Jonny Fairplay’s Grandma Dies After Claiming She Did on Survivor

Survivor legend Jonny Fairplay has announced that his grandmother has died — for real this time.

“I’ll miss her every day,” Fairplay, 50, said in a statement to Us Weekly on Monday, February 10. “It’s easy to think she was just part of one of the biggest lies in TV history, which made me famous, but I look at her place in my life as a loving grandparent who only wanted the best for me in my life and she’d do anything to help me get it. Which she did.”

Fairplay’s grandmother was born Ellen Jean Hauser, but she was best known by her loved ones as “Jean.” She was married seven times and previously dated Grand Ole Opry host Faron Young. Hauser died at age 90 on Friday, February 7, at the Embrace Hospice House in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

Survivor fans were introduced to Fairplay in season 7, Pearl Islands. Before going on the competition series, Fairplay came up with a plan with his pal Dan who would venture to the island for the loved ones visit. In their scheme, Fairplay and Dan pretended that the wrestler’s grandma died to generate sympathy from his fellow tribemates.

When the family visit occurred, Fairplay and his friend put the plan in motion and cemented their reality TV legacy. Fairplay was emotional as Dan delivered the news of his Grandma’s alleged fate. However, Fairplay revealed in a confessional that his grandmother was fine and at home “watching Jerry Springer.”

After the season wrapped up, Fairplay brought Hauser to the Pearl Islands live finale. While the move made Fairplay one of Survivor’s biggest villains, Hauser didn’t mind her grandson’s calculated deception. According to Fairplay, the license plate of his grandmother’s car read “Dead Gma.”

“She loved the exposure and attention from Survivor. It didn’t hurt that she thought Jeff Probst was one of the most handsome men on the planet,” Fairplay said to Us on Monday. “Jerry Springer invited her on his show as a guest which she turned down because she was scared of his audience.”

Fairplay and Hauser’s maintained a close relationship and bonded over their shared love of reality TV. Fairplay recently made his TV return for the inaugural season of House of Villains — Hauser was hopeful to see her grandson on more competition shows in the future.

“Her dying words were something like, ‘Jonny I want to see you on Survivor 50, Traitors and Deal or No Deal Island,’” he confessed. “I had no idea she had so many streaming services.”