Monica Padilla
The Galu loyalist who kept scrambling after her alliance fell, right up to calling out Russell Hantz's millions.
Known for
Monica's Samoa started shakily when she slowed Galu on a rope course and handed Foa Foa its first win, but her place alongside Laura Morett and Kelly Sharbaugh kept her safe. The men had quietly lined her up for a blindside at a Double Tribal Council, until Russell Swan's evacuation canceled the vote. After the merge she told Russell Hantz she was with him while staying loyal to Laura, and then watched the Galu Alliance crumble as Russell's surprise idol took out Kelly and a tie-breaking flip sent Laura home. Down to the minority, she made one last play, warning Russell that she knew he was a millionaire and would vote for whoever needed the money. It only sealed her fate.
Cambodia's Second Chance season placed her on Bayon, outside Andrew Savage's majority. After the swap she feuded with Kimmi Kappenberg over the tribe's food, then floated an all-women's alliance. Kimmi took that straight to Jeremy Collins and Stephen Fishbach, and Monica was blindsided.
Background: Survivor Wiki
Season by season
Photos and logos: CBS
Seasons played, finishing positions, day counts, jury status, ages and hometowns come from the contestant table in each season's Wikipedia article, cross-checked against the series overview before publication.
Sources (4)
- “Survivor: Samoa,” Wikipedia, accessed September 28, 2026, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Survivor:_Samoa.
- “Survivor: Cambodia,” Wikipedia, accessed September 28, 2026, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Survivor:_Cambodia.
- “List of Survivor (American TV series) episodes,” Wikipedia, accessed September 25, 2026, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Survivor_(American_TV_series)_episodes.
- “Monica Padilla,” Survivor Wiki, accessed September 28, 2026, https://survivor.fandom.com/wiki/Monica_Padilla.