DONDI’s La Shell Claims CK Wouldn’t Be Viewed as a Villain If She Were Male
Throughout the second season of Deal or No Deal Island, Courtney “CK” Kim has found herself in an unusually precarious position, even among a cast filled with reality TV stalwarts.
CK, 36, quickly became a divisive figure due to her outspoken demeanor and a controversial cheating incident during a challenge, leading many to label her as one of the season’s antagonists.
However, La Shell Wooten, who was eliminated in the episode that premiered on February 25, has a different perspective. At 55 and placing seventh in season 2, she shared with Us Weekly that she believes CK’s villainous reputation is rooted in gender bias.
“I genuinely think that if CK were a man, the perception of her would be completely different,” she stated. “People seem to have a vendetta against her, viewing her as a villain, but if she were someone like Dr. Will [Kirby] or David [Genat] playing her game, she’d be regarded as sharp and strategic.”
La Shell expressed, “She’s petite and unassuming, and I think people didn’t anticipate her to play such a tactical game, which caught them off guard.”
Both La Shell and CK collaborated on the island, even teaming up against the banker in one episode.
As the game narrows down to just six players and the focus shifts to disrupting the “family” alliance of David, Dickson Wong, and Parvati Shallow, CK appears poised to make a strong finish. Despite Parvati and David’s competitive backgrounds in reality television, La Shell views CK in a similar competitive light.
“CK is strategic and incredibly driven. She’s also adept at manipulating situations to achieve her desired outcomes,” La Shell remarked. “She’s a poker player, bringing those tactics to the island, and what I’ve come to understand about her is that her strategy is paramount; reaching the end is her priority, and she’s willing to go to great lengths to accomplish that.”
La Shell’s perspective paints a much kinder portrait of CK compared to how eighth-place finisher Seychelle Cordero perceives her. CK played a pivotal role in Seychelle’s elimination and, in a discussion with Us, criticized her rival for her cheating incident. This moment occurred during an outing when CK was caught looking into a bag of chips containing players’ names, an act she was meant to perform blindly.
According to Seychelle, “This situation just highlights how pathetic she is. I can’t help but think, ‘Seriously, you look ridiculous, and everyone is laughing at you.’”
Tune in to Deal or No Deal Island, airing on NBC Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET, with episodes available for streaming on Peacock the next day.
