- Jackson Fox, the first openly transgender person to compete on "Survivor," was sent home early due to health risks.
- Fox shared that he was taking lithium, a mood stabilizer that comes with a risk of dehydration.
- He said he didn't disclose the medication when he applied because of the stigma around it.
Jackson Fox, the first openly transgender contestant to compete on "Survivor," was sent home early due to the health risks of a medication he was taking for sleep and anxiety.
In the season 42 premiere of CBS' hit reality competition, host Jeff Probst made an unexpected visit to the Taku tribe, where Fox and his fellow castaways were trying to stay hydrated.
It was then revealed that Fox, 48, said he hadn't been entirely forthcoming about his health when he applied to the show. Fox shared on camera that he was hoping to wean himself off of lithium, a mood stabilizer, before departing for Fiji, but he was still taking the medication when he got to the island.
People who take lithium run the risk of becoming dehydrated under normal circumstances, so a survival show where contestants are pushed to their physical limits was simply too risky for Fox, Probst said in response.
"The cumulative effect of the show would have a potentially very bad impact on you. And we don't want that," Probst told Fox on the island. "Your safety is paramount. We can't do it. We can't."
Fox said he's been taking lithium since 2016
Probst said Fox had notified the production team that he was taking lithium just days before the show started rather than during the application process, which is designed to catch any health risks that would make competing too dangerous for prospective contestants.
Fox shared that he hadn't previously disclosed his lithium usage because he thought he would be off of the medication by the time the show began. He said he started taking lithium to ease his anxiety and help him sleep while caring for his terminally ill mother in 2016.
However, lithium is most commonly used to stabilize the highs and lows of bipolar disorder. That association comes with some stigma, Fox said.
"The fear is everyone hears the word, lithium, and they go way back in time," Fox said. "And they're like, 'That was a huge drug back in the day.' That was a scary drug to be on."
He also clarified that the medication he was taking had nothing to do with his gender transition, and he said he didn't want people to think otherwise. Fox transitioned relatively recently, around age 40, and was the first player to choose to share his experience being trans.
In 2017, former "Survivor" competitor Zeke Smith was outed as transgender by teammate Jeff Varner in a contentious tribal council. Smith went on to become an advocate for transgender representation in the media, and the bombshell led to Varner being unanimously voted off that night.
In an Instagram post shared before the season 42 premiere, Fox reflected on his short-lived experience on the show.
"To say this was a once in a lifetime experience is an understatement..absolutely changed my life and met some amazing people that I now consider extended family. This smile is as genuine as they come," he wrote in the caption.
Insider has reached out to Fox and the "Survivor" team for comment.