“I was Daenerys,” says the fifth-place finisher of her finale fireworks.
“I was going to light this entire place up on fire.”
Injuries to her hand and ankle could not take Karla Cruz Godoy out ofSurvivor 43.
Karla Cruz Godoy on ‘Survivor 43’.Robert Voets/CBS
Instead, the 28-year-old educational project manager was taken out the old-fashioned way by a vote of her peers.
It was a bold play from a bold player, but it didn’t work.
Karla then went to the jury, where she helped award the million-dollar prize to Mike Gabler.
Jesse Lopez, Karla Cruz Godoy and Cassidy Clark on ‘Survivor 43’.CBS
Did she follow through on her threat to Cassidy?
What did she make of Cassidy’s final Tribal Council apology?
And how does she think she would have done had she made it to the end?
Karla Cruz Godoy on ‘Survivor 43’.Robert Voets/CBS
We spoke with the island’s Warrior Princess shortly after the finale aired to get the full story.
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: Let’s begin with your vote for Gabler to win the million dollars.
And the only person that could really answer that was Gabler.
Karla Cruz Godoy on ‘Survivor 43’.CBS
And we saw that with the Elie vote.
And not just that, but it was also the fire challenge.
We were like, “Okay, so you just took out the biggest threat.
Jeff Probst and Karla Cruz Godoy on ‘Survivor 43’.CBS
Clearly, I was throwing Jesse’s name under the bus, but you took Jesse out.”
And that’s a big feat.
So that’s why my vote went to Gabler.
She did not seem happy about that.
Tell me about that conversation and trying to use that as leverage.
I’m not dumb.
I knew where I was at.
The moment that I landed at that beach after the Cody vote out, it was me.
I knew it was me.
And so I was like, “What can I do to make a run at save myself?”
Clearly, I’m not going to be like, “Hey, everyone, kindly save me.”
I’m not a beggar.
I’m swinging at everyone."
I swung at Owen.
I swung at Gabler, and I swung at Cass.
And for me, it was kind of like, “Who’s going to take that?”
First of all, I’m pitching that Jesse’s the biggest threat.
And in my head, I’m like, “What?”
So I came out here, I was Daenerys.
I was just going to create chaos.
And if it worked, it worked.
And clearly it didn’t, but it’s okay.
What did you make of Cassidy’s apology during that final Tribal Council?
Did that strike you as genuine, or that she was trying to get your vote?
I honestly thought it was her really trying to get my vote.
So to hear that apology then after we had fought many nights at this point, right?
This wasn’t the first time.
I thought it was just for the vote.
So I stayed true to who I thought deserved to win.
You and Cassidy were very closely aligned for strategic purposes early in the game.
Were you ever close personally and then that unraveled, or what happened there?
So during Coco, we were definitely close.
And I was like, “Oh, okay.”
We weren’t really connecting.
We weren’t checking in with each other as often as we did at Coco.
We’re going to play our own games, and I’m not going to hold you."
I’m not going to be like, “You’re not checking with me, Cass.
You’re no longer my friend.”
I knew that that’s the game.
And so that was what she had to do.
I had to do what I had to do.
But definitely the merge was the turning point for our relationship.
How do you think you do if you make it to the end?
Obviously, it depends on who’s there.
Let’s say you’re sitting next to Jesse.
So with Jesse, I talked this over in my head.
That would’ve been the hardest one.
I would’ve been like, “Listen, he got so lucky with the idol.
He didn’t need to go find those beads.
Life was just handed to him.”
So I would’ve tried to downplay that.
So it would’ve kind of been like I was there alongside with them.
It would’ve been hard, honestly, but I think he would’ve had it at that point.
But I would’ve been fine going with him at that point.
And what about any of those other final three, if you’re up there with any of them?
That was the plan, Dalton!
That was the plan!
I know I had this in the bag.
But also, if I would’ve helped get either Jesse or Cody out.
Clearly, Cody was not my move, and I was left out of that.
We’re sitting comfortable.
So that would’ve been my case.
You told Jesse you voted against him at five to ruin his perfect game.
There’s no reality where I’m staying."
Because Jesse was kind of teetering at, “Maybe I’ll play the idol for you.”
And I was like, “He might save me.”
So if he played it for me, I would’ve got his ass out.
And then that would’ve been the biggest move this season because that would’ve played everyone.
So that was actually my mindset.
But, at the same time, it was out of love.
And I can say that triumphantly.
Is it true that during that live Tribal you were trying to convince people that his idol was fake?
Oh, where’d you hear this?
I’ve got my sources.
Because listen, I looked at it and I thought that there was a bead missing.
And I was like, “Wait, I think his idol is fake!”
But obviously they all tattled.
And then Jesse was like, “Oh, well screw that.”
And yeah, that was it.
And I was like, “Dang, I tried.”
So are you always this klutzy injuring yourself, Karla?
Wait, you know what?
I’m not even going to say no.
I have a history of injuries.
I’m an athlete.
When I was in school, I participated in all sports.
I played volleyball, I played football, I played basketball, I played soccer.
So I’ve had injuries the entire time when I was young.
But you know what?
I’ll say this.
I did not know that I could persevere through all these injuries.
I mean, you saw me at that last immunity challenge.
I’m not that clumsy in real life.
You were even trying to run on the beach and stuff to get that advantage.
How much fun was it to see Owen have that huge hissy fit after you got it?
Listen, I love Owen.
So I was like, “My ass is about to hang out.
This is not funny.”
My ankles hurt, so I’m limping down the beach.
And the moment I grab it, he’s wilding out.
And I’m like, “Oh my God.”
And I was like, “Ohhhhhhhh.
So they’re really gunning after me.”
So in a way it was good.
I was like, “Hell yeah, I took that from you.
I did that.”
But it was so interesting to see Owen.
You should have seen him.
It was worse than that.
He was cursing, he was chopping those coconuts and whacking at the trees.
And I was like, “Bro, relax.”
But I love Owen, and he was like, “I’m so sorry.”
Give us some inside scoop on something that didn’t make into an episode.
I’ll say this.
It’s funny because he loves Tupac, he loves Kendrick.
I love Tupac, I love Kendrick.
And he has a rose that grew from concrete tattoo on him.
And that’s one of my favorite poems ever.
So I wish that they would’ve showed the way that we bonded around our struggles.
And to see two very strong players who are from similar backgrounds.
That was wild to me.
And that just goes to show that people like us, we can do it.
We can play a game like this.
And so we need people to apply.
you could do whatever you want.
I would’ve never thought that I would make it onSurvivor, but I did what I did.
Well then, what do you say when they call and ask you to do it again?
Oh yes, let’s go!
I’ve been lifting.
I’ve been working out a lot more now.
Let’s do it.
