Monica Padilla
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Born: July 14, 1984
Hometown: San Diego, California Occupation: Law Student Seasons: Samoa; Cambodia Placing: Seventh (Samoa); Sixteenth (Cambodia) Tribes: Galu; Aiga; Bayon Total Challenge Wins: 13
Days Lasted: 46 Votes Against: 10 Awards: Worst Strategic Move (Samoa) |
Survivor: Samoa
Monica was placed on the Galu tribe at the beginning of the season. Despite Galu's lengthy winning streak, at the Day 11 Immunity Challenge, Monica slowed down the tribe during the rope course portion of the challenge. This allowed for Foa Foa to catch up and ultimately win their first Immunity Challenge. Due to Monica's role in losing the challenge, she was targeted by several members of Galu. However, she was deemed more of an asset than Yasmin Giles, who was voted out instead.
On Day 15, it was announced that both tribes would vote someone out in a Double Tribal Council. Monica, along with Kelly Sharbaugh and Laura Morett, planned to vote out Shambo Waters because of the latter's inability to connect with the rest of tribe and possible connections to Foa Foa. Unbeknownst to Monica, The men of Galu conspired to use Shambo to join them in blindsiding Monica, hoping to separate her from Laura. However, Monica was spared after Russell Swan was medically evacuated, cancelling the vote.
After the tribes Merged into the Aiga tribe on Day 19, Monica was approached by Russell Hantz about an alliance and showed her his Hidden Immunity Idol. While she told Russell H. that she would align with him, Monica's true loyalty remained to Laura. Prior to the first merged Tribal Council, Kelly informed Monica that Erik Cardona had told the former Foa Foa members to vote out Monica. This caused almost everyone to turn against Erik and blindside him in a 10-2 vote. At this Tribal Council, Russell H. played his idol but did not garner any votes against him. Believing Russell H. did not posses another idol, Monica and the other former Galu members cast their votes against him at the following Tribal Council. Surprisingly, Russell H. found the re-hidden idol and played it, negating the Galu Alliance's votes against him and blindsiding her ally Kelly.
The next day, Monica was approached by Jaison Robinson and Mick Trimming, who told Monica that the former Foa Foa's now held a five-person alliance and wanted her to be the sixth. Monica immediately told this development to Laura, and hypothesized that Shambo had allied with the Foa Foas. The two soon realized that the upcoming vote would end with a 5-5 deadlock between the former Galus and the former Foa Foas and Shambo. Unwilling to vote out Laura, Monica concocted a plan to bluff the four Foa Foas into voting for John Fincher to avert a tie. However, John refused to go along with Monica's idea. At Tribal Council, the vote ended in a 5-5 tie between Laura and Natalie White. However, on the revote, John changed his vote to Laura, eliminating her. At the next Tribal Council, Monica voted against John with the remainder of her alliance in retaliation for eliminating Laura.
Still solidly in the minority, Monica talked to Russell H., hoping to convince him to vote out Shambo over the intended target, Dave Ball. Although Russell H. considered this, Dave was still voted out that night. At the Day 33 Immunity Challenge, Monica's remaining ally Brett Clouser won, putting the target on Monica. Monica approached Russell H. again, insisting that he should be voting out people that would vote for him to win. Monica also said that she knew that he was a millionaire, having been informed of this by Jaison several days earlier and that she would give her jury vote to whomever needed the money, angering Russell H. Despite her scrambling, the Foa Foa Four and Shambo followed through with their plan and Monica was voted out in a 5-2 vote. She became the sixth member of the jury.
At the Final Tribal Council, Monica started her speech by congratulating the finalists. For her question, Monica asked Mick and Natalie why the other two did not deserve to win. Mick said that Natalie was undeserving because of doing nothing more than riding Russell H.'s coattails and that Russell H. was undeserving because of his ego and pitting people against one other. Russell H. interjected and pointed out that Mick had no problem with what he was doing throughout the game. Satisfied with the answers, Monica voted for Natalie to be the Sole Survivor.
On Day 15, it was announced that both tribes would vote someone out in a Double Tribal Council. Monica, along with Kelly Sharbaugh and Laura Morett, planned to vote out Shambo Waters because of the latter's inability to connect with the rest of tribe and possible connections to Foa Foa. Unbeknownst to Monica, The men of Galu conspired to use Shambo to join them in blindsiding Monica, hoping to separate her from Laura. However, Monica was spared after Russell Swan was medically evacuated, cancelling the vote.
After the tribes Merged into the Aiga tribe on Day 19, Monica was approached by Russell Hantz about an alliance and showed her his Hidden Immunity Idol. While she told Russell H. that she would align with him, Monica's true loyalty remained to Laura. Prior to the first merged Tribal Council, Kelly informed Monica that Erik Cardona had told the former Foa Foa members to vote out Monica. This caused almost everyone to turn against Erik and blindside him in a 10-2 vote. At this Tribal Council, Russell H. played his idol but did not garner any votes against him. Believing Russell H. did not posses another idol, Monica and the other former Galu members cast their votes against him at the following Tribal Council. Surprisingly, Russell H. found the re-hidden idol and played it, negating the Galu Alliance's votes against him and blindsiding her ally Kelly.
