And even though she was technically safe from elimination, Maryanne went with Drea to hand Jeff their Idols as an act of solidarity. As Maryanne explained, it was important that they both use their idols to prevent critics from claiming “they only stayed because they made it a race thing.”
She added, “Jeff, with 1,000 percent certainty, I can tell you that if both of us don’t play our idols tonight, there will be someone watching and saying, ‘They used race. Nothing is off limits in Survivor.'”
While this could’ve been the end of the conversation, the other contestants were upset that race was even brought up. Jonathan, who had the immunity necklace, told Maryanne and Drea, “I don’t feel this is right, because you’re coming at this like we’re racists.”
He went on to call Drea ”aggressive,” to which she replied that this wasn’t a personal attack on any of the contestants. As she put it, “this is my situation, my issue.”