Parvati Shallow Reflects on Fame, Villainy & Her Memoir: ‘I Embrace It’

Being dubbed a villain on a reality show is a right of passage for a very specific person.

Being dubbed a villain on “Survivor” means you’re one of the best players around. Parvati Shallow is one of the most memorable people to have appeared on the show. On top of having a name that no one can forget, she has four appearances on the series; made a name for herself on “Traitors;” and will soon be appearing on the Australian version of “Survivor.”

She’s also a writer.

Shallow has previously co-written a children’s book – “Om the Otter” – but the next release is all hers.

She’s A Nice Girl And She’s Gone Too Far

In a new interview with The Wrap, Shallow discusses “Nice Girls Don’t Win: How I Burned It All Down to Claim My Power” – a book covering her life as a villain who doesn’t see themselves as a villain. It’s her self-described origin story.

“This book is my entire life’s work. It is my memoir, from start to finish,” she told The Wrap. “I was born in a Hindu spiritual commune in Florida run by a guru, and that’s the blueprint of how I became Parvati from ‘Survivor’ and ‘Traitors’ and beyond.”

The book will take readers through Shallow’s life as someone who recently discovered their queerness as well as being a single mother and even reentering the world of reality TV after a career pivot.

“I never set out to become this, so it’s really funny,” she added. “I work as a life coach, and I have a lot of friends who are in their early 20s that I now consider my extended family… and they’re trying to figure out their life. When I was in my early 20s, when I first played ‘Survivor,’ I was a hot mess, I had no idea what I wanted to do or be.”

Shallow also added that she didn’t seek out the show (literally); “Survivor” found her. She fell into this life after working at a PR firm. That lifestyle didn’t take and she served tables before becoming a reality star. 

Proudest Achievement

One part of her “Survivor” resume Shallow is really proud of is the Black Widow Brigade. During the Micronesia season where she won, Shallow led an all-female alliance that included Alexis Jones, Amanda Kimmel, Cirie Fields and Natalie Bolton.

The women would establish themselves as the ones to watch out for as they created enemies out of other contestants like Ozzy Lusth and Eliza Orlins.

“…Whenever I’m playing a game on television, people see me as a Black Widow. So that comes with a certain level of power and responsibility for me. I didn’t identify as a villain when I was cast as a villain and that label was given to me without me stepping into it and choosing it. But once I played the villain, I realized there’s so much freedom in that role and there’s so much fun to be had in being a villain,” she told The Wrap.

Shallow does not take her villain role for granted though.

“I’m grateful for having the opportunity, because it really helped to break this mold of the good girl that I was trying to be. I realized it’s too rigid of a container, that’s too tight of a container, you can’t be good all the time,” Shallow added. “No person is meant to be good all the time. I think each of us, all of us human beings, are inherently good inside, but we can be bad; we can play bad, we can be naughty.” 

“Especially in reality television and in the world of entertainment, being mischievous and naughty is what makes good television and it’s what makes these games fun. I embrace it.”

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