Ami Cusack is a model and barista who was a contestant on ' and '. She is the former Charitable Director of Experimental and Applied Sciences. Cusack posed for Playboy magazine in 1996.
Personal background
Cusack was born and raised in Lakewood, Colorado. She is the oldest daughter of Richard and Virginia. Richard is a retired Marine and Naval Aviator, and Virginia, a former substitute English teacher. She attended Golden High School, and the Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design in Lakewood. In 1996, her 18-year-old brother, Kyle, was killed in an accident involving a drunk driver. Since then, her mother has conducted seminars in high schools about the consequences of drinking and driving. Cusack's bio states she was dating a woman named Crissy. Her girlfriend also appeared on the show. However, in an interview, Cusack stated "I'm not gay. I never was gay. I'm just very openhearted. I was very much in love with Crissy, but things just didn't work out between us. I still love her, and she's my closest friend today." In a 2008 interview with AfterEllen, Cusack also said: "Oh gosh, I don't know. I don't know if I would put a specific label on any of it. I mean, if I met the woman of my dreams and fell in love, I would stay with her, and if I met the man of my dreams and fell in love, I would stay with him. Like, I don't know. "Bisexual" doesn't really seem to fit me, and "lesbian" doesn't really fit. I don't know. I don't know what I would classify myself .
Modeling
In the mid-late 1990s Cusack appeared regularly as a model in photospreads and on covers for Muscle Media 2000, the muscle magazine published by her then-fiancé Bill Phillips. Cusack also worked for Phillips' sports-nutrition company EAS, initially answering phones, and eventually as Charitable Director which she held until 1998, when Phillips sold the company. Cusack can be seen in the promotional video entitled Body of Work, which depicts the ten winners of the first ever "Body for Life Challenge" in 1997. Cusack also appeared in the book Body-for-LIFE, demonstrating various exercises.
''Survivor''
''Vanuatu''
In her first season of Survivor, Cusack was the leader of a majority all-female voting bloc. Despite her apparent safety, she became the 13th contestant voted out of the game and the fourth member of the jury when her alliance turned on her. Despite the fact that she was betrayed by finalist Twila Tanner, Cusack still voted for her to win the $1 million prize and title of Sole Survivor over eventual winner Chris Daugherty.
''Micronesia''
Cusack later appeared on the 16th season of Survivor, entitled , which began airing on February 7, 2008. She was one of ten recurring favorites on the Malakal tribe. Prior to the start of the season, Jeff Probst commented on Cusack, "Ami will betray you; she'll do whatever it takes to get deeper in the game." Cusack was the eighth contestant to be voted out of the competition.
