Jeff Probst's Love Life: Did the Survivor Host Really Marry a Contestant?
Jeff Probst's Love Life: Did the Survivor Host Really...
By Fan Arch August 27, 2024 10:15
Jeff Probst became a fixture on television screens nationwide for most of the last two decades as host of the reality TV show Survivor. Although his professional life has always been there to see, his personal ones, particularly romantic endeavors, have long drawn interest and gossip from fans and the media community. Find details of former Survivor host Jeff Probst's love life below, discover his relationships and marriages, and know if he has ever married a contestant.
First Love and Marriage
Jeff Probst started his way down the path of love long before he was a household name. In 1996, he married psychotherapist Shelley Wright, one of his early marriages. The pair remained together for five years before they split in 2001. Though their relationship was relatively private, Probst continued his romantic life beyond the show.
Love on Survivor: The Julie Berry Chapter
Survivor: Vanuatu (2004): Perhaps the most well-known chapter of Jeff Probst's love life is their love affair with Julie Berry, a three-year relationship since emphasized in courtroom battles, via reports. Their relationship raised more interest and eyebrows due to the unusual ways fate brought them together.
The ninth Survivor cast included Julie Berry, a youth mentor from Gorham, Maine. During one episode aired last year, viewers spotted Berry with a dabbed-on heart tattoo labeled "Jeff," sparking a fan theory that the host could be dating one of his contestants.
At first, both Probst and Berry downplayed these whispers. Berry told the Portland Press Herald that "it was just harmless fun." Probst agreed, saying: "The ironic thing is that everyone thought who was flirting on the show and that was just stuff of fun with during it. I hadn't even talked to Julie until years after the show,".
But the actual story of these two starts after the taping concluded. Probst revealed that he reached out first by sending Berry an email "just to say hello." What seemed like a small act of kindness turned into something more, and before they knew it, their friendship had blossomed unexpectedly.
One month later, Probst spoke candidly to PEOPLE magazine about his romance with Berry. In the interview, he revealed how surprised he was to find love at The Bachelor: "Nobody is probably more offended than me that I could make a romance out of a show I host, but all this did get dropped in our lab when it's delivered like such. You just put your arms around it and hold tight because this is my love affair, there's no doubt."
Probst revealed a picture of him, deeply in love. But he also explained how their relationship blossomed, adding: "The moment we spent a bit of time together, I didn't have any doubts. There are no questions about how you meet or what else could serve, as it's all rotting old dry leaves."
However, Probst and Berry were not meant to be together forever. After seeing each other for four years, the couple split in 2008.
Moving On: Lisa Ann Russell
After splitting from Julie Berry, Jeff Probst found love with Lisa Ann Russell. The story of how the couple met is at a Christmas party held by Mark Burnett, Survivor's creator.
Russell instantly took Probst. They got together soon after, attending their first red carpet event in August 2010 at the purpose-built Nokia Theatre for the 62nd Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards. That new relationship moved fast, and Probst married Russell on December 5th of the same year in a small ceremony at his home in Los Angeles.
His marriage to Russell Probst seems to have given him some peace and normality. The pair have been living in LA and creating a life together, and they recently moved into the home that Russell shares with her two children, Michael and Ava.
The Media and Public Opinion
Jeff Probst's love life has received much media attention due to his romantic endeavors with Julie Berry. The idea that the host of a show should be dating a one-time contestant became an irresistible curiosity and spawned debate over propriety.
But from the start, Probst and Berry made it clear that they did not become romantically involved until after the show finished. Their transparency with the public greatly quelled what could have emerged as controversy around their love.
The media's perception of Probst's relationship and marriage to Lisa Ann Russell was generally positive. The couple previously earned praise from the public for their low-key lifestyle and traditional family life.
In the end, Probst has mostly kept quiet about his private life while still sharing what he felt comfortable with regarding relationships. Fans will always love hearing a little bit of gossip, so while Probst keeps hosting Survivor and living his life in the spotlight, fans will likely keep coming back for more.
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