Where Is Russell Hantz Now? All About the TV Villain's Life Today, 16 Years After Nearly Winning "Survivor: Samoa" Emy LaCroixOctober 22, 2025 at 5:00 AM 0 Robert Voets/CBS via Getty ; Russell Hantz/Facebook Russell Hantz during the seventh episode of Survivor: Heroes vs.
- - Where Is Russell Hantz Now? All About the TV Villain's Life Today, 16 Years After Nearly Winning "Survivor: Samoa"
Emy LaCroixOctober 22, 2025 at 5:00 AM
0
Robert Voets/CBS via Getty ; Russell Hantz/Facebook
Russell Hantz during the seventh episode of Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains ; Russell Hantz in June 2022. -
Russell Hantz has appeared on Survivor three times and on Australian Survivor once
He came in second place on Survivor: Samoa
Now, Hantz is a travel content creator
In 2009, Russell Hantz, a father of four and oil company owner, joined the cast of Survivor: Samoa and changed the game forever, becoming one of the most notorious villains the show has ever seen.
"I had never been a fan of the show. I just never really watched it!" Hantz told PEOPLE in December 2009 following his first appearance on the series. "I put my application in, never thought they would call me up, but then I watched the last all-stars, where Parvati [Shallow] won, then I fell in love with it."
Hantz, a fedora-clad, self-made millionaire who co-owned Hantz Tankering Service and a restaurant, would go on to appear on Survivor two more times and on Australian Survivor once, thanks to his ruthless — and innovative — strategies. Those moves included everything from emptying competitors' canteens to searching for idols without receiving a clue first.
"Russell really did reinvent a couple of things," Survivor host Jeff Probst said in a December 2020 video after rewatching Hantz's second season, Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains. "He's the first guy who ever said, 'Why do I need to wait for a clue to go look for an idol? How many spots could it be in?' I really was reminded of how impressed I was by his absolute relentless pursuit of any and everything."
After nearly winning Survivor: Samoa and coming in third place on Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains, Hantz went on to play twice more in Survivor: Redemption Island and a season of Australian Survivor, but he was voted out second each time. So, where is Russell Hantz now? Here's what the notorious villain is up to today.
Hantz has appeared on Survivor four times
Monty Brinton/CBS via Getty
Jaison Robinson, Jeff Probst, and Russell Hantz, during the reward challenge, "Coconut Code" during the ninth episode of Survivor: Samoa.
Hantz first appeared on fans' TV screens in 2009 when he was cast on the 19th season of Survivor in Samoa. He was a "villain" from the very beginning, sabotaging his Foa Foa tribe at every turn and finding a whopping three idols without a clue.
Hantz made it to the finale with allies Natalie White and Mick Trimming by his side, but he wasn't able to sway the jury to support him after all he'd done. He only received two votes, losing to White. He did, however, take home the viewer-voted "Sprint Player of the Season" award, which came with a $100,000 prize.
"I don't think there's any doubt he's going to go down as one of the most notorious villains we've had on Survivor, if not the most," Probst told PEOPLE immediately after Samoa aired. "He came in from the first day going, 'I am going to tear this game up.' He was consistent."
Immediately following his run on Samoa, Hantz joined the cast of 2010's Heroes vs. Villains — naturally, getting placed on the Villains tribe. Once again, Hantz reached the final tribal council with Shallow and Sandra Diaz-Twine, but the jurors overwhelmingly chose Diaz-Twine as the winner.
Hantz would play twice more: once on Survivor: Redemption Island in 2011 and on Australian Survivor: Champions vs. Contenders in 2018. Unfortunately for Hantz, his reputation preceded him and he was the second person voted out in each instance.
Hantz tried to shake up his image for the Australian spinoff, but the producers allegedly didn't like the idea.
"When Australian Survivor called me, I told them I did not want to wear the fedora," he shared in a July 2025 TikTok. "I kept telling them, 'I'm not going to do it.' They said, 'We'll give you $20,000 if you wear it.' I said, 'Okay, I'll wear it.' "
He's not interested in playing Survivor again
Monty Brinton/CBS via Getty
Russell Hantz during the tenth episode of Survivor: Samoa.
During a previous visit to Live! With Kelly and Michael, Probst invited Hantz to compete again, though he made it clear he wasn't a fan.
"[My] least favorite is probably one of the most popular, it would probably be Russell Hantz," said the host. "Russell, I think you are a bad guy, but I hope you'll come do the show again because you're riveting to watch. [But] I don't want him knowing where I live!"
