Jeff Varner fired from job after outing transgender 'Survivor' contestant Zeke Smith

Jeff Varner is still feeling the consequences after outing fellow Survivor contestant Zeke Smith. 

The out gay man and North Carolina resident told the News & Record that he was fired from his job as a realtor following the episode's airing. 

Varner told the News & Record that his employer said he was "in the middle of a news story that we don't want anything to do with." The News & Record could not reach Varner's employer. 

In an earlier interview with Mic, Varner said the outing was a "knee-jerk" reaction. 

"There was no decision made to talk about the trans status. It just came out," Varner said. 

Though Varner has said he makes "no excuses" for the outing, he also told Mic that he can't be blamed for what he did on the show. 

"None of us can hold any of us accountable for our behavior in that Survivor game," Varner said. "It's just that ugly, and we're not in our right minds when we're out there in the middle of that situation."