In 2000, Hatch competed on the debut season of CBS\u2019 Survivor<\/a>. During his time on the show, he changed the game forever by forming the first alliance, narrowly beating out Kelly Wiglesworth to become the first winner of the $1 million prize<\/a>.<\/p>\n Hatch’s approach to Survivor also cemented his spot as one of reality TV’s original villains. However, during an August 2020 conversation with The Hollywood Reporter<\/a>, Hatch said that he knew he \u201cwasn\u2019t a villain\u201d because he \u201cplayed within the rules\u201d of the game.<\/p>\n However, Hatch has been the center of controversy over the years. In 2004, one of his Survivor: All Stars contestants, Sue Hawk, alleged that he rubbed his naked genitals<\/a> on her during a challenge. He went to prison in 2006 after failing to report his large Survivor prize.<\/p>\n So, where is Richard Hatch now? Here\u2019s everything to know about his life today, 25 years after winning the first season of Survivor.<\/p>\n What happened during Richard Hatch’s time on Survivor? Monty Brinton\/CBS via Getty<\/p>\n Richard Hatch, Rudy Boesch and Kelly Wiglesworth in the final immunity challenge on ‘Survivor: Borneo.’<\/p>\n Hatch was 39 years old when he competed on \u2014 and won\u00a0\u2014\u00a0the first season of Survivor, taking home the $1 million cash prize. During his time on the show, his innovative and strategic approach to the game solidified his legacy as someone who shaped Survivor \u2014 and as one of the first villains on reality TV.<\/p>\n In October 2024, Hatch opened up to PEOPLE about his reputation, saying, \u201cThey loved to hate me<\/a> because they didn’t understand Survivor.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe world saw me as a villain. I understood that the word meant something to people that wasn’t reflective of what it means in the dictionary,\u201d he said. \u201cNow more people understand the game, supposedly, and I don’t know that they think of me as villainous. But I’ll do whatever it takes in a game, and that’s villainous to somebody.”<\/p>\n After winning the season, it wouldn\u2019t be long until Hatch returned to the small screen, as he competed on 2004\u2019s All-Stars.<\/p>\n However, his time back on the island led him to the center of controversy, as his fellow tribe member, Sue Hawk, alleged that he rubbed his naked genitals on her during a challenge, per Entertainment Weekly<\/a>.<\/p>\n According to TIME<\/a>, Hawk quit the game shortly after and said she was “sexually violated\u201d when announcing her decision.<\/p>\n \u201cIt went too far and [Hatch] crossed a line with me … I\u2019m done with this game,\u201d she said, per TIME. \u201cThere\u2019s no way I can continue with my emotions pushed to the ground that much.\u201d<\/p>\n Hawk appeared on The Early Show<\/a> with Hatch in March 2004 and said the pair had \u201cdifferent perspectives\u201d on what happened, but had \u201cagreed to move forward and past it.\u201d<\/p>\n In February 2020, Hatch wrote on X<\/a> that he wasn\u2019t \u201c\u2018owning up\u2019 to any wrong-doing.\u201d<\/p>\n Why did Richard Hatch go to prison? AP Photo\/Stew Milne Richard Hatch.<\/p>\n In 2006, Hatch was convicted on two counts of attempted tax evasion and one count of signing a fraudulent tax return after failing to report his large Survivor prize, on top of other smaller sums, per Entertainment Weekly.<\/p>\n According to the outlet, he served over four years in federal prison, then was sent back to prison for nine months after failing to refile his 2000 and 2001 tax returns, and pay what he owed, per CBS News<\/a>.<\/p>\n He later returned to prison<\/a> for violating prison media-access rules, per Forbes<\/a>.<\/p>\n What other reality TV shows has Richard Hatch competed on? Trae Patton\/E! Entertainment via Getty<\/p>\n Victoria Larson, Jessie Godderz, Kandy Muse, Wes Bergmann, Richard Hatch, Tiffany ‘New York’ Pollard, Safaree, Teresa Giudice, Larissa Lima and Camilla Poindexter on ‘House of Villains.’<\/p>\n Though Hatch rose to fame on Survivor, it isn’t the only reality competition show that he has starred on. After winning the CBS survival show, he appeared on two more NBC series, including season 17 of The Biggest Loser and season 4 of The Celebrity Apprentice.<\/p>\n Most recently, he competed in the second season of E!\u2019s House of Villains alongside Bravo\u2019s Teresa Giudice<\/a> and The Challenge\u2019s Wes Bergmann<\/a>. He ultimately came in tenth place.<\/p>\n As for whether or not he\u2019d ever return to Survivor for another season, he told Entertainment Weekly that the \u201cpeople behind the scenes\u201d probably wouldn\u2019t welcome him back after his complex legal issues.<\/p>\n “I love the game,” he said. “I’ve never missed an episode, so it would only be about mediating [and] remedying what has gone on behind the scenes. That’s all.”<\/p>\n Where is Richard Hatch now? Richard Hatch\/Instagram<\/p>\n Richard Hatch in July 2025.<\/p>\n Hatch hasn\u2019t returned to Survivor since 2004, although he’s been providing plenty of commentary on the show through his YouTube channel<\/a>, giving his reactions to recent seasons\u00a0and sharing some behind-the-scenes facts.<\/p>\n When it came time to announce the Survivor: Winners at War cast in February 2020, longtime host Jeff Probst<\/a> said that he \u201cdidn\u2019t feel comfortable having [Hatch] out on the show and representing a show that is for families,\u201d given his \u201chistory\u201d on the program, per TIME.<\/p>\n Hatch is also on the hunt for his next relationship. In December 2017, Hatch confirmed in a post on X<\/a> that his \u201c14-year marriage\u201d to Emiliano Cabral had ended.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019M LOOKING FOR LOVE! If you think I\u2019m the guy for you or for someone you know, please let me know,\u201d he wrote. \u201cI prefer to share the journey in partnership, and sadly, my 14-year marriage has ended. Mr. Right will have to be bright enough to be kind. Thanks for your help in finding him.\u201d<\/p>\n If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual abuse, text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.<\/p>\n![\"Monty](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/923b9a609c62b6b0ea88cf6b01813249.jpeg\"\/)
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