Over a year ago, on a sand spit in Fiji, Eva Erickson's life changed forever. The PhD student was in the heat of competition in Survivor 48, trying desperately to navigate a table maze and guarantee immunity for her tribe. But, as the pressure – and her failures – mounted, so did her emotions. When Eva finally sank her ball, it was a moment of exaltation for her and her tribe, before things suddenly took a turn. Eva began hyperventilating and sobbing, having been triggered to have an autistic "episode" from the overstimulation. Standing on the sidelines, hands on his knees, was Joe Hunter. Ten days prior, Eva had confided in him about her autism, talking him through how to bring her down should she ever have an episode. Unfortunately, since then, a tribe swap had turned them from allies into competitors, cast away to two separate beaches. But in that moment, all the fire captain, who will also be competing on Survivor 50 next year, saw was an opportunity to step in and save someone he truly cared about in a moment of need, as the only person for thousands of miles who knew how.
? SIGN UP for Parade's Daily newsletter to get the latest pop culture news & celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox ? What happened after has been talked about many times by Survivor fans since the moment it aired almost five months ago. Host Jeff Probst allowed Joe to cross tribal lines, as he embraced Eva and carried out what she had instructed him to do to calm her down. As her episode ended, Eva used the opportunity to reveal her autism to everyone else in the game, in a moment that even had Probst in tears. And, as Eva reveals in an exclusive interview with Parade, the cast were not the only people in her life who would find out about her autism through this emotionally-charged moment."I was a little nervous," she admits. "Because all the people that I grew up with, my family, my very close friends, they all knew that I had autism. They've been there for me in the situations that I go through with getting overstimulated. They've seen me develop as an individual and how I handle the struggles I have. But the people I work with, the people in my day-to-day life, aren't aware that I go through these things. So when this came out, people had questions, and they were open to talk to me about them, because I was so open about it on the show on TV. It kind of opened me to be able to speak on in my life."When CBS aired the moment and its subsequent aftermath, it prompted an immediate and overwhelming response from the fanbase. The video of Eva and Joe has racked up 1.3 million views, one of the show's most popular clips in recent memory. The two made headlines in many major publications. When Survivor was announced to be nominated for Outstanding Reality Competition at this year's Primetime Emmy Awards, the moment chosen to represent the show was none other than Eva winning the challenge for her tribe. While the scene clearly shows a moment that transcends the game of beachside betryal, its response also shows it may have transcended the show as well.Read below for Parade's full interview with Eva Erickson and Joe Hunter, including their response to how their scene was portrayed, as well as where their relationship currently stands.
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I often hear Survivor players say they get to experience their season two different ways: Once on the island and once watching the episodes. Eva, what was your anticipation of getting to watch the season, given everything you went through on the island?Eva Erickson: I mean, it was a lot, right? Because I went out there to compete in the game, and I didn't really think that much about it being on TV, and so many people seeing me for who I am and what I go through. And so that part was kind of iffy. Because you're like, "I don't know what they're going to show, what they're not going to show. How are they going to portray me?" They can do whatever they want, editing-wise.But ultimately, I knew what I did out there, and I was very proud of that. And I was ready for the world to see me for who I am and what I go through with someone with autism. And so I kind of trusted CBS from the entire time that I went through the interview process to get on Survivor, I felt that they truly cared about me and wanted to tell my story in the right way. And so I wasn't concerned that it was going to be done poorly. I was just nervous because I'm like, "Oh, how are people going to react when they see that I have autism?" Because so many people in my life didn't even know that before it was on TV.Oh, really?So what was the immediate reaction to the people in your life having that information revealed in such a public way?Eva: It came out right away in the trailer before the season. It just kicked it all off; that's the first thing that I said. And it was kind of like, "Oh, wow. This is starting off now." And I was a little nervous, because all the people that I grew up with, my family, my very close friends, they all knew that I had autism. They've been there for me in the situations that I go through with getting