The next day, Monica was approached by Jaison Robinson and Mick Trimming, who told Monica that the former Foa Foa's now held a five-person alliance and wanted her to be the sixth. Monica immediately told this development to Laura, and hypothesized that Shambo had allied with the Foa Foas. The two soon realized that the upcoming vote would end with a 5-5 deadlock between the former Galus and the former Foa Foas and Shambo. Unwilling to vote out Laura, Monica concocted a plan to bluff the four Foa Foas into voting for John Fincher to avert a tie. However, John refused to go along with Monica's idea. At Tribal Council, the vote ended in a 5-5 tie between Laura and Natalie White. However, on the revote, John changed his vote to Laura, eliminating her. At the next Tribal Council, Monica voted against John with the remainder of her alliance in retaliation for eliminating Laura.
Still solidly in the minority, Monica talked to Russell H., hoping to convince him to vote out Shambo over the intended target, Dave Ball. Although Russell H. considered this, Dave was still voted out that night. At the Day 33 Immunity Challenge, Monica's remaining ally Brett Clouser won, putting the target on Monica. Monica approached Russell H. again, insisting that he should be voting out people that would vote for him to win. Monica also said that she knew that he was a millionaire, having been informed of this by Jaison several days earlier and that she would give her jury vote to whomever needed the money, angering Russell H. Despite her scrambling, the Foa Foa Four and Shambo followed through with their plan and Monica was voted out in a 5-2 vote. She became the sixth member of the jury.
At the Final Tribal Council, Monica started her speech by congratulating the finalists. For her question, Monica asked Mick and Natalie why the other two did not deserve to win. Mick said that Natalie was undeserving because of doing nothing more than riding Russell H.'s coattails and that Russell H. was undeserving because of his ego and pitting people against one other. Russell H. interjected and pointed out that Mick had no problem with what he was doing throughout the game. Satisfied with the answers, Monica voted for Natalie to be the Sole Survivor.
Voting History
Episode |
Monica Voted For |
Voted For Monica |
4 |
Yasmin Giles |
Shambo Waters, Yasmin Giles |
8 |
Erik Cardona |
--- |
9 |
--- |
|
10 |
--- |
|
11 |
John Fincher |
--- |
12 |
Dave Ball |
--- |
12 |
||
14 |
For Sole Survivor: Natalie White |
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Survivor: Cambodia
Monica was one of the twenty castaways chosen to compete on the second chance season, Survivor: Cambodia. At the beginning of the game, Monica was placed on the Bayon tribe. While Bayon gathered many supplies during the initial marooning, they ultimately lost out on a large bag of rice. The Bayon tribe nonetheless thrived at camp. Bayon ultimately ended up winning the first two Immunity Challenges of the season.
On Day 7, a Tribal Switch occurred. However, the castaways were caught off-guard by when host Jeff Probst announced that a third Tribe would be introduced into the game. In a random draw of buffs, Monica was placed on the new Bayon tribe with Jeremy Collins, Kimmi Kappenberg, Stephen Fishbach, and original Ta Keo members Kelly Wiglesworth and Spencer Bledsoe. Bayon won the first two Immunity Challenges after the switch, keeping Monica from Tribal Council. On Day 12, Monica got into an argument with Kimmi over the tribe's food resources as she believed that the tribe should not deplete their food.
After Bayon lost the Immunity Challenge on Day 13. Monica wanted Spencer voted out so that she could keep the women's numbers up and possibly form a women's alliance in the future, and mentioned the plan to Kimmi. However, Kimmi was bothered by Monica playing an individual game before the Merge and alerted Jeremy and Stephen, which shocked them. At Tribal Council, Monica would abandon her plan to vote for Spencer and voted against Kelly, as her alliance wanted. However, Monica was blindsided in a 3-2-1 vote over Kelly for being untrustworthy.
On Day 7, a Tribal Switch occurred. However, the castaways were caught off-guard by when host Jeff Probst announced that a third Tribe would be introduced into the game. In a random draw of buffs, Monica was placed on the new Bayon tribe with Jeremy Collins, Kimmi Kappenberg, Stephen Fishbach, and original Ta Keo members Kelly Wiglesworth and Spencer Bledsoe. Bayon won the first two Immunity Challenges after the switch, keeping Monica from Tribal Council. On Day 12, Monica got into an argument with Kimmi over the tribe's food resources as she believed that the tribe should not deplete their food.
After Bayon lost the Immunity Challenge on Day 13. Monica wanted Spencer voted out so that she could keep the women's numbers up and possibly form a women's alliance in the future, and mentioned the plan to Kimmi. However, Kimmi was bothered by Monica playing an individual game before the Merge and alerted Jeremy and Stephen, which shocked them. At Tribal Council, Monica would abandon her plan to vote for Spencer and voted against Kelly, as her alliance wanted. However, Monica was blindsided in a 3-2-1 vote over Kelly for being untrustworthy.
Voting History
Episode |
Monica Voted For |
Voted For Monica |
5 |
Trivia
- Monica was the youngest female member of Galu.
- When asked on a Reddit AMA thread how she came on the show, Monica revealed she was recruited to compete on Survivor.
- Monica is the only member of Galu to enter the Merge with votes cast against her.
- Monica lost 16 lbs. during her time in Samoa.
- Both times Monica played, she played with one of the Morett women A similar coincidence happened with Terry Deitz playing with one of the Baskauskas brothers, and Troyzan Robertson playing with one of the Culpeppers.
- Monica was surprised that Teresa Cooper and Mikayla Wingle were ultimately not included in the final cast of Cambodia, viewing them as strong women. She was surprised that Shane Powers was not in the final cast as well.
- Conversely, Monica was frequently mentioned as the most surprising castaway who made the final cast.
- Monica is the lowest-placing member of the original Bayon tribe, and the only original Bayon member to not reach the Merge.