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Warning! The following contains spoilers for Outlast: The Jungle. Stream the series with a Netflix subscription, and read at your own risk!
The men of Team Charlie are speaking out following backlash from viewers accusing them of misogyny on Outlast: The Jungle. Braxton Fish, Brett "Buddy" Johnson, and Wes Saunders all shared comments related to how fans reacted to their alleged bullying of Leiya Pillitteri and Sarah Awad.
As the new 2026 TV series sits atop Netflix's Top 10, Braxton posted a lengthy video attempting to explain to viewers that watching Outlast: The Jungle is different than playing. In regard to claims he was dismissive, mocking, or rude to Sarah and Leiya, he had this to say:
We're all very different personalities and big personalities. This is a game you have to remember, so I had to choose a side, and I do not regret the side that I chose because Sarah was a basket case, and Leiya did not provide anything that she told us she would initially provide. If those girls were guys, we would have done the same exact thing. Like, they did not mesh with our team. It wasn't the fact that they were girls. I have nothing against girls. I have more girl friends than I do guy friends. If they were cool girls, I probably would have vibed with them way more than I would have Buddy and Wes.
Team Charlie voted out Sarah very early into their run as a team, saying she was too combative and didn't mesh with the team. Sarah ultimately was taken in by Team Bravo and lasted a while with the group before being voted out of the game by Bravo.
As for Leiya, Team Charlie decided they'd keep her in the fold in case they needed to eliminate for a challenge. They also frequently mocked her and characterized her as "useless" and "emotional," especially after she couldn't get a fire started. Leiya ultimately left the team and joined Team Alpha, and then was directly responsible for Charlie's elimination after successfully lighting a fire during a challenge. Though she was voted out by Alpha in the midst of the final challenge, she was able to hang her hat on that.
Wes Saunders was next up, having posted a message to Outlast: The Jungle fans on his Instagram Stories. In addition to sharing Braxton's video, he also left a video comment for people coming to his page and harassing him:
Let me just say I am an equal opportunity trollist, OK. I don't mind being trolled. I don't mind being disliked, but the minute you start to become harassing, obviously commenting on multiple posts, multiple posts that ain't got nothing to do with Outlast. Now you're talking about my family and it's just you're going too far. I'm gonna block you. I'm gonna block you and it's OK, but I respect the troll. Trust me. Hey, my daddy was a journalist. I respect the troll. But don't take it too far. I love y'all.
Wes certainly pushed the "alpha male" persona of Team Charlie, targeting Sarah early on, saying she was the source of problems on the team because of her complaining. He used his NFL experience to convince others that Sarah was causing too much drama on the team and, as a result, had to go.
Brett, or Buddy, also had some rough moments on Outlast: The Jungle, especially after they were eliminated. He started referring to the women of Team Alpha as "b****es", called them "raggedy," and even said that he hoped they all contracted malaria. In response to the comments he was receiving, Buddy had this to say on Instagram:
I really live in y'all's head rent-free 😂😂can’t believe y'all let a character on a TV show get to y'all like this #netflix #outlastthejungle #brett
Overall, it seems like neither of the three men has anything to offer in terms of an apology. While I don't condone their behavior, I do think they made for some great villains in Outlast: The Jungle, which helped propel it into one of the best reality shows I've seen in a minute. It had the same vibe and intensity of early 2000s reality television, back when people who participated didn't have things like social media followings and brand deals.
The overall vibe of Outlast: The Jungle does incentivize ruthless behavior, as teams are even encouraged to steal from rivals provided they follow the guidelines. Ultimately, the winners have to have a team of at least two people to split the million-dollar prize with. While teamwork is preferred, it makes sense that all teams look to cull their numbers where they can.
Outlast: The Jungle is the first season of the Outlast franchise set in a tropical climate, and may not be the last if Survivor fans latch onto it. Some may gravitate toward it because it leans heavier on survival elements than the more modern iteration of the game show, and doesn't have MrBeast. I'm hoping we get word soon that another season is on its way to the upcoming Netflix schedule, but we'll have to wait and see.
Check out the series on streaming, especially if you're looking for a reality series that is a relatively quick watch. It'll just take a single workday to watch, so get to it if you somehow haven't already!