overstimulated. They've seen me develop as an individual and how I handle the struggles I have. But the people that I work with, the people at Brown, in my day-to-day life, people aren't aware that I go through these things. So when this came out, people had questions, and they were open to talk to me about them, because I was so open about it on the show on TV. I was like, "Hey, if anyone wants to know more about what I go through, I'm happy to talk about it," which was really cool. And I saw just such a great response, especially from my teammates who weren't aware before seeing the show. And it's really cool. It kind of opened me up to be able to speak on in my life.Joe, I want to talk about your perspective. I was sitting right in front of you when there was a special screening of the premiere in the spring. And you were very clearly overcome with emotion when you watched back the scene of Eva revealing she had autism, and how that cemented for you that you would always support her. What was your reaction to how your role in her story was portrayed?Joe Hunter: It was crazy. Like Eva – we're so similar – I really didn't understand. I mean, obviously, we know the show. We're fans; we watch it. But I didn't understand the magnitude. I didn't go into it thinking, "What's this going to look like?" because I was just being me. I was like, "Alright, we're just going to walk through this journey." Well, when Eva approached me, it was so genuine and so real. It just stuck with me as a best friend that I've known my whole life. I was like, "Hey, this is what we're talking about." It just felt so natural that I didn't even think for a moment [about] that little conversation we had, because it was so [many] other things we're dealing with. We're missing home; we're on an island. I'm not saying it was huge, but we both kind of like, "Okay, cool. We're good. We moved on." It wasn't staged. It was just so natural between us. I had no idea the impact. So it allowed us this freedom to just be super viral. But what it did for me was, the trust with Eva, it chokes me up every time I think about it, because it was so genuine. Her vulnerability with me, I was like, "This will be my friend for life." Because I could tell it was such a personal thing. So for me, in that moment, it was truly like, "This is a friend now. This is an actual friend." And I'm super picky about that. And she was so vulnerable. And think about this, Mike. This is the thing that really trips me out. What if we're on a different season? What if we're on a different tribe? She would have easily been able to do that with other people; our cast is great. But what are the odds that it also synced us up together in that moment? That is what I'm super thankful for.Let's get into arguably the biggest moment of the season, when Eva, you have an emotional "episode" towards the end of a challenge, and Joe steps out of the game to calm you down. In the wake of that, you reveal your autism to the rest of the cast, a moment that even has Jeff in tears. Obviously, you then had to put yourself back into the game. But was there any recognition in the moment that this would become something as big as it ultimately wound up being?Eva: I think I recognized at the time that it was a very big deal, and I just felt so grateful to be so understood by everyone around me. It's really just every person in the cast, on the crew. All the positive feedback on people's faces before even talking to anyone, them just nodding along and being like, "Oh, okay." They wanted to understand that just really was something that was so comforting to me. Because there's been times in my life where I've had episodes and I hadn't been comfortable enough to talk about it. When I was in high school – and this used to happen more frequently – I would get overwhelmed with sporting events. People would look at me like I was crazy, and I was used to being seen as something was wrong with me. But in this instance, people understood that, no, something's not wrong with me. I just have autism, which is something that makes me special and different and gives me challenges that are unique. But it also gives me strengths, and I can highlight those, too. You've seen me at my lows, but now you get to see me at my highs, too, and everyone was open to understanding that.And it really was a big switch in my life that I'm like, "Oh, people need to hear about this." Because there's so many people that don't have that "a-ha" moment where they're like, "Oh, this is okay." So I was really excited about getting to bring that forward and knowing that I was understood. And especially seeing how people didn't treat me differently afterwards, too. There was no babying. There was no being like, "Oh, we have to be nice to Eva because she's different." No, everyone was just like, "Oh, okay, cool. This is who you are. We've seen that. We get it. Let's go forward." And I think that was what was so special. Everyone just accepted me for who I was, and we continued on with the game. And I'm so grateful to have had that experience. But yeah, I had no idea it would blow up so much.
