As it turns out, Survivor: China’s Denise the Lunch Lady has not only admitted that “she’d been promoted to custodian, at her own request, before the competition began,” but she has now also released a statement that she is not going to keep the $50,000 Mark Burnett gave to her based upon her previous lie. (link)In a statement released Tuesday by CBS Martin took “full responsibility” for her misleading comments. In the statement Denise said “I do not feel comfortable about accepting the $50,000. I would instead ask that it be donated to the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation. Please accept my apology. I would also like to thank all the people who have supported me through this experience." (link)
I’m just really glad she admitted her wrong doing, took responsibility for it and, most of all, did not keep the money. The fact that she did not give the money back right away was pretty bad though. I would love to hear an interview with Martin to find out what she was thinking when putting this whole story together in the first place. Did she not think it would get out?Of course her school district was going to come out immediately and release a statement after she made them look terrible on live national television. Was she hoping they weren’t going to be watching that part because she had been eliminated earlier in the evening? She was in the final four, I’m sure the entire city was together cheering her on hoping for her to win the million dollars and then she slanders the same employer that has just given her three months off to compete and promote the show. It’s just a really sad situation and shows how low people are willing to sink for money.