Jon "Jonny Fairplay" Dalton became notorious after competing on Survivor: Pearl Islands and lying about his grandmother's death
NEED TO KNOW
-
-
He returned for Survivor: Micronesia, but was voted off first
-
He has since appeared on E!'s House of Villains
Jon “Jonny Fairplay” Daltonis one of the most notorious villains inSurvivorhistory.
During his first season,Pearl Islands, Fairplay becamea controversial figureon the CBS reality show after he and his friend lied about his grandmother's death so other contestants would let him win a reward challenge. However, in real life, Fairplay's grandmother was alive and at home “watching Jerry Springer."
“[He's] completely despicable, [but] it was actually fun to work with Fairplay on the show because he's a producer's dream,” longtimeSurvivorhost and executive producerJeff ProbsttoldEntertainment Weeklyin February 2005.
For his part, Fairplay is proud of his antics. “The ‘Dead Grandma' lie is still considered one of the greatest moves in the history of not justSurvivor, but reality television as a whole,” he toldEntertainment Weeklyin November 2020.
So, where is Jonny Fairplay now? Here's everything to know about theSurvivorvillain's life today.
What happened to Jonny Fairplay onSurvivor: Pearl Islands?
Survivorfans first met Fairplay onPearl Islandsin 2003, which was the seventh season of the hit competition show. He made a splash by lying about his grandmother's death with the help of his friend, Dan a.k.a. "Thunder Dan," who appeared during the family visit episode.
In the infamousmoment, when Dan showed up, Fairplay asked, "How's Grandma?" Dan solemnly responded, "She died, dude."
In response, the other contestants let Fairplay win the reward challenge, forcing them to move to a separate beach without food or shelter.
In a subsequent confessional, Fairplay explained his rationale for the move, saying, "This is a game for a million dollars. I have one chance in my life at this. You should take every single advantage possible. If you don't, you're a fool."
Dan added that he and Fairplay had cooked up the plan over the phone just before Fairplay left to filmSurvivor.
Ultimately, Fairplay made it to the final three, when Lillian "Lill" Morris chose to takeSandra Diaz-Twineto the end over Fairplay after winning the final immunity challenge.
“Lill decided that she would guarantee the winner by letting Sandra go to the final two. She didn't give the jury the opportunity to choose a winner,” Fairplay claimed toEntertainment Weekly. “I think that's kinda crappy. But I also think that's why we now have a final three.”
Diaz-Twine indeed went on to win the series and become one of only two two-timeSurvivorwinners alongsideTony Vlachos.
Fairplay was thrilled with how he was portrayed on the show, despite receiving criticism for some of his more controversial moves.
“It was me,” he toldEntertainment Weekly. “My heroes growing up were Roddy Piper and Ric Flair. I got to bring all of their villainy to the world of reality TV.”
What happened to Jonny Fairplay onSurvivor: Micronesia?
With his villainous moves and signature blond curls, Fairplay made a splash on TV. But just a year later, Probst claimed he was “done with Fairplay” after he got into an argument with the host's brother at the 2004Survivor: Vanuatufinale afterparty and was subsequently banned from allSurvivorevents, perEntertainment Weekly.
“He's an absolute jackass whose actions ... pissed me off so much that he's banned from any event that I'm at from now on,” Probst said.
However, Fairplay was invited to appear on season 16,Micronesia — Fans vs. Favorites, in 2007 — though not by Probst's choice.
"My first vote was we don't need him,” the host said. ”Send him home. Make a point that there is a level of participant that we don't need on this show. CBS said, ‘That's interesting, Jeff — you can leave now.' So my vote doesn't count for anything.”
Advertisement
But Fairplay was ultimately sent home first after he encouraged his tribemates to vote him out so he could be with his then-girlfriend, Michelle Deighton, who was pregnant at the time.
“Michelle and I had made a pact right before I left that if anything were to go wrong — she was seven months pregnant at the time — for her not to tell CBS because I didn't want that to distract me from my game out there,” he told PEOPLE in February 2008. “When I got out there I was like, ‘That was stupid,' and I just started thinking the worst.”
Additionally, Fairplay claimed he had recently undergone surgery following a physical altercation with radio personality Danny Bonaduce at the FOX Reality Awards and was still in a lot of pain.
"I had the 15 hours of surgery, four root canals ... when I got out to the island, the pain was ridiculous," he said. “Jonny Fairplay just finally had his breaking point."
Has Jonny Fairplay appeared on any other reality shows?
Fairplay has been no stranger to reality TV over the years. In 2009, he appeared onThe Celebrity NewlywedGamewith his then-wife Deighton, where they beat out Monkees musician Davy Jones.
Fans have also spotted him onFear Factor: Reality Stars,Celebrity Poker ShowdownandPawn Stars, where he sold a signed piece of Red Hot Chili Peppers memorabilia in 2015.
In recent years, he competed on season 1 of E!'sHouse of Villains, where he made it to the finale but ultimately lost, and FOX'sThe Floor.
“My strategy is to be the most strategic person here,” he said in a promotionalvideoof his gameplay inHouse of Villains. “Chaos will ensue!”
Where is Jonny Fairplay now?
Fairplay dabbled in professional wrestling for a few years before and after hisSurvivorappearances, signing to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling afterPearl Islands.
Fairplay became a dad for the first time in January 2008, when he welcomed daughter Piper Addison with Deighton, whom he later wed. In May 2017, after his divorce, he and girlfriend Caryn Finkbeinerwelcomed daughter Madilyn Jane. In October 2023,he got engagedto girlfriend Jessica Kendrick, whom he first met during a Botox appointment.
“When I first met Jessica, she was the medical assistant at CAMI Greensboro and offered me free Botox. I was so afraid of needles, but as soon as I got there she held my hand,” he told PEOPLE. “Two years later, we never stopped holding hands.”
In December 2020, Fairplay and his mother, Patsy Hall, were arrested and accused of stealing bar stools, a leather chair, an end table and a silver necklace valued at $5,000 from his grandmother, Jean Cook. Thecharges were later dismissed.
In February 2025, his grandmotherEllen Jean Hauser diedmore than two decades after Fairplay lied about her death.
"I'll miss her every day," he said in a statement. "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 would do anything to help me get it. Which she did."
Now, Fairplay frequently hostsSurvivor 50viewing parties all over the country alongside other legends likeRichard Hatch, Sugar Kiper and Todd Herzog, and hostsThe Reality After Show Podcast. He also makes videos forSurvivorfans onCameo.
Although Probst has said he's "done" with Fairplay, the former contestant has said he'd like to return to the show one day.
“For all that is sacred, YES [I want to play again]!” he toldEntertainment Weeklyin November 2020. “I used to say, only if it's legends. But I don't care what the theme is at this point. I feel I'm one of the greatest players of all time and I want to prove it.”
He continued, “I want my daughters to watch me play in the modern era ofSurvivorand I want them to be proud of their dad."
Read the original article onPeople
Jon "Jonny Fairplay" Dalton became notorious after competing on Survivor: Pearl Islands and lying about his grandmother's...