However, Probst's openness to hosting the villain again seemed to wane while talking to Survivor legend Rob Cesternino during a February 2024 appearance on Rob Has a Podcast.
"In the hands of somebody else ... there would be more villains, more negativity, more yelling at each other," he said. "It's not going to happen when I'm part of the show. I'm just not interested in it."
For his part, Hantz made it clear that he has no interest in being on Survivor again, especially as casting for 2026's Survivor 50 began.
"Survivor has an opportunity to redeem themselves and have an amazing season 50 and what do they do... burning down their own house!" he posted on X in March 2025. "All we can do is watch it burn!" Days later, he added, "Take me out of 50. I will not play even if they ask!"
Hantz starred on A&E's Flipped Off
A&E Russell Hantz on Flipped Off.
Following his stint on Redemption Island, Hantz, his brother Shawn Hantz and agent Kristen Bredehoeft starred on an A&E home renovation show called Flipped Off. While he came with no house flipping knowledge, he told PEOPLE in April 2012 that he believed Survivor helped prepare him for the cutthroat industry.
"Survivor taught me never to give up — whether you're facing problems in the game or selling a house," he said. "By pushing forward, you realize you can do anything if you put your mind to it."
He also wasn't worried about his negative reputation making him an unappealing seller, adding, "People say, 'why would you buy a house from Russell Hantz?' But why wouldn't you? I take pride in the business side of the things I do, and I want everything to be perfect."
Flipped Off ran for one season in 2012.
He got divorced in 2014
Russell Hantz/Facebook
Russell Hantz in June 2022.
Hantz entered Survivor married to Melanie Hantz, but things changed when he got back from being a TV villain and "stayed that person for years after."
"That is just not a good person in real life," he told Australian magazine Who in August 2018. "I didn't go round lying, cheating and stealing, but I went around partying and everything else, so it's just not a positive thing."
When Flipped Off cameras weren't rolling, he "went home and pretty much ignored everything, including my relationship with my wife," he told Who. Hantz and Melanie got divorced in 2014.
"Everything crumbled after the game," he said in a March 2022 YouTube video. "I lost my marriage. I lost my business. I know I'm responsible for my own actions, but if Survivor never happened in my life, I would still have Hantz Tankering and I would still be married. That's a fact."
These days, Hantz said in his YouTube video that he and his ex-wife "get along great."
Hantz and his ex-wife share four children
Russell Hantz/Facebook (2)
Russell Hantz's daughters in April 2022 ; Russell Hantz's son in December 2021.
After his first season of Survivor, Hantz admitted his TV persona didn't sit well with his four kids, specifically remembering when he called fellow contestant Monica Padilla a "little b-----."
"You step out of character to play this silly game and when you are back home watching it, you're not in the game no more, but it's on the TV, and your kids are watching it," he told PEOPLE in December 2009. "When I called Monica what I called Monica on national television, I looked at my little girls and their mouths were open because they've never heard me say a cuss word in their life, because that's the kind of dad I am. They've never even seen me cry."
Following his divorce from Melanie, Hantz admits his kids came to "hate" Survivor.
"They don't say it out loud, but I know they despised the game because the only thing they know is they lost their dad and their mother together," he said in his March 2022 YouTube video. "They heard their mom talking negative things about Survivor. My two youngest, they don't even watch the show, they have never seen one episode because all they heard growing up was that it's bad energy."
Several YouTube videos on Hantz's account show him traveling the world with his son Mike, doing food reviews with his daughter Gracie and spending time with his grandchildren.
Where is Russell Hantz now?
Russell Hantz/TikTok
Russell Hantz in December 2024.
These days, Hantz is focused on being a content creator. In September 2025, he announced a "rebrand" of his TikTok and YouTube accounts to focus more on travel, saying "we're going to ... see this beautiful world together!"
He also said he was in a "better place" after his struggles following the end of his Survivor runs, marriage and tankering business.
In his March 2022 YouTube video, he announced he was selling all of his Survivor memorabilia so he could "move on" and "create memories" with his children.
"Do you think when I'm on my death bed that I'm going to be thinking about these buffs? I'm going to be thinking about the things that I've done with my children," he said. "[It's like] when a loved one passes away and you're holding on to those items because you're holding on. And I get it, but eventually you have to let go."
on People
Source: "AOL Entertainment"
Source: EVENING MAG
Full Article on Source: EVENING MAG
#LALifestyle #USCelebrities