Related: 'Survivor 48' Star Joe Hunter Breaks Down His Incredible Heartwarming Scene With Eva: 'I'm Proud of Her' (Exclusive)Joe, what about you?Joe: Yeah. I mean, kind of the same thing. I think that what was so cool is – and Jeff's kind of talked about this too – he just allowed us to do that. It was cool that we also had the opportunity to just come to each other. But I think what was really cool is what I want everyone to know is unscripted. And not that anyone else wouldn't, but we were just allowed to be within each other. It was a genuine moment. It was so authentic between us. I know that you can just see it.And even after, I think what was really cool is we were able to share that with each other. And I think that also helped the cast. We were both like, "Next!" And I think our vibe together, too, was like, "Okay!" And I think it just made the group go, "Cool." So it changed my life. Eva showed me that, when she shared her story, it also made me think, "Wow, there's probably moments where you might judge a scene from a distance that you have no idea about." It really made me realize, too, how you need to get to know people. So it was really, really cool. She changed my life. That moment changed my life for sure.I've gotten the opportunity to hear you each individually speak about your relationship with the other person. But now that you're together, I want to talk about what happened once you got back from Fiji. Did you feel like your dynamic changed at all once you returned to the States and your normal lives?Joe: It's very complicated. I think with any season in every cast, I think that there's a lot of complications within the cast. And it's not that there's any drama or anything, but I think it's just a complicated dynamic. But here's what I will say. Hands down for Eva, no doubt, unequivocally, it's stronger to me, and it will always be there. And remember, there's a distance. There's an age gap. We're on other ends of the country. If I lived within an hour or two of her, I'd see her almost every other day if I could. I mean that. And so the fact that we're so far apart. I have a family; she has the amazing work she does. It's not a friend you have to talk to every minute, every day. To be totally clear, it's not a social media thing. I've said it 1000 times. She's a part of my family, always, period. End of story.Eva: And that is the thing that's so special. We shared such a powerful experience out there, and not just in the normal sense, like, "Oh, we made alliances. We were friends on the island." It was truly deep connection. And we went to the end together. We decided that on Day 1. We stuck by each other. And there was never a single doubt in either of our minds that we would ever turn on each other; we would never do that. And that just carries through outside of the game.And, like Joe said, it's hard; we're across the country from each other. But what's so special is that we don't have to talk all the time. We don't need to see each other all the time to know how much we care about and love each other. It is truly like family. I don't see my parents all the time. They're across the country, too. I don't see my sister. But I still know I love them, even though I only check in with my sister once a month. It's the same thing with Joe. Sure, it's hard. But no matter when I pick up that phone and get to talk to him, it's still those same feelings. And I know that this is someone that I can always trust and is going to be there for me in anything that I go through in my life.Survivor just got nominated for four Emmys, including Outstanding Reality Competition Program for only the second time in the new era, and Jeff for Outstanding Host. And while, obviously,the nomination comes thanks to everything that the cast and crew did, it should be noted that, when it was announced, the scene they showed in the montage was part of that challenge performance, Eva. And it's safe to say the moment you two had drew a huge amount of attention to the showin a different way than ever before. What's been your reaction to how much your story has been received since it aired?Eva: It's so amazing. I think it goes beyond the two of us. It's everyone else who put so much in to make this happen, casting us, picking us to be out there, getting to have this opportunity. But really, what comes down to it is that Survivor is a game where you bring the real life to this island. And sure, everything else is stripped away from you, but who you are as a person is what you bring to the game. And I brought 100% of who I am, and Joe did the same. And you got to see truly who we are at our core on that island. And Survivor captured that perfectly in that moment. In the little things, too. That I finished that table maze, I was able to complete it even when I was battling through this. And Joe, he knew what I was going through, and he waited because he knew that I could succeed. He knew that I am someone who can get to the end of my challenge. And I finished that. But then also, he was there to help me right when I needed it. It's all these little, tiny moments that show who we are and what we do as people that were fully captured. And Jeff allowing that to happen, that's part of what makes him such a great host.He read this situation; he understood what needed to happen. And allowing Joe to come to me, and then giving me the opportunity to speak as well. And he did a great job. And he went to somebody else first to talk before coming to me, so I could have that second to collect myself. He did such a great job orchestrating the way that this moment would unfold. And it was just so beautiful. And I think that the editing was amazing in capturing how all of that happened and what it was like for me to experience that, too. So overall, I think it is very well deserved, and it's a great clip to have helped propel Survivor back to the Emmys stage.Joe: Eva nailed it. I mean, just like Jeff says, you know when to get out of the way. I'll just say this. I couldn't agree more on the staff and everyone that went into this and made it happen. But I'm proud of us, I really am. And, not to make it small, I'm proud of her for finishing what she did. I think that's the key, what she did in that competition, to finish that competition. I was just there as a friend to help her with the back half of it. So I'm proud to be a part of it.
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