⁠I absolutely hate that Survivor didn’t put a trigger warning before Joe spoke about losing his sister to domestic violence

In Survivor's latest episode, Joe Hunter bared his soul and confided in some of the other castaways about how he lost his sister. During a conversation with Kyle and Shauhin, he explained that his younger sister, Joanna, was a victim of domestic violence and died brutally.

Disclaimer: The following Survivor article is based on the writer's opinion and mentions domestic violence. Reader's discretion is advised.

Joe expressed feeling guilty for not being able to protect her, which was his "job" as an older brother. He recalled their last conversation and shared that it was difficult to live with the fact that they had fought the last time they spoke and didn't tell each other they loved one another.

While I believe Joe's emotional confessional was commendable, I absolutely hate that the CBS reality show failed to include a trigger warning or a disclaimer before the conversation.

According to the Domestic Violence National Hotline, approximately 29% of women and 10% of men experience various types of assaults or violence by a partner in the United States. Dolan + Zimmerman LLP quoted that as per a United Nations report, approximately 51,1000 women were known to have been victims of crimes by intimate partners or family members in 2023.

The number alone in America is high enough, and often, victims of such crimes tend to carry the weight of it and struggle with it for years to come. Being subjected to conversations or clips discussing domestic violence or other forms of violence and their impact on people could trigger their traumas and negatively affect their mental health.

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"I love you"— Joe opens up about how his sister, Joanna, died while on Survivor season 48

In Survivor's latest episode, Joe Hunter spoke to Shauhin and Kyle about Joanna Hunter's death. He explained that she was in an abusive relationship and that he felt guilty for not being able to protect her. The cast member opened up about their last conversation, expressing how difficult it was to live with the fact that their final talk ended in a fight, and that he would never see her again.

Later in the episode, Joe took a moment to bid farewell to Joanna, as she was the reason he joined the show. He noted he needed closure to help himself heal and spoke to her. While looking out at the water, he reflected on their last conversation.

The Survivor season 48 star told his sister that he said "some things" he didn't mean the night before she passed. The castaway became emotional as he shared that being on Survivor made him feel closer to her, and he apologized for what he said. Joe added that he knew she didn't mean some of the things Joanna had said on the phone.

"And I never got the chance to say, "I love you." So, I love you. Always will," Joe said.

The cast member added that he had one job as a brother and said he needed her to know how sorry he was for not being able to protect her from that "monster." The Survivor season 48 star broke down in tears and said he would keep fighting, telling her to keep taking care of "dad, up there."

"Make sure he's not cheating at Uno," he joked.

Joe told Joanna that he missed her deeply and explained how getting letters from his children made him want to talk about his late sister. He said it pushed him to be courageous and talk about things he said out loud on the show. He said he needed closure and a chance to say goodbye.

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If you or anyone you know is suffering from domestic violence, please reach out to thehotline.org.