He Won $20K On Family Feud. Then Steve Harvey Uncovered The Truth About His Life

What Is Wrong With Him?

Recently, Steve met a determined contestant that seemed a little more desperate to win than he should have been… but when Steve heard the truth it all made sense.

Nerve Wracking Experience

Being quizzed on national TV can be a nerve-wracking experience, and this one contestant was sweating so profusely, that it seemed like there was something strange going on.

Three Tiring Days Straight

The contestant played for three days without winning any money, and his physical condition seemed to get worse. But when Harvey talked to the man after recording had finished, the host was shocked when he heard the truth.

Aim Of The Game

The object of Family Feud is for participants to guess the most popular responses to survey questions posed to 100 random members of the public. Two sets of family teams compete against one another to win prizes and money for their answers. This contestant was unlike any he had ever witnessed before. What was he hiding?

Lease Of Life

When Steve Harvey took over as host in 2010, the popular comedian, actor and author changed up the show in many ways, including how he interacted with the contestants. Both the contestant and him were in for a huge shock during this particular show. The audience did not know what they were in for.

Different Kind Of Public Attention

The audience is used to interesting things happening to participants, most likely when they unwittingly giving a dirty answer to an innocent question. Yet this was on a whole other level.

Viral Clips

In the internet age, “Family Feud Fails” have become an increasingly popular phenomenon online, and more than a few of the clips have gone viral. But in mid 2016 a short piece of Family Feud-related footage of a different kind came to public attention.

Unforgettable Video

On August 1, 2016, a new video was posted to Steve Harvey’s YouTube channel. The clip was titled “Steve’s Unforgettable Family Feud Moment.” Many users of the video sharing site may have been expecting the upload to contain a humorous anecdote, but what transpired was far from laughter-inducing.

Unexpected Encounter

Instead, Harvey talked about his unexpected encounter with the Family Feud contestant who had been sweating and nervous. What happened on that episode that stuck in his memory so deeply?

Sweating Profusely

In the clip, filmed in front of a TV audience, Harvey reminisces about an episode from his time on the show. “This man was on Family Feud,” Harvey recalls. “He was the captain [of his team] and he was sweating profusely, to the point where we had to change his shirt. And you know, I was trying to joke with him, but he was sweating too hard.” What did that mean?

Worrysome Events

That might have suggested that something was up, as excessive perspiration can be a symptom of an underlying medical problem. This worried the crew and Steve himself who had to try and remain as calm as he could for the audience.

Just Such A Wreck

Sweating a lot can also be a side effect of pharmaceutical medication; whatever the cause of the player’s condition, though, host Harvey was becoming concerned about his guest. The contestant’s run of bad luck as the show was being filmed was not helping, either.

Long Slog Taking Its Toll

“He had played three days and didn’t win the money,” Harvey explains in the video, adding, “He was just a wreck.” Obviously, not winning money on a game show is disappointing, but this team captain seemed to be taking it desperately hard.

Luck Changed

Eventually, the contestant’s luck changed, though, and he and his family scooped a cash prize of $20,000. But apparently the man’s reaction wasn’t what anyone on the show had expected. “He just fell on his knees and wouldn’t stop crying,” Harvey explains to the crowd in the video. And while obviously $20,000 is a lot of money, Harvey thought it unusual for the winner to be quite so overcome.

Shocked To The Core

So, the host decided to talk to the guest after Family Feud filming had wrapped that day. To that end, Harvey approached the contestant and casually asked him why he was so emotional about winning. The man gave him a straight answer which shocked the presenter to the core.

The Moment Of Truth

“He said, ‘Steve, I’m terminally ill. I’ve got three months to live, and because of my illness I can’t get insurance. I need this money for my family.’”

Shocking Revelation

The crowd in the footage is heard gasping at this revelation, but Harvey isn’t finished. He then does something even more shocking and unexpected.

