Survivor 46: Maria Shrime Gonzalez's Choice Between Kenzie Petty and Ally Charlie Davis
Maria Shrime Gonzalez explains her choice to vote for Kenzie Petty over ally Charlie Davis in 'Survivor 46' and the aftermath of her controversial decision.
Maria Shrime Gonzalez is sticking with her choice to name Kenzie Petty as the Sole Survivor instead of her original ally, Charlie Davis.
"I want to make it clear that five of us voted for Kenzie," Maria, 48, shared exclusively with We on Thursday, May 23, following the finale of Survivor 46. "I wasn't the only one who made a difference with my vote."
Maria was one of five people who chose Kenzie, 29, as the winner, while Charlie, 26, received three votes. If Maria had picked Charlie, who she had bonded with on day one, instead of Kenzie, there would have been a tie. In the event of a tie, Ben Katzman, who finished in third place, would have been the tiebreaker. (Ben mentioned in an interview with Us that he would have voted for Charlie to win if he had the chance.)
Many fans throughout the season believed that Maria would definitely vote for Charlie in the end because of their strong bond. However, she surprised both fans and Charlie by going in a different direction.
Maria revealed during the Survivor 46 aftershow that she ultimately decided to vote for Kenzie due to her impressive performance in the final four fire-making challenge. Speaking with Us on Thursday, Maria mentioned that Kenzie's answer to Q Burdette's question about how she would use the $1 million prize resonated with her.
Survivor 46 Maria Defends Voting for Kenzie to Win Over Charlie
Maria Gonzalez shared that as a mother, she had put aside many of her own dreams to prioritize her role as a parent. She expressed that participating in the show was a rare opportunity for her to do something for herself, rather than selflessly for others. When Kenzie mentioned her intention to use the prize money to start a family, Maria felt a deep connection that went beyond the competition.
When asked whether Charlie could have done anything else to convince her to vote his way, Maria stood by her decision to vote for Kenzie.
Survivor 46 Maria Defends Voting for Kenzie to Win Over Charlie
Kenzie Veurink, Charlie Davis, and Maria Gonzalez CBS
Maria Gonzalez shared with Us that her decision to vote for Kenzie was not about why she didn't vote for Charlie. It was about why she chose to vote for Kenzie instead. She explained that Kenzie had a personal connection with her, making the decision a difficult one. As she walked up the steps to vote, she kept repeating "Charlie, Kenzie, Charlie, Kenzie" in her mind. In the end, Maria decided to follow her heart and vote for Kenzie. She felt that by supporting Kenzie, she was giving a woman who wants to start a family the opportunity to do so.
Social media has been buzzing with discussions about Maria's decision and how it may have seemed like a betrayal to Charlie. However, Maria is taking the criticism with a grain of salt.
She humorously mentioned, "Me and the block button are like best friends. I never imagined I would receive so much hate for my actions, with things being taken out of context or false narratives being created about me. It's difficult to hear and even harder to watch. I try my best to ignore most of it. I know who I am, and my loved ones know me too. The opinions of others who don't really know me don't really matter. But I would be dishonest if I said it didn't hurt to read some of those hurtful comments."
Survivor is available to stream on Paramount+.
