Why Survivor's Ousted Hero Wouldn't Shut the Ef Up, Y'All!

James' eliminated tribemate tells us, "He's going to have to deal with the wrath of that from America" for his bullying tirade

"Paradise my ass."

So growled Randy during a torrential downpour. On the bright side, at least his Villains are spearing chickens instead of their fellow tribemates in the back, like those fine folks over in the disintegrating Heroes tribe...

...Who are now down to eight members after back-to-back eliminations. We spoke with the latest castoff this morning, who refuses to take the blame for speaking out during the disastrous challenge defeat. 

Stephenie LaGrossa was ousted in one of Survivor's most shocking Tribal Councils—not because she was blindsided, but because she was the target of James' vicious (and confusing) bullying. Read on for more of Steph's dish on James' angry outbursts, the Heroes tribal dynamics and her disappointment in some popular Survivor "good" guys.

Why do you think James exploded like that during Tribal Council? Were you surprised by his outburst?
[After] flipping out on me [in camp], it was only a matter of time before he exploded again. And he did. But the things he brought up, like Palau and it being all about me, had no relevance to the fact that we lost the challenge...I just kept saying it wasn't right—and it wasn't right the whole time. We didn't have one block right and they were one block away from winning, and he couldn't handle it. He needed somebody to blame. And then Amanda became a target, and Amanda's his girl. The second he heard she was the target, he tried to do everything he could to get me.

What was James' demeanor like in camp prior to the Challenge?
He was quiet, but when he did talk, he was chauvinistic. He talked about himself, and then Rupert would chime in with all the money he made, and the appearances and stuff...They were very self-absorbed. Tom and Colby and I couldn't believe these people. All they wanted to do was talk about themselves. It's just embarrassing, actually. That's when I realized...You know, I was a fan of Rupert; I was a fan of James. I can't believe these are who they really are—these people. [It's] actually upsetting.  

Did anyone else come to your defense during Tribal Council other than Tom and Colby (i.e., the other y'alls)?
No. Nobody wanted to speak up. Cirie and Candice were rolling their eyes, and you could tell they were really disgusted by James. At that point I looked over at them, like, "You really want to play the game with this guy? Like really? Then it serves you right." They had their chance to switch. I texted Cirie last night, "You should've stuck with me," and she said, "Hindsight is 20/20." And it is, but you've played this game how many times? So have I! Come on, we know how this works, people.

So is J.T. calling the shots on the Heroes tribe?
Maybe. For some reason Tom and Colby really thought we had J.T. in our pocket. But I kept saying, "He won't talk strategy with us...He doesn't even sleep next to us in the shelter," which is a telltale sign. J.T. could be calling the shots, actually. I wasn't around long enough, so I couldn't tell you.

Was there any talk in the beginning about the women allying together because they are physically weaker?
No. You have to keep the strong [players] because you've got to get to the merge. When you get to the merge you can reevaluate, but you've got to keep your strength. That's what the Heroes tribe wasn't concentrating on. To self-preserve that early in the game is probably the dumbest thing you can do.

Why do you think the Villains have ultimately been more successful in the challenges?
It's Rob. He is carrying that team. He's awesome. It doesn't mean that the Phillies aren't going to beat the Red Sox, but I love Rob.

Do you think the teams are evenly matched physically?
Not physically. Physically we [the Heroes] are definitely stronger...Mentally, we're screwed. I mean it's my fault the Heroes suck at puzzles? Really? Come on. Last week, I wasn't even in the puzzle portion, and [our loss] was probably my fault too, according to James.

Have you talked to James since the game?
I saw him [last month], and he was like, "No hard feelings," and gave me a hug. It's so long ago that it happened. I'm not the kind of person who holds grudges. It's the heat of the moment, and people get nuts out there, and James let it get the best of him. He's going to have to deal with that, the wrath of that from America.