“I’m not going to take it back.
I’m not going to go back on it.”
But Maria would continue to make her mark in a huge way.
Maria Shrime Gonzalez on ‘Survivor 46’.Robert Voets/CBS
Have the two discussed it together and would she still make the same vote today?
Robert Voets/CBS
ENTERTAINMENT WEKELY: We have to start right here.
And I think that was never more clear than in the pizza reward.
Maria Shrime Gonzalez and Charlie Davis on ‘Survivor 46’.CBS
What am I supposed to do?
And I went with my head.
And that spoke to me so deeply in my core.
Kenzie Petty and Maria Shrime Gonzalez on ‘Survivor 46’.CBS
She also said, I’m doing this for me.
And if you know anything about my story, my story of coming on the show was choosing me.
And so when those words came out of her mouth, I was stunned.
Maria Shrime Gonzalez and Jeff Probst on ‘Survivor 46’.Robert Voets/CBS
And ultimately I chose my heart.
And I feel really proud.
I was one of five votes, so it wasn’t just me.
The Siga tribe on ‘Survivor 46’.CBS
And it killed me to not vote for Charlie.
I have the utmost respect for Charlie, but I chose my heart.
So how have those discussions been with Charlie over the past 11 months?
Maria Shrime Gonzalez on ‘Survivor 46’.CBS
Because I’m sure they have not been easy.
They haven’t been easy, and we, I think, have a mutual respect for each other.
We’ve had lots of moments.
We’ve seen each other, we’ve visited each other.
The children have met Uncle Charlie.
I don’t doubt that we won’t be able to get past this.
It’s hard to watch.
and that’s why I chose her.
CBS
Charlie said you told him Get to the final three so I can vote for you.
The thing changed when I saw that fire.
It was nothing I saw coming.
It triggered me on an emotional level.
It triggered me on a personal level.
It went beyond the game.
And I could have voted strategically.
We always see people deliberating with the vote.
What about after the fact, Maria?
What’s it been like for you?
Have you been sort of rethinking and having an internal debate?
I know you had one before the vote.
Have you had one after the vote?
I can’t live my life thinking I should have done this.
So if you had to revote today, you would still vote Kenzie?
I would still vote Kenzie.
Speaking of Kenzie, let’s go back to the Final Five immunity challenge.
Do you think it was fair for Liz to be allowed to help Kenzie beat you in that challenge?
Tell me the truth: What did you think?
I am going to plead this fifth.
[Laughs] It didn’t feel fair.
It did not feel fair.
That being said, it’s an honor to be taken out that way.
It’s an honor to know that they needed two people to take me out.
And so yeah, it sucked.
It sucked to watch back.
I cried the same tears I cried that day.
We’ll never know.
Kenzie finished the puzzle first, but then she can’t figure out what the plank is.
Of course I’m going to say I could have won.
I should have won, right?
I’ve woken up so many nights thinking what could have happened?
What would’ve happened?
Could I have done it?
Could I have really gotten to the end?
I feel like I could have, but you never know.
How much did you want to get that challenge winning record?
I think more than Soul Survivor, it was getting that record.
And I think I spoke that out loud.
Everyone said, We can’t let Maria get to the end.
She’s going to win.
Again, we’ll never know, but what’s your sense having talked to the jury?
Had you made it to the final three, are you the Sole Survivor?
I had the most beautiful reception at Ponderosa.
We all think we can win, right?
We’re not going to be playing if we don’t think we could win.
But I really left there thinking this game could have been mine.
And that’s obviously been hard, but my hat’s off to the final three.
They were there for a reason and I’m proud of all of them.
I mean, I loved it, the competitor in me.
That’s what should happen.
So I love that he did that.
I took a shot and it missed.
The whole thing was poetic.
Whats something that never made it to TV that you wish we had a chance to see?
And I guess those were conversations that were really just meant for us to have.
And so the bond that we had together was really beautiful.
Let’s go all the way back there because we haven’t had a chance to discuss it.
How close was the decision between going with Mo and Jem or Tim and Ben?
I mean, Mo and Jem and I were really close.
And we really truly did have a Charlie’s Angels alliance.
I think unfortunately, the day that Jem got voted out, chaos ensued at camp.
It was super, super chaotic.
We didn’t know Jem had the idol.
We just knew she was acting differently.
Charlie and I found an envelope stuffed in a tree.
That envelope was a journey envelope.
I was the only other person that had an envelope that day.
And so finding that envelope made me think: What’s he hiding?
Why is he hiding that?
But it kind of felt to us they were better shields for us going into the merge.
I believed in myself enough to feel like I could make it to the end.
That’s okay with me.
What was the experience like watching it play back on TV every week?
The highs, the lows, and everything in between?
Definitely a roller coaster of emotions watching and sort of being nervous beforehand.
What are they going to show?
How are they going to show it?
What will people say?
I’m not sort of the loudest voice in the room.
I am behind the scenes.
I am the one that’s in the corner.
Not something I could have anticipated.
And I’m not going to take it back.
I’m not going to go back on it.
Would you play again if they asked you to come back?
