Michelle Yi, an old-school Survivor contestant from season 14, was attacked by a woman with a metal baton in Santa Monica, California. Yi was a favorite on the CBS franchise when she battled fellow castmates on the pristine shores of Fiji. Her season of Survivor included a diverse cast divided into four groups (African American, Hispanic American, Asian American, and European American). According to host Jeff Probst, the decision was deliberate, to show that racial diversity was not a gimmick to be used for ratings. Yi was both the youngest castmate on the island, as well as the only Asian American born in the States.
Yi’s recent attack is far from her first experience with turmoil. In the midst of her diverse season of Survivor in 2006, military leader Frank Bainimarama initiated a coup d’état in Fiji, sending shockwaves through the CBS crew. Conflicts between the government and military were long-standing, but the tension reached a boiling point in December when President Iloilo refused to meet the demands of the military leader. During the coup, Bainimarama seized weapons from the police, orchestrated the arrests of government officials, and removed the president from office, all while American castmates were locked on the island.
Fifteen years later, over 5,000 miles across the ocean, Yi was assaulted and bloodied, according to a statement she gave People. Early on Thursday morning, the 37-year-old was preparing to teach a Pilates class when a woman appeared in the dark, off-kilter and agitated, and approached the unlocked front door. The woman, who seemed to be homeless, claimed, “You stole my identity” and called Yi a prostitute. After being told to leave, the woman charged at Yi with a saw blade and “stabbed [her] in the left bicep," said Yi. Afterward, the assailant hit Yi with a baton, making her “face split open . . . Blood was everywhere."
Although she didn’t understand the reason for the attack, Yi mentioned to People that two others were also assaulted, both of color. “I can't prove whether it was racially motivated or not,” she said, “but she was screaming all sorts of awful things at me. The facts are what they are.” The woman was charged with assault with a deadly weapon, but the authorities didn't label it a hate crime. An officer stated, “She was mentally unstable and maybe off her medication." In the aftermath of the crime, Yi remained in the hospital, reeling. "I hope that police will have more protections during the hours that we need them most," she said.
Time will tell if the attacks were racially charged. Hate crimes against Asian Americans have a reputation of going unreported, especially in certain communities on the West Coast. During Yi’s time on Survivor, she was known as the cheerleader of her tribe, encouraging her peers on an island country in turmoil. No one could have predicted she would encounter a similar turmoil in her own backyard.
Survivor airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET on CBS.
Source: People