Remember Zeke Smith from Survivor? Well, the reality star’s engaged now. Yes, Zeke proposed to Nico Santos onstage at the 2022 GLAAD Media Awards, four years after their first meeting at the same event.
Keep reading this Zeke Smith Bio to learn more about him.
Zeke Smith And Nico Santos’ Relationship
Zeke Smith first met the love of his life, Nico Santos, in April 2018 at the 29th GLAAD Media Awards. However, the two remained lowkey until June that year, and then Zeke let the world know that they were dating through a tweet — “I guess everybody knows about my hot little 25-year-old boyfriend now. Oh, haaayyy @nicosantos”
Fast forward to exactly four years of their first encounter, Zeke got down on one knee and asked Nico to marry him in front of the heavily cheering crowd at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.
“He said yes. I’m the luckiest guy in the world. Thank you to @glaad and @tiffanyandco for making it magical,” Zeke took it to his IG on April 3, 2022, to reveal the big news.
Likewise, Nico took it to his respective IG to write, “I said yes. You have my heart forever @zekerchief.”
Congratulations to both the stars.
Did you know: Before Zeke was outed as gay, he was in a relationship with fellow Survivor contestant Hannah Shapiro.
Zeke Smith Before Surgery
Before surgery, Zeke Smith didn’t look any different than he does now. However, the reality star admitted that he felt a lot lonely and didn’t have a lot of friends before.
Especially, when he was publicly outed as a transgender by Jeff Varner on Survivor, Zeke was “hit with a pretty big bout of depression, like a lot of people are.” He confessed that he almost failed Harvard, and was living at home, helpless.
“I binged 20 seasons of Survivor and it took me away. I got to go on adventures and it got me through. Slowly, I put my life back together,” Zeke explained how much the game show helped him put his life back together.
Also, Zeke thanked his fans for the overwhelming support he received during those hard times.
Furthermore, Jeff Varner losing his job for causing Zeke pain certainly might have compensated the reality star a little as well. Also, Jeff later reached out to Zeke on social media to publicly apologize and compared his act to be similar to that of an “assault.”
When all was said and done, Zeke revealed that he wasn’t ashamed of being transgender. Rather, he just wanted not to be remembered as the first transgender contestant to ever appear on Survivor. “I just wanted to go out on an adventure and play a great game. I just wanted to be known for my game,” he explained.
What Is Zeke Smith Birth Name?
Zeke Smith never liked his birth name. So, given that he was into martial arts as a child, he felt like he “hardcore identified” with Tum Tum from the 3 Ninjas series. Thus, he insisted that everyone around him call him Tum Tum from then on.
And they did! Until he was old enough. “They called me Tum Tum for so long until people had to be like, ‘We can’t call you Tum Tum anymore.’” he recalled.
Zeke Smith As A Child And As A Teenager
Zeke Smith’s favorite things to do as a child were to eat and do martial arts. He even participated in the Taekwondo National Championships in Orlando, FL when he was about 10 years old.
To recall some more from his past, he shared that Garth Brooks was the soundtrack to his childhood, and the bombing in Oklahoma City happened when he was in first grade.
As for his teenage years, Zeke was a clever student who ranked one of the Top 16 high-school debaters in the country. But then he caught a plague and it’s been downhill ever since.
Zeke Smith Job
Zeke Smith is an Asset manager turned writer, comedian, activist, and reality star. Also, the last we checked, he was working as a creative consultant on and contributor to the Netflix documentary Disclosure: Trans Lives on Screen.
But Zeke’s main practice is comedy writing. He spent most of his days writing comedy scripts. Though no one had paid him to do so, his work has been highly placed in the Slamdance, Final Draft Big Break, and Screencraft writing competitions.
Besides writing, Zeke loves storytelling and motivating people. With a background in theater, debate, and improvisation, Zeke’s specialty includes a unique and powerful blend of presence, argument, and humor to deliver messages that educate and inspire.
As for his education, Zeke graduated from Harvard University with a degree in The Study of Religion. His studies focused on Biblical interpretation and LGBTQ-inclusive theology.
How Old Is Zeke Smith?
Zeke Smith was 34 years of age in 2022.
He is 8 years younger than his boyfriend Nico Santos.
Zeke Smith Family
Though Zeke Smith might not have had many friends growing up, he never lacked love. His family acknowledged his otherness and supported him in every step. No wonder, when his dad, Sam appeared on Survivor, the viewers just adored him.
“Well, this is my hero. This is the strong person here. This is who I look up to and who I model my behavior after,” Zeke’s once shared on the show.
As for Zeke’s mother, she lived with her two dogs (Roxie and Sophie) in Texas.
Zeke Smith Height
Zeke Smith stands tall at a height of 5 feet 7 inches (170 cm).
Related FAQs
How Much Is Zeke Smith’s Net Worth?
Zeke Smith flaunted a net worth of above $400 thousand in 2022.
When Does Zeke Smith Celebrate His Birthday?
Admittedly, he celebrates his birthday wishes on January 25.
Where Is Zeke Smith From?
This reality star hails from Oklahoma City, OK.
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