“Survivor” Alum Monica Culpepper Mourns Son Rex After His Death at 28: 'Our Worst Nightmare Won't End'
“Survivor” Alum Monica Culpepper Mourns Son Rex After His Death at 28: 'Our Worst Nightmare Won't End'
Liza EsquibiasTue, April 7, 2026 at 8:00 PM UTC
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Rex Culpepper; Monica CulpepperCredit: Savanna Morgan/Instagram; Monty Brinton/CBS -
Monica Culpepper shared a heartfelt tribute to her late son, Rex Culpepper, who died in a dirt bike accident at the age of 28
The Survivor star called the loss "our worst nightmare" and thanked those who have shown up to support the family
Rex’s fiancée, Savanna Morgan, shared the news in a March 16 Instagram post, calling him "one in a billion"
Monica Culpepper has broken her silence after the sudden death of her son Rex Culpepper.
The Survivor alum took to Instagram Monday, April 6, to mourn the loss of the late college football star, who died last month at age 28 after a dirt bike accident in Florida, the Tampa Bay Times reported. Alongside a series of images of Rex, Monica shared a heartfelt message.
“No words. Feeble try…” she began. “Our world stopped at 5:12 pm on 3/14/26. We are overwhelmed with a gut wrenching grief, so hard it makes us ill. It’s as if the world is spinning and we are stuck somewhere detached. The nausea is constant. Our worst nightmare won’t end.”
Monica Culpepper, Rex Culpepper and familyCredit: Monica Culpepper/Instagram
She continued: “It’s hard to move but things must get done to honor our dear Rexy. I’m writing this to thank you… ALL of YOU. The love, prayers, cards, texts, calls, meals, flowers, posts and hugs are felt and matter. The shared stories, music, and videos of Rex’s dynamic interests and talents are uplifting and incredible.”
“It’s deep, it’s messy, it’s organic, it’s beautiful and authentic,” Monica concluded, going on to name their loved ones. “I’m channeling my shattered heart for my dear Brad, Judge, Honor, Elijah , and sweet Savanna.”
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In addition to Rex, Monica and her husband Brad Culpepper, who also competed on Survivor, are parents to sons Judge and Honor Culpepper. Savanna Morgan is Rex’s fiancée, who announced the news that her longtime partner had died in a social media post on March 16.
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“No one expects to meet the love of your life and lose them in only 6 short years after meeting,” she wrote. “Rex didn't always believe in soulmates but towards the end he told me that he didn't realize what having a soulmate felt like until we felt like extensions of each other. And one thing about us is that we lived every single day like it was our last. We did every little thing that we set our minds to, between learning new skills and hobbies, and traveling to new places, there was never any free time with us and not a moment spent apart. I don't regret a single day in our 6 years.”
Rex Culpepper and Savanna MorganCredit: Monica Culpepper/Instagram
“You made six years feel like a lifetime Rexy,” she added. “Im sure that myself and all of you who cared about him will never truly be able to move on after knowing someone like him. You dont just meet people like Rex all the time. He was one in a billion. There wasnt one thing that man couldnt do. Lawyer, mechanic, musician, chef, athlete, nerd….lover. He became such a lover.”
“I will never take for granted how cool Rex was and how cool he eventually made me too. I will carry on his hobbies forever. I dont think this Rex shaped hole inside of me will ever be filled. But seeing how much everyone around him loved him so greatly, makes my heart full. So here are some parts of him that I would like to share with you, to hopefully make your heart full too. Our story was a good one babe.”
The Syracuse football team, for which Rex previously played as a quarterback, also addressed his death in a statement.
"Rex lived his life with endless passion, having overcome cancer at the age of 20 while playing for the Orange. Appearing in 30 games, Rex played football as fierce as he lived life,” the program said. "Our hearts are with the Culpepper family & all those who loved him."
According to USA Today, Rex played for Syracuse from 2017 to 2020. In 2018, he was diagnosed with testicular cancer, but he went on to play in six games the following fall after being declared cancer-free in June of that year, ultimately earning the school’s Jim DaRin Courage Award.
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Source: “AOL Entertainment”
