Parvati Shallow

Parvati Shallow (born September 21, 1982) is an American television personality and was the $1 million winner of the reality television series Survivor: Micronesia — Fans vs. Favorites.

She had previously competed in Survivor: Cook Islands in which she placed sixth, and later was the runner-up in Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains.

Shallow was born on September 21, 1982, in Vero Beach, Florida.

She has three siblings and her family moved to Atlanta when she was 11 years old.

She was raised in a "hippie" commune that practiced Hinduism.

Shallow explained that, as a result, her name Parvati is Hindu.

She attended the University of Georgia and received a Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism.

Shallow began competing in boxing in 2004.

She and some fellow boxers created a non-profit organization titled "Knockouts for Girls", a charity that provides scholarships and boxing lessons for underprivileged girls.

Shallow originally auditioned for The Amazing Race along with her friend.

They did not make the final cut.

CBS producers, however, remembered her from her auditions and then approached her to take part in Survivor, which she gladly accepted.

Shallow originally appeared as part of the Rarotonga (Raro) tribe, which represented Caucasians, along with Adam Gentry, Jonathan Penner, Jessica "Flicka" Smith, and Candice Woodcock.

Her tribe did not face any danger for the first six days as they had won immunity.

At the end of the second immunity challenge, Billy Garcia of the Aitutaki (Aitu) tribe told Shallow and Woodcock that he was next to go.

Woodcock replied, "We love you," and Garcia believed that Woodcock had fallen in love with him.

Shallow was particularly allied with Gentry and Woodcock, who truly were romantically involved.

When the four tribes were merged into two, Shallow and Gentry remained in Raro while their other tribe mates were sent to Aitu.

Despite being stronger in number, the new Raro continually lost in challenges.

Shallow pressed for the elimination of J. P. Calderon, whom she thought as arrogant, and he became the fourth person voted out despite his physical strength.

Shallow survived her tribe's next three Tribal Councils as Calderon, Stephannie Favor, and Cristina Coria were each voted off.

When the contestants were down to 12, a "Mutiny" twist was presented where anybody could change tribe affiliations, and for the first time it was accepted.

Shallow's former tribe mates Penner and Woodcock decided to jump back to Raro.

Raro lost the next two Immunity challenges, but Shallow remained loyal to her original Raro tribemates by eliminating Brad Virata, Rebecca Borman, and Jenny Guzon-Bae.

At the merge, despite coming with a 5–4 member advantage over Aitu, Shallow found herself in the minority as Penner betrayed his former tribe mates and joined the Aitu Four in voting out Nate Gonzalez.

She became angry with Penner, and a day after his betrayal, when she cut her thumb with a machete while cutting a coconut, she said that she was imagining the coconut was Penner's head.

After alliance member Woodcock was eliminated, Shallow and Gentry found themselves fighting for survival.

Despite being on the outside, Shallow was able to retain her strength and win two reward challenges, one being the "loved one" challenge.

This worried the Aitu Four, who were dissatisfied with how Gentry and Shallow lay around camp sleeping, while they worked and got their food.

In an attempt to stay in the game, Gentry and Shallow talked to Yul Kwon about voting out Penner first in exchange for their jury votes, a plan which succeeded.

On day 36, Shallow was finally voted out in a 4–2 vote when the Aitu Four saw her craftiness as more of a threat than Gentry's physical strength.

As a juror, she cast her vote for eventual runner-up Ozzy Lusth.

Shallow was noted for being a flirt throughout the season.

She flirted with Gonzalez to ensure his loyalty, had 'cuddle sessions' with Gentry, and sat naked in a hot tub with Kwon and Lusth during a challenge reward.

Shallow returned as a "Favorite" and part of the Malakal tribe.

She formed a close bond with James Clement and the two formed an alliance with another couple consisting of Amanda Kimmel and Ozzy Lusth.

In 2020, she competed on the show's 40th season, Survivor: Winners at War, where she placed 15th.

She is widely considered by fans and critics to be one of the most skilled contestants ever to participate.

Parvati Shallow's strategic gameplay on Survivor has led to her being known as the "Black Widow" among fans and fellow competitors, a moniker which has endured into her appearance in The Traitors on Peacock.

Beyond television, Shallow has used this in her role as a life coach, notably in her course 'How Villains are Made,' which focuses on personal empowerment topics.