Laurel Johnson is a contestant from Survivor: Ghost Island.

A superfan of the game, Laurel was known for her bond with Donathan Hurley and alliance with Domenick Abbate and Wendell Holland after the first Tribe Switch, remaining loyal despite openly acknowledging that winning against either Domenick or Wendell would be difficult for her. Eventually making it to the Final Tribal Council along with Domenick and Wendell, Laurel ended up being mostly ignored by the jury due to her risk-averse gameplay, receiving no votes to win. After an unprecedented tie between Domenick and Wendell, Laurel became the first person to cast a tiebreaker jury vote in Survivor history.


Retrieved from

Age: 29
Hometown: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Current residence: Minneapolis, Minnesota
Occupation: Financial Consultant
Hobbies: Watching Survivor, playing beach volleyball, and the Sunday New York Times crossword puzzle.
Pet peeves: Incompetence, indecisiveness, and open-mouth chewers.
Three words to describe you: Driven, focused, and calculated.
What's your personal claim to fame? My college volleyball team winning our division championship. It's one thing to compete at the highest level, but it's another to win and be the best at it.
Who or what is your inspiration in life? My parents—for their dedication, support, and all the values they instilled in me.
If you could have three things on the island, what would they be and why? Crossword puzzle book to keep my mind sharp, keep me sane, and give me a way to tune everyone out, a camera to capture every single moment, and a self-addressed envelope—so there's no confusion as to where to send the million dollar check to.
Which Survivor contestant are you most like? Todd. I'll be a smart player, shrewd, and pulling all the strings, a snake (but unbeknownst to others), and run circles around anyone in a final tribal speech. Also, Sophie. Not afraid to get stuff done, stand up for myself, and tell the boys what to do. I'll be the smartest player there.
What's your reason for being on Survivor? The title of Sole Survivor and the challenge.
Why do you think you'll "survive" Survivor? I'm a triple threat to win this game—I'm a former college athlete, an Ivy League graduate, and I know the game better than anyone else out there. I'm a superfan who knows better than to let the game pass me by and I will always fight for every single inch.[2]


Laurel started on the Malolo tribe. She immediately bonded with Donathan Hurley. When Malolo lost the first two Immunity Challenges Laurel aided the tribe in voting out Stephanie Gonzalez and Jacob Derwin, respectively.

When the Tribe Switch occurred, Laurel, along with Donathan, Libby Vincek, and James Lim were switched to Naviti. There, original Naviti's Chris Noble and Domenick Abbate talked to the Malolo's about taking out the other, putting Laurel in a good spot. When Naviti lost the next challenge, Laurel joined James, Donathan, and Libby in blindsiding former Naviti Morgan Ricke. The following day, however, both she and Donathan approached Domenick and former Naviti Wendell Holland, respectively, about forming a final 4 deal. Following the second tribe switch, she was switched to the new Yanuya tribe. Yanuya won the remaining challenges.

Shortly after the merge, Laurel and Donathan reconfirmed their final 4 deal with Domenick and Wendell, and the four began working together. While the former Malolo's were getting picked off one by one, Laurel and Donathan were kept safe due to their alliance with Domenick and Wendell. Eventually, Laurel and Donathan became the only former Malolo's remaining. However, by then, the former Navitis had began turning on each other, putting Laurel and Donathan in a position of power.

While acknowledging that she had no shot of beating Domenick and Wendell, she continued to stick with them. Even when Donathan decided to turn on Domenick and Wendell, Laurel still stuck with them, and she even abandoned Donathan. At the final 5, Wendell played Erik Reichenbach's Hidden Immunity Idol on Laurel, though it only negated Donathan's vote and Donathan was still voted out. After Domenick won the Final Immunity Challenge, he chose to save her at Tribal Council. 

At the Final Tribal Council, Laurel was heavily criticized for being Domenick and Wendell's pawn, and not getting them out. She, however, received some praise from former Malolo Michael Yerger for surviving the Malolo purge. She went on to get no votes while Domenick and Wendell tied 5 votes each. Following the tie, host Jeff Probst told Laurel that she would become the final member of the jury and cast the deciding vote. Laurel ended up casting the deciding vote for Wendell, making him the Sole Survivor.

Voting History

Laurel's Voting History
Episode Laurel's
Voted Against
1 Gonzalez -
Jacob -
2 Morgan -
3 Naviti Tribe Immune
4 Naviti Tribe Immune
5 Yanuya Tribe Immune
6 Yanuya Tribe Immune
7 Chris -
8 Libby -
9 Desiree -
10 Kellyn;
Kellyn (x2);
11 Chelsea -
12 Kellyn;
Individual Immunity
13 Sebastian -
Donathan Donathan3
Jury Votes
for Laurel
Second Runner-Up, Day 39
Voted for
Sole Survivor

^1 In The Finish Line Is in Sight, the vote ended with a 2-2 tie between Laurel and Michael, forcing a revote. On the revote, Laurel did not receive any votes to be eliminated.
^2 In Always Be Moving, the vote ended with a 3-3 tie between Donathan and Kellyn, forcing a revote. Laurel did not change her vote on the revote.
^3 In It Is Game Time Kids, Wendell used a Hidden Immunity Idol on Laurel, negating 1 vote against her.
^4 Also in It Is Game Time Kids, the jury vote ended with a 5-5-0 tie between Wendell and Domenick. Per the rules, Laurel, as second runner-up, joined the jury and cast the deciding vote.




