THE CHALLENGE’S most shocking scandals revealed as Ashley Mitchell is kicked off the show.
Cast members of the MTV series have created quite the stir over the years.
Fans of the show were shocked after host TJ Lavin announced Ashley’s untimely exit from the competition during Wednesday night’s episode.
The Challenge veteran had been prominently featured all season long until this point.
The longtime host told the group: “As you’ve seen, Ashley is no longer at headquarters. Ashley has broken one of our rules.”
“Because of that, Ashley is no longer able to stay in the game.
“She has been deactivated. She is no longer able to continue in this game for the rest of the season.”
MTV had no further comment about the exit so it is still not clear which rule or rules she broke.
Ashley, has competed on nine seasons of The Challenge, winning Invasion Of The Champions in 2017 and Final Reckoning in 2018.
Following the episode, the Real World alum took to Twitter with a statement.
She tweeted: “Rules are rules and I respect @mtv and TJs call.
“The best apology is changed behavior. See you next time..
“I just want to thank everyone whose stuck with me through out this all.
“Everyone knows I’m only mad at myself and it has been so hard to shake off the depression and anxiety since getting home.
“I have been taking anger management and reflecting alot. I love you yall so much.”
The incident was not the first time a contestant had created controversy for the producers on set.
Here’s a roundup of some of the most shocking scandals from the hit show.
DEE NGUYEN
MTV cut ties with the Dee Nguyen, 27, after she tweeted insensitive remarks about the Black Lives Matter Movement.
The Aussie competitor, who has also appeared on MTV’s Geordie Shore, was a part of the winning War Of The Worlds 2 team before she was recently dropped by the network.
She appeared on The Challenge alongside fellow co-stars Chris “CT” Tamburello, Jordan Wiseley, and Rogan O’Connor, whom she shared a romantic fling with.
Dee made a series of offensive comments about the Black Lives Matter movement on social media.
The Challenger took part in the Black Out Tuesday social media movement to demonstrate solidarity for the black community before taking back to Instagram to post provocative bikini pictures.
“READ THE F***ING ROOM. All you posted was a black square and went about your day and posting your lame a** thirst traps. Wake up!!! People are dying. Smh” one user angrily commented on her post.
The competitor, who is natively Vietnamese, replied “People die every f***ing day. [You] don’t know me or what I do.
“I suggest [you] wake the f**k up and get off social media.”
Over the next few days, she took to Twitter to defend her support of the BLM movement, writing: ” IDK why some of [you] think I’m anti-BLM. I’ve been saying that since the day I lost my virginity.”
Her comments have since received a wave of backlash for their racist and insensitive nature.
As a result, MTV made the executive decision to “sever ties” with the star to “stand with those raising their voices against injustice”.
MTV tweeted following her firing: “As a result of Dee Nguyen’s offensive comments on the Black Lives Matter movement, we have severed ties with her.
“Out of respect for our Challengers, we’ll air our season as planned.
“We strongly condemn systemic racism and stand with those raising their voices against injustice.”
MTV added: “We stand united against racism and urge you to join us in taking action to end racism, discrimination, and systemic violence. Learn more about being an ally. Take action and text DEMANDS to 55156.”
Dee issued an apology the previous night as a result of the backlash.
“I am sorry for the insensitive tweet I posted earlier. I was being defensive and not speaking from my heart. But there’s no excuse,” she wrote.
After a fiery exchange between her and her castmates Bayleigh Danton and Christopher “Swaggy C” Williams, she also apologized to the couple directly.
“I also want to extend an apology to Bayleigh and Swaggy- who are my cast mates and deserve my respect and compassion.”
Dee’s apology wasn’t enough for fans, including Danton and fellow castmate Tula “Big T” Fazakerley, who both issued their own responses on social media after her thoughtless remarks.
Danton tweeted.: “THIS IS NOT HOW YOU SUPPORT BLM. I’m disgusted and disappointed. THIS IS NOT A TREND. THIS IS LIFE OR DEATH FOR US. Posting for clout about the death of black people? Shame on you @deenguyenMTV.”
Fazakerley took to Instagram to express her “honest” experience with the Challenger, and how Dee had made her feel as though she was trying to box her into a”‘stereotype”.
“She said she was ‘blacker’ than me because I didn’t know the name of a musician and because she hadn’t seen me fight and be aggressive,” Fazakerley posted to her Instagram story.
“The tweet is not funny. It is disrespectful, utterly degrading, and wholly insensitive.”
Nyugen issued a second apology the day after and said that she would be stepping away from social media to focus on mental wellbeing in the midst of the backlash.
