After meeting each other on Survivor 45 as two fellow competitors, Katurah Topps and Sabiyah Broderick have now hard-launched their relationship — which makes them the first-ever Survivor couple consisting of two Black queer women.
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Topps and Broderick first saw each other on the plane ride to Fiji to compete on Survivor season 45. Beyond that first impression of each other, "Our first meeting was on a trip to Cape Cod with our cast after filming…before our season aired," Topps tells Out. "We'd talked on the phone for a bit [prior to the trip], but this was the first time we saw each other in person and the true beginning of our friendship."
Topps recalls, "We realized that our friendship — being 'besties' who talked every single day — was turning into something more last fall, around August 2024, and we decided to explore it casually. But, by January of this year, we knew we needed to make it official."
On Sunday, June 22, Topps and Broderick shared a joint Instagram post officially hard-launching their relationship with a carousel of adorable pictures and videos. The caption reads:
"On Survivor, we both struggled with fire. I couldn't make it, and she went a week without it.
But what we've built together?
That's a fire that finally lit itself! [heart emojis].
From Players to Partners, from Castmates to Co-dreamers… Meet Survivor's FIRST Black Queer Woman Couple. #SurvivorLoveStory #GrillMasterAndHerGirl #OutwitOutlastOutlove #pride #survivor #wlw #blacklove #realitytv."
"[Broderick] asked me to be her girlfriend on January 20 — a day when we definitely needed more joy in the world," Topps tells Out with a laugh, subtly referencing Donald Trump's 2025 inauguration date.
But what prompted the Survivor 45 costars — who are now girlfriends — to go public with their relationship now? "We just celebrated our 6-month anniversary on June 20. Plus, it's Pride Month," Topps explains. "After making sure our foundation was solid, we're finally ready to share this love with the world."
Katurah and Sabiyah's introductions to 'Survivor' fans.
Katurah Topps and Sabiyah Broderick on Survivor 45.
CBS
Sabiyah Broderick was introduced on season 45 of Survivor as a truck driver from Locust Grove, Georgia. She had since relocated to Jacksonville, North Carolina, and talked about her love of basketball, painting, and exploring new restaurants for dates. In turn, Broderick described "laziness" and "I-can't attitudes" as some of her biggest pet peeves.
Katurah Topps described herself on Survivor 45 as a civil rights attorney from St. Louis, Missouri who had moved to Brooklyn, New York. Her pet peeves? "Slow walkers, slow talkers, and people who ooze privilege." Her favorite hobbies? "Hot yoga, eating delicious food in gorgeous locations, and countering systemic racism."
While the two competitors were featured in the same season, Broderick and Topps were in two different tribes and didn't get the chance to interact that much on the show. Topps started the season on the Belo tribe, whereas Broderick was in the Lulu tribe.
Broderick was ultimately eliminated in the third episode (seven days into the competition) of Survivor 45. On the eighth day of season 45, the show did a full tribe switch-up between all the remaining players, prompting Topps to — ironically! — join the Lulu tribe… Except that Broderick had just been sent home the night before.
Thankfully, their paths did cross after Survivor, and fans can now celebrate this gorgeous and history-making couple who found love after meeting on the long-standing CBS reality series.
Alexa, play "Love" by Keyshia Cole!
You can watch Katurah Topps and Sabiyah Broderick's time on Survivor 45, as well as every other season of the show, via streaming on Paramount+.
