Survivor season 46’s runner-up Charlie Davis lost the $1 million grand prize to Kenzie Petty, likely due to a lost vote from his closest ally, and he’s sharing where things stand with Maria Shrime Gonzalez. Throughout Survivor season 46, Charlie and Maria played the game side by side. They began the season as members of the Siga tribe, choosing to pair up behind the scenes and split off to each side of the tribe in order to play the middle. Though their tactics were successful, Charlie was able to take Maria out of the game at the final five, leaving her bitter.

“I don’t dislike her…[but it] won’t be what it could have been.”

During an interview with Parade, Charlie shared the state of his relationship with Maria after Survivor 46 revealed she voted for Kenzie over him. “It’s a pretty heavy thing,” Charlie explained of the betrayal. “We’ve…talked about it quite a bit. But…in just the past couple of days, she sent me a text about what she was going to say in our exit press. And it was totally inconsistent with everything we’ve talked about [since filming].” Charlie explained that he and Maria “don’t have to be friends. I don’t dislike her…[but it] won’t be what it could have been.”

Should Maria Have Voted For Charlie At Final Tribal Council?

Charlie & Maria’s Post-Survivor Friendship Was Destroyed

While Charlie and Maria’s alliance wasn’t either player’s only alliance, it was each of their number one for the majority of the game. Maria was playing a very different game than Charlie, bringing Q Burdette into her circle after he was ostracized by the rest of the tribe post-merge. Charlie shared that the allies saw the game in very different ways, “at least [in] who to work with, who to trust, and what was a good strategy to get to the end.” That’s when Charlie started to figure out a plan to “diverge” from Maria, and the way to do that was to get her voted out.

Though Maria and Charlie were both angling to win Survivor 46, the fact that he ended her game during the final five tribal council should’ve been a major achievement for the 25-year-old law student. Maria, who played the game to beat Charlie throughout, appeared to respect the move he made in getting rid of her when he did. Even though she said she respected his move, Maria chose not to vote for Charlie in the end, claiming Kenzie felt more deserving. Maria’s vote for Kenzie was not about gameplay as much as it was about her hurt surrounding the elimination.

Though Charlie and Maria’s relationship appears to have been destroyed by her decision in the game, the Survivor star shared that he isn’t holding anything from the game against Maria. Charlie explained that he’s looking forward to being able to speak about the game freely, and is happy to be open about his experience. While he may not have won Survivor 46, Charlie was able to have the experience of a lifetime and build connections he’ll likely cherish for years to come.

Sources: Parade, Charlie Davis/Instagram