Shocking Actions

The host reveals that he had felt so bad for the contestant in that instant that he’d given him some money out of his own pocket, too. In addition to the prize money, Harvey donated $25,000 – more than the man had actually won in the first place.

Giving Back

But despite humble beginnings, Steve Harvey is a very rich man. As of May 2017, according to financial website Celebrity Net Worth, Harvey has an extremely impressive $120 million to his name after liabilities are factored in. A lot of that fortune has come from his work in Hollywood and being a successful author; some of that wealth, however, is from other places.

Source Of Income

His fortune has also come from his Family Feud paychecks. So, it may not come as a surprise that the host was happy to give a little back, especially when you learn a bit more about the man.

Hustler

Indeed, Harvey is no stranger to acts of charity. In fact, he knows what it is like to be on the receiving end of good deeds, too. Back in the 1980s, when Harvey was a hustling stand-up, he found himself homeless. He would sleep in his car in between comedy gigs and wash at gas stations or public swimming pools. Only the kindness of others helped the struggling comedian out of his predicament.

Charitable Acts

Subsequently, Steve Harvey and his wife, Marjorie, did something very unusual and different to other talk show hosts and even celebrities. You will want to know.

How Did He Use His Money

They actually established their own charitable foundation. And the organization’s website contains a statement of intent. It reads, “The mission of The Steve and Marjorie Harvey Foundation is to ensure that the needs of the whole child are met through the development of programs and support of community-based organizations that foster excellence in the areas of health, education and social well-being within urban and ethnically diverse communities.”

On The Streets

And Harvey is also a man of faith. A devout Christian, he actually credits God with helping him get off the streets. Specifically, one day while the comedian was washing in a public bathroom, he started praying. “I told God if he let me make it, when I got there I’d tell everybody how I did it,” Harvey told Christian current affairs website The Gospel Herald in 2015.

Needing To Do Something Meaningful

Furthermore, Harvey has also spoken to the media about wanting to do important things with his success. “I’ve just gotten to a place where it’s got to be more than jokes,” he told The New York Times in 2010.

May Sound Corny

He added, “I know it sounds corny, but I’m starting really to think about my life in terms of ‘What are they going to say about me?’… The sense of wanting to do something meaningful is upon me now.”

Setting An Example

Harvey’s video anecdote about the dying man has since gone viral, meanwhile, with more than three million views to date. And in the comments below the clip, many admirers complimented the TV personality for his act of compassion. One post read, “What an amazing gesture of kindness and love. Thank you, Steve Harvey for setting an example for all of us. God bless this man and his family.”

Kindness Of Strangers

It is a tragic fact, however, that too many people diagnosed with terminal illnesses in the U.S. often have to rely on the kindness of strangers. True, the majority of the American population benefits from health insurance. This means that should they be struck by serious illness or accident, they won’t have to pay out too much. But for Americans who don’t have health cover, every day can be a source of anxiety – and a medical emergency can be ruinous.

Seeking Help

In recent years, though, people who can’t afford to seek treatment or provide for bereaved families have turned to crowd-funding websites such as GoFundMe. Indeed, in 2015 a study by the personal finance website NerdWallet found that $930 million of the $2 billion that has passed through GoFundMe since its inception five years previous was related to American medical problems.

Worrying Facts

But, worryingly, the NerdWallet report discovered that only one in ten of these campaigns managed to hit their financial targets. So, in light of this fact, the unnamed Family Feud contestant was fortunate to receive such a relatively large amount to help take care of his family. Hopefully, though, a time will come when charity from the likes of multi-millionaire Harvey is a supplementary kindness and not a necessity. What about the man?

Triumph Lost

Some commenters also asked if the actual Family Feud clip of the man winning his $20,000 was anywhere online. Unfortunately, though, it would appear that the dying man’s moment of triumph has been lost. After all, that episode was not apparently a key one in Family Feud history. At least, it was not important or memorable in the eyes of the wider audience; only Harvey and the man’s family knew what was going on behind the scenes.