor: Palau? Jenn Lyon & Angie Jakusz
The first castaway that passed away was Jennifer Lyon, known as “Jenn” on the tenth season of the show. Her positive outlook led her to the final four. She left the game as the first player to go out on a fire-making, tie-breaking comp.
In addition to being a bright player, the Season 10 player was known for her showmance with Gregg Carey. Before coming on Survivor: Palau, she noticed a breast lump and reported it to her doctor.
They suspected it was scar tissue from her breast implants. But it was cancer. Jenn’s diagnosis came after her season aired. By then, Jenn Lyon was at stage 3.
Jenn Lyon lost her battle with breast cancer five years later. Jennifer Lyon was born on February 27, 1972. And she died at home with her family around her on January 19, 2010.
Two episodes of the CBS show with Jeff Probst, show memorialized the first castaway to die. Surviving Survivor (a special episode) and the Heroes vs Villains reunion.
More than a decade after Jenn, her fellow castaway Angie Jakusz also died. They both played on Palau, but Angie on the Ulong tribe and Jenn was on the Koror tribe. Angie went out much early on day 12 for a 13th-place finish that season.
Angie Jakusz was known for her colorful ink and her independent streak. That got her the moniker “No Fun Angie”. And Angie Jakusz was a fan favorite whom Coby Archa said “broke the casting barrier” due to her wild personal style.
Years after her season, Angie developed a rare squamous cell type of colorectal cancer. She joined the Survivor death list on January 1, 2021. She was 40 years old, born on March 27, 1980. Her husband, Steven Calandra, survives her.
Deaths from CBS Reality Show – BB Anderson & Caleb Bankston
Season 13 played in Borneo, and Bill Anderson was in his mid-60s when he played the game. “BB” was born on January 18, 1936, and played Survivor: Borneo in 2000.
He went out very early, the first time his tribe, Pagong, went to Tribal Council. BB was an avid traveler and sportsman who passed after a long battle with brain cancer.
BB Anderson died in St. Luke’s Hospice in Kansas City, Missouri, on October 29, 2013, at age 77. He’s survived by his wife of almost 40 years, Jan Anderson, and their five children.
The next death from the reality show was eight months after BB passed. And this castaway died tragically young. He was on the 27th season, Survivor: Blood vs Water, which aired in late 2013.
Caleb Bankston was from Collinsville, Alabama, and played with his boyfriend Colton Cumbie. He was well-liked while his partner was not. He ranked 9th out of 20 in his season. Within six months of the season airing, he was dead.
Caleb worked as a train conductor at the Alabama Warrior Railway. He died in an accident at the train yard when two axles derailed. He was riding on the hopper car and was thrown off of it and into a stationary car in the yard and died instantly.
Caleb Bankston was born on March 26, 1986, and passed too young on June 24, 2014. He was one of the stars from Survivor you didn’t know died if you’re not actively following the show
Unanswered Questions about Another Who Died on Survivor – Dan Kay
Dan Kay played the 17th season with Jeff Probst hosting in Gabon. Also called Earth’s Last Eden. Daniel Kay’s season aired in late 2008. He finished 11th out of 18.
While on the Fang tribe, Dan was sent to Exile Island and then voted out when his tribe didn’t believe that he didn’t have the Immunity Idol. He did not. When he came to the show, Dan Kay was a Boston lawyer born on June 30, 1976.
Eight years after he played Survivor: Gabon, Dan died “unexpectedly”. He’s survived by a girlfriend and a son and daughter, Reese and Jackson. The family was cryptic about how he passed.
His girlfriend, Jennifer DePietro, said they wouldn’t release her boyfriend’s cause of death. But police are not investigating, so there was no foul play suspected.
There are some hints it might have been a mental health concern, but that’s unconfirmed. Dan Kay died on December 31, 2016.
Two Survivor Contestants Passed Away in 2019 – Rudy Boesch & Ashley Massaro
One of the first castaways to ever play the game, passed away in 2019. Rudy Boesch played Survivor: Borneo and All-Stars. That was season 1 in 2000. He played four years later too.
