What Ever Happened To Iconic 'Survivor' Villain, Johnny Fairplay?

Survivor is one of the most successful shows in history, and a large part of its success can be attributed to its contestants. Over time, the show has given way to infamous contestants who fans can't stop buzzing about. Some contestants dated and are still together, some tragically passed away, and some shocked fans with infamous moments.

When looking at the history of the show, few contestants stand out quite like Jonny Fairplay. His time on the show turned him into one of the biggest villains in TV history, and fans want to know what he's up to these days.

Let's take a look and see how the villainous Jonny Fairplay is holding up.

Updated September 2024: This article has been updated to reflect the most recent information regarding what happened to iconic "Survivor" villain, Jonny Fairplay.

Jonny Fairplay Is A Notorious 'Survivor' Villain

Jonny Fairplay will go down in Survivor history as the villain with the most iconic storyline on the show

It is impossible to talk about Jonny Fairplay's time on Survivor without bringing up the infamous lie about his grandmother's passing. Audiences were stunned to learn that the contestant fabricated the story of her passing all to gain an advantage, and it turned Jonny into one of the most infamous figures in TV history, as he explained to Entertainment Weekly.

"The “Dead Grandma” lie is still considered one of the greatest moves in the history of not just Survivor, but reality television as a whole."

Jonny went on to say, "I wanted to bring an outside element to the game and create the first reality villain. There had been “bad guys” prior to me on reality TV, but they never sought out that personification. They claimed bad editing or creative storytelling. I embraced the role and reveled in it."

This fit in perfectly with Jonny's professional wrestling background, which he used to his advantage on the show.

"As I mentioned, no one prior to me wanted to be a bad guy. When I explained to production that I wanted to be the "heel," they were elated and gave me every opportunity to run with my notorious ways. It was like getting a permission slip to do evil."

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Jonny continued, "My heroes growing up were Roddy Piper and Ric Flair. I got to bring all of their villainy to the world of reality TV."

It's been years since he was on the show, and the villainous Fairplay has had a lot going on since then.

Jonny Fairplay Made Other Reality Show Appearances And Has A Podcast

Jonny Fairplay went on five other reality TV shows as well as a second season of Survivor before becoming a real estate agent and podcast host

After his time on Survivor, Jonny would utilize the name that he built up for himself to score appearances on other shows while basking in the glow of reality TV infamy.

Other reality TV shows that Jonny appeared on include:

Inked
Celebrity Poker Showdown
True Life
Fear Factor
Judge Mathis

Jonny even went on another season of Survivor.

The TV thing was fun for some time, but eventually, he would transition into a life away from the cameras.

When giving EW an update about his life, Jonny has chosen a more behind-the-scenes lifestyle, while still remaining attached to Survivor.

"I’m a realtor in Virginia and I host a weekly reality television podcast at SurvivorNSFW.com with Matt Bischoff from Survivor: Caramoan; Zack Hacker, a USA Today best-selling author; and Karen Eisenberg, legal genius."

Jonny went on to say, "I’m also kind of a t-shirt impresario, which you can check out my offerings at jonnyfairplay.com, and don’t forget with every t-shirt purchase you get a phone call from me, Jonny Fairplay, thanking you for your purchase."

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It's great to see that he has been able to thrive since his time on the small screen. Unfortunately, it hasn't always been smooth sailing for the former reality show villain.

Jonny Fairplay Got In Trouble With The Law In 2020

Jonny Fairplay was charged with stealing from his grandmother, but charges were ultimately dropped

In December 2020, Fairplay found himself in cuffs after allegedly stealing from his own grandmother.

After TMZ obtained the arrest warrant and published it, Entertainment Weekly went into further detail on the matter.

"According to the arrest information report, Fairplay (née Jon Dalton), 46, and Hall, 67, were taken into police custody in Danville, Va., on Dec. 18."

"Per an arrest warrant obtained by TMZ, Fairplay allegedly stole furniture (including barstools, a leather chair, and an end table) and a silver necklace valued at $5,000 from his grandmother Jean Cook's home without proper consent, while Hall is accused of being mentally abusive and taking advantage of Cook's dementia. The criminal complaint was reportedly filed by Fairplay’s aunt."

Considering his infamous grandma story on Survivor, this moment made for a truly bizarre headline.

Despite getting into trouble with the law, all would end well for Jonny. In March 2021, the case was dismissed, and the former reality star was officially off the hook. This was great news for Jonny, who was excited to resume his normal life once again.

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These days, the father of two is living a much quieter life away from the spotlight. Jonny got engaged in 2023 and was also on House of Villains. What Jonny will do next is anyone's guess.