SURVIVOR’S Dan Spilo has apologized for the first time months after he was accused of acting inappropriately with fellow cast mates.
The 48-year-old was kicked off Survivor: Island of the Idols last week after he made other contestants and a female producer “feel uncomfortable”.
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Dan told PEOPLE in a written statement that he was deeply sorry for making contestant Kellee Kim uncomfortable.
He wrote: “After apologizing at the tribal council when I first learned that Kellee still felt uncomfortable, I want to make sure I do so again, clearly and unambiguously.
“I truly regret that anyone was made to feel uncomfortable by my behavior.”
He continued: “In my life, I have always tried to treat others with decency, integrity and kindness.
“I can only hope that my actions in the future can help me to make amends and show me to be the kind of father, husband, colleague and friend that I always aim to be.”
Sources close to PEOPLE also said that Dan was planning on apologizing during the show’s live finale but was uninvited.
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After his apology was made public, Kelle took to Twitter to express her thoughts on his attempt to appease the situation.
She wrote: “It‘s curious that Dan has decided to publicly apologize to me — and just me — on the eve of the #Survivor39 finale for a series of inappropriate incidents that occurred months ago and impacted a number of women on set.”
She tweeted again: “I truly hope that some of this self reflection is real and that Dan changes his behavior going forward. For me, this statement only underscores the responsibility of CBS and Survivor to take action to prevent anything like this from ever happening again in the future. #Survivor.”
Dan was kicked out of the game on Day 36 after a producer claimed he inappropriately touched her thigh while stepping into a boat.
He claimed that he had lost his balance and reached out to grab a hold of her, which lead to him touching her thigh.
Producers weren’t convinced and removed him after consulting the show’s legal team.
This incident happened after Kellee, another contestant in the show, also claimed that he inappropriately touched her.
She expressed to the show’s producers that she felt Dan had violated her personal space by touching her legs, arms, and hair even after she asked him to stop several times.
Producers first gave him a warning before Kellee complained to the producers a second time.
In a possibly unfair decision, Kellee was kicked out Survivor after talking to her fellow contestants about the incident with Dan.
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Kelle previously spoke out on her social media accounts about the show’s decision to keep him in the game despite several complaints.
She wrote: “While I wish many things had gone different, I’m glad that my decision to speak up made a difference.
“What is most important to me now is that all of us – CBS, Survivor, other organizations, and all of us as individuals – decide to learn from this story and commit to take action.”
She continued: “Lastly, I am grateful to the many people who have reached out to me over the last few weeks to share their own stories and messages of solidarity.”
During last week’s episode, the show’s host Jeff Probst announced to the contestants that Dan had been removed from the show following an “off-camera incident.”
Jeff told the cast: “A decision has been made and Dan will not be returning to the game. He won’t be coming back to camp. He won’t be on the jury. He’s gone.”
Throughout the show, the female contestants had repeatedly asked Dan to keep his distance, with Kellee asking him to respect her wishes about staying an appropriate distance from her in the very first episode.
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