Julie Berry

Early life

Julie was born on December 15, 1980, in Lewiston, Maine. A Native American from the Maliseet tribe, she was later adopted at the age of four by Les Berry, an engineer, and his wife Judith, an adoption lawyer. As a result of the adoption, Julie Berry gained an older brother, Chris, but she also was separated from her biological sister, whom she would not see again for another two decades.

Berry grew up in Gorham, Maine, where she attended Gorham High School. There, she played soccer and softball, and also took a physics class taught by Bob Crowley, the eventual winner of Survivor: Gabon. After high school, she attended East Carolina University, earning her Bachelor of Science degree in family & community development. Her junior year of college was spent at California State University, Northridge (CSUN), as part of a student exchange program. She would later return to CSUN for her Master of Science degree in educational psychology & counseling. In December 2003, she was accepted into the Peace Corps, although she ultimately did not join.

Survivor

In 2004, Berry was one of 18 people selected for the cast of Survivor: Vanuatu, the series' ninth season overall. Upon meeting the series' host, Jeff Probst, for the first time during a casting interview, Probst knew at first sight that he definitely wanted her on the show. At the start of the game, she was initially placed on the Yasur tribe, an all-female group. On Day 11, she was one of only two women switched to the previously all-male Lopevi tribe (the other being Twila Tanner). After the merge, Berry and Tanner pondered between sticking with their Lopevi alliance or returning to their old all-female Yasur alliance. Ultimately, they chose to re-align with the women. At the Final Five reward challenge, Berry won the reward: a picnic lunch. She chose Chris Daugherty to enjoy the reward with her, hoping that he would join her in eliminating Tanner. In the end, Daugherty ended up siding with Tanner, and Berry was voted out, giving her a fifth-place finish overall and making her the fifth member of the jury.

At the Final Tribal Council, Berry wept openly before proceeding to ask Daugherty if their friendship had been real or not. She followed that up with a make-or-break question to determine which finalist would get her vote. Ultimately, she voted for Daugherty over Tanner for the title of Sole Survivor.

Personal life

Following production of Survivor: Vanuatu, the show’s host, Jeff Probst, sent Berry an e-mail just to say hello. Shortly thereafter, the two were dating. Their relationship was not made public until the live airing of the Vanuatu reunion show when, as the closing credits rolled, Probst began holding Berry’s hand in front of the studio and viewing audience. In an interview with People magazine, Probst expressed his gratitude for Berry, saying, "I finally met someone who could teach me about love...Julie's given me a sense of balance I've never had. It's like fingers interlacing."

The two were together for three years. By 2008, they were no longer dating.

Career

Berry now lives in Los Angeles, where she practices as a marriage and family therapist (MFT). She had previously worked as a youth mentor prior to her stint on Survivor. She also serves as a TV producer, having worked on such shows as The Bachelor and Dancing with the Stars.