‘The Trust: A Game of Greed’ misogyny and racism controversy, explained

Since premiering on Netflix on January 10, The Trust: A Game of Greed has continued to grab headlines both for its eclectic (and sometimes downright problematic) cast and its uber-competitive mode of gameplay. The reality television competition series brings together eleven strangers from across the US, who are made to outmaneuver fellow contestants in pursuit of the cash prize pot. 

Across eight episodes, participants chose to anonymously eliminate another contestant to increase the size of their share of $250,000. Along the way, castmates are given two offers in the form of The Vault, with one serving to benefit themselves and another helping the group as a whole. Needless to say, back-stabbing machinations and chaos ensue, but the drama has since extended beyond the realm of the show. 

Tolú Ekundare, a marketing manager and contestant who walked away with both the five-way split of $243,000 in the finale and an additional $25,000 from The Vault, has spoken out about the racism and misogyny of her castmate, Jake Chocholous. Both Jake and Tolú made it to the final episode of The Trust, but their relationship is anything but celebratory. 

‘The Trust: A Game of Greed’ misogyny and racism controversy, explained

Before appearing on The Trust: A Game of Greed, Jake Chocholous was the host of the podcast Man Up Daily, and had a history of sharing problematic posts on social media. These videos see Jake offer divisive takes on topics like transgender people, Christianity and race relations. One video shows Jake’s disapproval of Halle Bailey’s casting in the remake of The Little Mermaid, while another sees him discuss fathers as better caretakers for their children. 

Since the finale episode of The Trust: A Game of Greed, Tolú has responded to Jake’s controversial social media posts in an interview with Entertainment Weekly. The reality star said she was only made aware of Jake’s social media presence once filming had wrapped, and now wishes she had voted him off the show much sooner. Tolú referred to videos in which Jake claimed that the Black Lives Matter movement “was a fluke,” and called out other clips where he said that a woman’s worth declines after their childbearing years. 

In the same interview, Tolú said that watching Jake’s videos made her feel “f—ing disgusted,” and compared the posts to a “car wreck” that you can’t pull away from. Tolú said she wished someone would have been able to sneak in a phone during filming so that she was aware of Jake’s posts, and concluded by hoping that “karma comes for him.” 

In the days since Tolú’s interview, Jake has taken to social media to respond. Across three videos shared to Instagram, Jake rejected Tolú’s claims that he was a racist, suggesting that it was she who made “her whole identity” into being a Nigerian woman. Jake went on to label Tolú as a narcissist and hypocrite, and also called her spineless and “integrity-less.”

While it has certainly heated up in the weeks since The Trust’s finale, Tolú and Jake’s beef was captured on the show. In episode two, titled “Why Is Everyone Being So Frickin’ Emotional?”, the contestants are asked to line each other up in order of trustworthiness. 

Jake noticeably places the male contestants closer to the top of the ranking, a move which caught the ire of his female castmates, including Tolú. 70-year-old retiree Jay said that Jake’s choice was rooted in misogyny, and Tolú agreed by calling the game a “boys club.” Tolú goes a step further, saying Jake has been incessantly mentioning her African descent. 

During a talking head interview, Tolú said that every time Jake referred to her, it was as “the African girl,” and questioned why Jake thought “everything around [is] surrounded by the fact that I’m Black.” In the following episode, titled “And That Changes Everything…” Jake and Tolú appear to make amends, with Tolú stressing that she is “more than [her] culture” and Jake apologising for being “short-sighted and callous.” 

In her Entertainment Tonight interview, Tolú said the apology made her think of Jake as a person with the capacity for growth and change, at least until she was made aware of his social media posts. It seems an end to the feud between Jake and Tolú might be far away, since there are no plans for a reunion special for The Trust: A Game of Greed. 

In a Where Are They Now special posted to Netflix’s YouTube channel, Tolú said she has been receiving a lot of backlash for her conversation with Jake, while Jake said he would spend his winnings on his family and giving back to his church community.