Survivor Eva Erickson Hits Back at RFK Jr.’s Autism Remarks

Originally appeared on E! Online

Survivor star Eva Erickson is advocating for her community.

After President Donald Trump ’s Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. made several controversial claims about autism, including that it “destroys families,” at an April 16 press conference, the CBS competition series The first contestant who publicly disclosed their autism faced backlash.

"I'm Eva from Survivor 48, the competitor aged 24, who is participating in the current season 48, started with a selfie. video She posted on Instagram on April 18. "Allow me to demonstrate how mistaken RFK Jr. is regarding the potential achievements of an individual with autism."

In her video, Erickson included audio from the press conference in which Kennedy referred to a newly published Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that found that autism rates in U.S. kids has risen. Among his many comments were noting that there are autistic children who will "never hold a job, they'll never play baseball, they'll never write a poem, they'll never go out on a date."

PHOTOS What Made Survivor Host Jeff Probst Cry for the First Time in 48 Seasons

As Kennedy spoke, Erickson, who was pursuing a Ph.D. in engineering at Brown, shared photographs of herself alongside her family. The collection included pictures from her graduation ceremony as well as moments when she played hockey for her university’s club team.

The Minnesota-born individual stated, ' RFK Jr. can take a hike.' They added, 'I am aware of my own capabilities. Individuals with autism possess more strength than he gives us credit for, and I feel honored to be an advocate for our community.'

E! News has contacted Kennedy for their input but hasn’t received a response yet.

In response to criticism stemming from remarks he made during Autism Acceptance Month, the politician issued clarifications on Hannity On April 17, he mentioned "over 25 percent of individuals with severe autism" during his comments.

Although the latest CDC report does not specifically mention children with severe autism—who are non-verbal or have limited speech along with an IQ below 50—it A 2023 research project partly funded by the CDC it was suggested that 26.7 percent of children identified as having autism spectrum disorder have severe autism.

Erickson brought host Jeff Probst and viewers to tears During the March 26 episode, when she shared her experience of being identified as autistic at the age of one.

The reality star stated that doctors informed their parents they would never achieve independent living, bouncing back from an emotionally intense experience —following a competitive challenge that left her overwhelmed—with the assistance of another competitor— Joe Hunter . "That I would never hold a job. That, at most, I could hope to marry someone else with autism."

And though she has never viewed her autism as a roadblock to success, she still struggles.

"I have these things called 'episodes' where when I get extremely overstimulated. I will get ungrounded and I'll lose control of myself," she continued. "Everyone who has autism should not be ashamed to ask for help and ashamed to receive it. So thank you all for allowing this to happen."

For the latest breaking news updates, click here to download the E! News App