Although in his 70s, tough guy Navy SEAL Rudy was a force to be reckoned with and a fan favorite. He finished third after losing the final Immunity Challenge. Did you know Rudy was the oldest castaway to play?
He made a surprising friendship with winner Richard Hatch that lasted years. But Rudy didn’t do as well as Richard in All-Stars, going out second. Rudy passed 11 years after his second season.
Rudy Boesch was born January 20, 1928, and died January 1, 2019, from complications of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. His beloved wife Marge passed eight years prior. Their three daughters were with him when he died.
Ashley Massaro played Survivor: China in 2007, Season 15. Before and after that, she was a WWE wrestler and a fan favorite in the sport. She got into WWE after winning a Diva Search contest.
Despite her athleticism, Ashley struggled as a castaway and went out second. Initially, she got sick and couldn’t help much. She disagreed with a tribemate and they sent her home at first chance.
Post-CBS, Ashley wrestled again but retired to care for her sick daughter. Eight years later, she gave testimony that she’d been sexually assaulted while on a WWE tour of the Middle East, just before she went on Survivor.
Ashley Massaro was part of a class-action lawsuit against WWE, alleging mistreatment of their athletes. She said the attack left her with severe depression. Ashley Massaro was born May 26, 1979, and died May 16, 2019, of an apparent suicide by hanging.
What Survivor Players Died in 2020 & 2021? Cliff Robinson & Sunday Burquest
Two castaways passed in the early 2020s, both in their 50s and both of cancer. Cliff Robinson played Survivor: Cagayan – Brains vs Brawn vs Beauty, Season 28. It was filmed Summer of 2013 and aired in early 2014.
Although Cliff was well-liked during his season, he was the fifth person to go out of the Brawn tribe, Aparri. He counted Muhammad Ali as his inspiration. Of course, reality TV wasn’t Cliff Robinson’s claim to fame. He was an NBA star.
Cliff played for the Portland Trail Blazers as part of 18 NBA seasons. He was born December 16, 1966. Five years after his Survivor season, Cliff Robinson suffered a stroke that temporarily paralyzed him.
Then he had a malignant tumor in his jaw removed. After that, he thought he was cancer-free. But it wasn’t gone. After an 18-month battle with lymphoma, “Uncle Cliffy” passed on August 29, 2020, at age 53.
Sunday Burquest played Survivor: Millennials vs Gen X, Season 33 in 2016. She was on the Gen-X tribe and talked about her breast cancer journey on the show. She’d endured multiple surgeries and rounds of chemo and radiation.
Sunday credited her faith as helping her “kick cancer’s butt”. But five years after her season, she had cancer again — in her esophagus and ovaries. She was born February 6, 1971 and passed April 18, 2021.
She said after beating cancer once, a “terminal cancer diagnosis” was not what she expected. Her daughter Kennedy posted a loving tribute after losing her mom Sunday Burquest, thanking her for fighting as long and hard as she could.
Host Jeff Probst called Sunday, “one of the brightest smiles” to every play Survivor. He said she “radiated kindness and understanding”. Probst added that she knew “better than most that life is for living”.
Another Survivor Contestant Recently Died: Ralph Kiser
The most recent castaway to pass over was Ralph Kiser. He played in 2011 (filmed in 2010) and died 11 years after his season aired on CBS. Raph’s bold moves on season 22 were instrumental in ousting mega-villain Russell Hantz.
That happened on Survivor: Redemption Island. He found a hidden Immunity Idol before notorious idol-grabber Hantz could get it. That was the first time in multiple seasons of play that Hantz was evicted.
After losing a Redemption Island Duel, Ralph Kiser went out in 9th place during the 22nd season.
Prior to his own death, Ralph lost his father, brother, and one of his three daughters. Sarah Kiser who passed in a car accident in 2012.
Ralph was born on October 27, 1965, and had a sudden heart attack on April 20, 2022. The Survivor veteran, Ralph Kiser, died at the age of 56. He loved the game and had long aspired to play on the CBS show, with a goal of becoming a “hometown hero”.
The news of Ralph Kiser’s death was first reported by superfan, Michael Allbright, on Facebook along with Ralph’s brother Gilbert.
That’s all the Survivor players who had died so far. Get more reality news at Soap Dirt.