Survivor’s Stephenie on Shedding USA Community’s ‘Snake within the Grass’

Survivor’s Stephenie Kendrick (née LaGrossa) wasn’t precisely thrilled when she was chosen to be the saboteur on USA Community’s latest competitors collection Snake in the Grass – and that’s in all probability why she misplaced out on the cash.

The three-time participant arrived on the seashore in Costa Rica alongside fellow Survivor alum Cirie Fields and former Massive Brother gamers Janelle Pierzina and Rachel Reilly the place she was tasked with secretly attempting to hinder the group from incomes clues resulting in her identification.

If she succeeded after 36 hours, she would stroll away with $100,000 but when she was outed because the snake, the opposite contestants would cut up the prize cash. And sadly for Stephenie, she was pegged because the snake fairly early on.

“I knew from the start,” Cirie, who performed a season of Survivor with Stephanie, solely tells Us Weekly. In reality, they noticed one another on the airport earlier than filming started.

“I used to be so completely satisfied,” Stephanie recollects. “However then after they instructed me the sport, then I used to be like, ‘Oh no, I’m useless.’ Cirie’s gonna know instantly. She’s completely gonna be capable to inform I’m mendacity. And he or she is aware of so much about me. I knew there have been gonna be clues revealed and all this, I knew the entire recreation. And I used to be like, ‘Oh, God, she is aware of every little thing about me.’ So I actually was like a wreck from day one, even simply when the sport begun.”

It took Janelle slightly longer to catch on to Stephenie. “For Cirie, it was the start. For me, I sort of targeted all my consideration on Rachel as a result of she was appearing so bizarre,” the Minnesota native explains. “She was asking me the place I lived and, like, we’ve carried out The Superb Race collectively, on separate groups, however we nonetheless spent a ton of time collectively. I do know Rachel very well. So she was asking me these bizarre questions and I used to be like, ‘Oh, my God, she might be the snake as a result of she’s asking me issues that she already is aware of.’”

Stephenie efficiently destroyed one of many clues earlier than the group may discover it, and that’s when all eyes have been on Rachel. “I used to be satisfied that Stephanie had thrown the clue someplace in that swamp,” Rachel tells Us. “So I used to be gonna discover the clue. In order that they didn’t suppose I used to be the snake, but it surely completely made me appear like the snake.”

Janelle jokes, “All the things Rachel did made her appear like the snake.”

Nonetheless, Cirie didn’t purchase it. “She was so overzealous in being in that disgusting swamp,” the Survivor legend says. “There’s no means the snake can be doing all of this to search out the clue about themselves. The swamp was actually gross and he or she would’ve spent the night time in there if we allowed her to.”

Ultimately, Stephenie, who was on the “hero” tribe throughout season 20 of Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains, couldn’t persuade them she wasn’t the snake – and admits she’s not a pure liar. In reality, she came upon “24 hours earlier than filming started” that she was chosen to be the snake and wished out: “I had a stable 24 to sit down on it and, like, crap my pants about it. I didn’t wanna be the snake. In order that they inform me and I’m like, ‘OK, cool. I don’t wanna be it.’ They’re like, ‘Too unhealthy.’ I’m like, ‘No, I don’t wanna be it. So now what?’ They’re like, ‘Nothing, we selected you. We instructed you the sport. You need to be it.’ In order that was like an entire factor for me.”

She broke down crying at one level throughout filming. “You guys have been on to me. Rachel’s yelling at me. We’re arguing. I’m gaslighting. I used to be attempting to argue again and I’m like extra of the peacemaker in my household,” Stephenie explains. “I’m not likely the arguer, until I’m actually backed right into a nook. So I used to be attempting to return and never look so defensive on the identical time. After which at one level, I similar to had, I walked away and I misplaced it. It’s so freaking onerous. I’m not likely liar to start with.”

Snake within the Grass airs on USA Community Mondays at 11 p.m. ET/PT.