Jan 2
'Survivor' Champion Parvati Shallow Starts 2024 with Coming Out, Relationship Reveal
Kilian Melloy READ TIME: 2 MIN.
"We're here. We're queer. Happy New Year" - That was the coming-out message "Survivor" champion Parvati Shallow posted to kick off 2024, along with a reveal of who it is she's in a relationship with.
And who might that be? None other than Canadian comedian Mae Martin, known as the co-creator and star of "Feel Good," a comedy that's streaming on Netflix.
Martin (they/them) also featured on the game show "Taskmaster," where they won the show's 15th season earlier this year. On radio, they hosted "Mae Martin's Guide to 21st Century Sexuality," which spun off into a book, "Can Everyone Please Calm Down? A Guide to 21st Century Sexuality," published in 2019.
Shallow posted her coming out message "alongside a photo of the couple kissing in a photo booth," the New York Post reported.
"Martin - who identifies as non-binary and uses they/them pronouns - reposted the photo on their own Instagram Story with teary-eyed and red-heart emojis," the article went on to note.
Martin "also shared a clip of the pair riding a Ferris wheel near the beach, with Shallow giving her partner a playful wink," the Post added.
"Shallow, 41, previously alluded to the relationship in a November Instagram post that included photos of her daughter and Martin, along with other friends and family," Entertainment Weekly said.
In that post, Shallow wrote, "Some people come into your life at the perfect and most unexpected time. They see you, they love you right where you are, they make you laugh so hard you cry. They celebrate your wins and lift you up."
"When you're sequestered in an airport hotel alone on your birthday, they throw a big surprise party for you when you're home," Shallow added in the post. "They remind you that even when it's hard, life can be a really beautiful journey."
"Shallow was previously married to fellow 'Survivor' contestant John Fincher, with whom she shares a daughter," EW recalled. "The couple, who began dating in 2014, divorced after four years of marriage in August 2021, citing 'irreconcilable differences.' She also obtained a temporary domestic violence restraining order against him."
Well wishers flooded the comments section of Shallow's coming out post with affirming messages.
"When two legends maximize their joint slay by falling in love 😍😍😍" one person posted.
Another declared, "A WIN FOR THE QUEERS OMG"
"Big day for the survivor Queendom 👸🏼🏳️🌈" a third added.
Celebrities were among those expressing their happiness and support. "Very happy for you Parv," wrote Adam Klein, another winner of the popular contest show.
Survivor contestants Kellie Nalbandian and Katurah Topps weighed in also, with Nalbandian posting, "🥰🥰 cutest," while Topps enthused: "i just screamed soo loud!! Major major congrats! 🔥🙌🏾"
"Love you both!" raved actor Matt Rogers, known for the Joel Kim Booster-written gay rom-com "Fire Island."
"Shallow placed sixth on 'Survivor: Cook Islands' in 2006, came in second on 'Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains' in 2010, and finished 15th on 'Survivor: Winners at War' in 2020," the Post recalled.
Having triumphed on 2008's "Survivor: Micronesia - Fans vs. Favorites," Shallow will have another chance to win it all on a competition reality show, the upcoming season 2 of "The Traitors."
Kilian Melloy serves as EDGE Media Network's Associate Arts Editor and Staff Contributor. His professional memberships include the National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association, the Boston Online Film Critics Association, The Gay and Lesbian Entertainment Critics Association, and the Boston Theater Critics Association's Elliot Norton Awards Committee.