”The last 24 hours have made me realised what is important and that is forgiveness. I would like to offer my sincerest apology to my colleagues whom I have hurt directly and indirectly due to my insensitive remarks” she penned.
“This is not a goodbye, it’s a I will see you again. To my fans thank you for believing in me and your support.”
CORY WHARTON
Back in September, recurring contestant Cory Wharton slammed the network after they banned him from attending the show’s reunion due to his vaccination status.
The 30-year-old took to Twitter to announce that he has been “BANNED” from The Challenge reunion due to not receiving the vaccine.
The reality star wrote: “No challenge reunion for me, they said due to my vaccination status.
“They really are strong-arming ppl nowadays. Smh,” he complained.
The fan account @teenmomshaderoom_ reshared his message, with the caption: “Looks like MTV is starting to set some ground rules on being vaccinated vs not 
@teenmomfanz.”
Fans flocked to the comments section to share their own opinions on Cory’s participation in the special episode.
“There’s no way he’s surprised we are almost two years into the pandemic,” one laughed.
“Shouldn’t impact essential services but MTV is a private company.. & being on a reality show is a luxury. Workplaces have rules this is no different,” a second expressed.
A third explained: “Corey made his choice and now MTV made theirs. Don’t whine about it, Corey. ‘Vaccines don’t work’- says every person walking around and not inside an Iron Lung.”
LAUREN COOGAN
Another contestant who got into hot water on the show was Lauren Coogan who was presumably removed at the beginning of the current season, The Challenge 37: Spies, Lies, and Allies.
UK native and Love Island USA season two contestant Lauren Coogan debuted on the show and chose Big Brother 19 contestant Josh Martinez as her Challenge partner.
The first episode, however, didn’t feature any footage of the pair outside of their picture popping up in the opening credits.
PinkRose, a social media spoiler account, claimed the producers disqualified Coogan after she made racially insensitive remarks towards Aneesa Ferreira during a party in the house.
Cast members and producers have not publicly confirmed the rumor.
Coogan acknowledged her apparent disappearance from the episode by tweeting of an straight-faced picture of herself with the caption, “Me trying not to say everything I know.”
She followed up from her tweet shortly afterwards with a series of messages.
“All jokes aside, I got gaslit and scapegoated on two major networks within the same month. My anxiety skyrocketed, my mental health was literally in shambles and this led me to an identity crisis of sorts,” she wrote.
“Reality TV is supposed to be a source of entertainment and fun. To break the monotony of real life for the audience. We didn’t sign up to be role models or politicians.”
“We are just people figuring it out (in front of millions) both brave and crazy enough to put our lives out there for the pure amusement of whoever chooses to watch.”
“With that being said, we are still sharing parts of our real lives. Your comedy can be our tragedy and vise versa. So just a reminder, don’t believe everything you hear/ watch… And treat people with kindness,” she concluded.
Coogan furthered answered questions about her lack of air time on her Instagram stories after the second episode aired.
She claimed she didn’t want to talk about her experience on the show, saying it was “so traumatic” and “the worst time of my life” and that she needed therapy to recover.
Replying to another fan, she said “MTV legal” didn’t have time to review her alleged remarks before the next challenge began.
Jenna Compono and Zach Nichols
Co-stars turned lovers, Jenna Compono and Zach Nichols also produced some drama as fans followed their whirlwind romance.
The pair announced their engagement in December 2019 and recently got married in a mini ceremony in Michigan.
The Battle of the Exes II sweethearts also welcomed their first child together, a son Anthony on September 2.
However, the lovebirds relationship has not always been as picture perfect as it may seem.
The two spent much of their relationship dating on and off after meeting on the show in 2014.
Things took a dramatic turn when Zach was heard mistaking Jenna for a woman named Brooke on the phone, understandably upsetting his then-girlfriend.
Despite the mixup, Jenna did not break up with Zach, later revealing that it was him who pulled the plug on the relationship.
The TV star even went as far as to block Jenna’s number before they could discuss the situation.
“There’s really nothing I can do,” she said at the time.
The couple seem to have overcome their differences as they gushed to US Weekly about their little family.
“Watching her go into labor, and then deliver our son was the most impressive things I’ll ever witness, and the happiest moment of my life,” Zach told the publication.
“But if you were to ask me in August 2014 if I thought that hot blonde I met in Panama with the delicious bum would one day be the one to make me a dad, I would’ve laughed in your face. But, here we are with this amazing life and beautiful baby boy, and maybe that’s the most impressive part of.”
