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Did "Survivor" Lunch Lady Lie to Swipe $50K?

Posted Dec 18th 2007 12:57PM by TMZ Staff

The "Survivor: China" lunch lady who said she'd been demoted to "cleaning toilets" by her school, and got $50,000 of sympathy cash from the show because of her story, is having her tale flushed out -- by the school.

As EW.com reported yesterday, Douglas, Mass. School Superintendent Nancy T. Lane said in a statement that Denise Martin actually got promoted from "cafeteria employee" to "custodian" -- at a higher salary and with better benefits before she appeared on "Survivor." Lane says, "I watched my own jaw drop when [Martin] said that, because it's absolutely not true."

Today, Martin appeared with Lane on CBS' "The Early Show," and apologized profusely for what she said, though she stopped short of admitting that she'd lied to get the money, and won't give back the $50K. Mark Burnett Productions didn't return a call for comment, though CBS said yesterday, "If these statements were misleading or false, we hope that she will take immediate and public steps to clarify her remarks."

Now, how about a nice big helping of that tasty Sloppy Joe?!



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46. That was very good.

Posted at 9:45AM on Dec 19th 2007 by KBS

47. Does she look like a "Hoo" to you?

Posted at 3:46PM on Dec 18th 2007 by Just Sayin

48. I was so rooting for her to win. I am such a sucker for a sob story and never learn my lesson. I am sure every person on that show could have used a few extra bucks. She told the lie and more than likely, it was planned. She is a schemer and maybe that is why she was always the last to be picked when she was a kid. She sould be ashamed of herself to lie like that and have your children witness it. What the heck is she teaching them? She will not give the money back, but karma is a biotch. Douglas, Ma. is a very small tight community and she will be shunned by many. I almost take this personally because I wanted her to win. I am now so glad she did not win!!!! Mark should give the rest of the crew of survivors the same amount of money FOR NOT LYING!!!!!

Posted at 4:14PM on Dec 18th 2007 by Oh Please

49. Nicole Richie and Joel Madden's baby lol that picture is funny!

Posted at 4:23PM on Dec 18th 2007 by Jenna

50. Anyone willing to show off a mullet haircut deserves a 6 pack o beer thats it. The Lesbiatch should be held accountable Theres 10 million sob stories and she gets to beg on Live TV lol

Posted at 4:27PM on Dec 18th 2007 by Jack Schitt

51. There is more to this story.....I live in the same town an Denise Martin

This so called "promotion"? The job that Denise started BEFORE the filming of Survivor? The job became available when one of the janitors passed away....IN JUNE...WHILE DENISE WAS AWAY FILMING. There is much more going on here. I believe the statement today had more to do with someone wanting to keep their job than the truth.

Posted at 4:42PM on Dec 18th 2007 by Peaches B

52. I really wish she hadn't done that. I liked her and it would have been nice for her to open her mouth and to give good news. Sadly, she is a sympathy hound and I think that she probably earns a living out of making people feel sorry for her. I bet she wold have gotten the money either way but to insinuate that because of Survivor her life took a turn for the worse..wow.

Lesson: People from reality shows, please don't lie. The public is watching and you will be caught!!!!!!!!

Posted at 4:45PM on Dec 18th 2007 by gwen0

53. Are you kidding? SHE IS THE PERFECT SURVIVOR!!! She lost the million dollars but continued the game into the finale, outwitted the producers themselves and won the money. She played the game to the VERY END and she won.

WELL PLAYED.

Posted at 5:28PM on Dec 18th 2007 by carol

54. what a lozer! She had a poor me the whole time she was on that show and then lies to get 50k! Man if I was the people who gave her that money i would be pissed off and take a lawsuit on her ass! What a low life!

Posted at 5:27PM on Dec 18th 2007 by sara

55. Aren't you supposed to be conniving and cunning when one plays Survivor? Look at Johnny Fairplay people. Most of the contestants all play their cards pretty and underhandedly too. That is probably what she did. There are players who keep it real too.

Posted at 5:39PM on Dec 18th 2007 by Deb

56. Let her keep the cash - as long as she promises to get a "real" haircut!

Posted at 9:02PM on Dec 18th 2007 by Uncle Vito 27

57. That should be most contestants put all their cards on the table and underhandedly too.

Posted at 5:43PM on Dec 18th 2007 by Deb

58. So what? Let the woman have some money for once in her pathetic life. Jeez!

Posted at 1:12AM on Dec 19th 2007 by the lost

59. In the past they paid others $ for finishing in the top 4 or 5...the longer they stayed in the more money they got.
Wasn't this the case with the 50 grand?

Posted at 6:56PM on Dec 18th 2007 by Leah

60. Survivor is like an adult monopoly,. There's no crying and bitching when you lost. and people it's a game! Those juries who judge the finalists with harsh words are sore losers and hypocrites. Oh! the biggest lie the lunch lady did was pretending to be the lesbian with the mullet. How do u think she get to be the 3 most popular survivors? Courtney was right she suck at life. She had a chance to be in the top 3 with PG and Eric, but not smart enough to know top 3 is better than top 4. You would think being a lunch lady spending all these times with school kids the basic math skill would have rub off. She certainly make those kids in Are You Smarter Than the Fifth Graders? look like geniuses.

Posted at 8:06PM on Dec 18th 2007 by bambino italiano

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